The Stewarts in Edraleachdach and Lorrachan,
Upper Strathgartney, Callander, Perthshire, ScotlandCadet Branch V of the Stewarts of Glenbuckie
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The Stewarts Edraleachdach and Lorrachan were a cadet branch of the Stewarts of Glenbuckie. Please refer to the Glenbuckie page for a full introduction.
Edra (Edraleachdach) on the shore of Loch Katrine in Upper Strathgartney
www.multimap.com
Edraleachdach - This mid-9th century map shows the adjacent farms of
Stongalvaltrie (Stron), Edraleachdach (Edra) and Letter, but there is no
indication of Lorrachan. Lorrachan is said to have been a small farm on
the Edraleachdach property, but its exact location has not been identified.
It would appear that later non-Gaelic residents of this area had difficulty
pronouncing the names of their farms as they were both abbreviated.
www.nls.uk
The fifth cadet branch of the Stewarts of Glenbuckie (as accounted for in Stewarts of the South) was a family who lived at Edraleachdach and Lorrachan on Loch Katrine in Upper Strathgartney, Callander Parish, Perthshire, Scotland, in the heart of what today is known as The Trossachs. The following introduction to this family is excerpted from Belinda Dettman's report on the Stewarts of Edraleachdach and Lorrachan:
When Mary Stewart was born in 1756 her parents were described in the Callander parish register as �James Stewart and Margaret Stewart in Lorrachan�. James and Margaret Stewart had several other children, some born �in Lorrachan�, others �in Edralecach�. Initially I could find no record of a place called Lorrachan, but a farm called Edra is shown on the modern ordinance map on the northern shore of Loch Katrine. Edra is the shortened form of Edraleachdach, meaning �farm between two stone-flagged burns�. Lorrachan was a separate farmtoun on the Edraleachdach estate but it is now in ruins.
The estate still belonged to the family in 1870 when James Stewart of Edraleachdach died. James�s will left the farm to his brother, Archibald Stewart, and Archibald�s son Archibald John Stewart, conditionally upon their managing it satisfactorily for a period of five years. I am grateful to Susan Sauve for bringing the contents of this will to my attention.
Loch Katrine, now owned by the Strathclyde Water Corporation, is the catchment for the Glasgow water supply. The Corporation is Laird of the entire catchment area and it continued the practice of grazing sheep on the surrounding hill farms, including Edra, until about 2001. The area has recently been incorporated into the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.
The lineage of Branch Five of Glenbuckie has taken some time and effort to sort out. Several important baptismal records are missing, possibly because the family lived at the far end of Callander parish. As Lorrachan and Edralechach were Highland farms, situated about 20 miles west of Callander, I don�t imagine that these Stewarts were regular churchgoers, and some children seem not to have been baptised, or perhaps the records have been lost. I have not been able to find baptismal records for Walter Stewart, the �present Tacksman of Lorachans & Edraleek�, or for his brother Alexander. It was easy enough to find the records of Walter�s wife and children but not that of his birth. As Walter fits in best as Mary�s brother, I have assumed that he and Alexander were the youngest surviving sons of James, the Black Serjant.
The family descends directly from Duncan Stewart, 5th Laird of Glenbucky, via his son Alexander.
As there are many holes in the early evidence of this family the following accounting is not entirely verified, but in some cases represents our best probable reconstruction based on the available evidence. This accounting is subject to revision if new evidence surfaces.
Alexander STEWART 1st of Ardcheanochdan b: ABT 1589 in Glenbuckie, Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland as a son of Duncan Stewart, 5th of Glenbuckie. A challenging reading of Stewarts of the South seems to indicate that Alexander was patriarch of III Branch Sliochd Sheumais mhic Alistir mhic Dhunachy or "Children of James son of Alexander son of Duncan"; IV Branch "Craiglevan Stewarts", a.k.a. Sliochd Dhonal mhic Alastair mhic Dhonachie, or "Children of Donald son of Alexander son of Duncan", and referred to as "Donald Stewart brother to foresaid James"; and V Branch "Lorachan Stewarts", described as descended from "James McAlistir foresaid". Thus, these three branches descend from James and his brother Donald who were both sons of Alexander, son of Duncan. The key question is from which Duncan do they descend? There are two clear possibilities: 1. Duncan, 5th of Glenbuckie, in which case the son Alexander would be this Alexander and the James and Donald would be his sons; or 2. Duncan, son of Duncan, 5th of Glenbuckie, in which case the descendant branches shown here would descend from this Alexander's brother Duncan. There is no sure way to tell which is correct. One must ask which makes more sense, that a clan would name itself after the estate laird or after his third son? Either is possible. The first is preferred on the basis of pure logic. However Stewarts of the South introduces Branch III with the following: "Duncan Stewart, brother to Iain Du Beg of Glenbuckie, had three sons." This would seem to imply that Branches III, IV & V descend from Duncan, son of Duncan 5th of Glenbuckie as MacGregor shows. At present, these three lines descending from Alexander, son of Duncan, 5th of Glenbuckie. Thus we suggest that Alexander had the following sons:
This intervening family may contain errors and is presently under review.
Donald STEWART, 1st of Edralechdach and Lorachan, b: ABT 1650 in Glenfinglas, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland, shown above as a son of James mac Alasdair mhic Donnachaidh Stewart, 2nd of Ardcheanochdan. Stewarts of the South says: "James Mac Alastir foresaid had a son [who was] a tenant of Lorachans [on] Loch Cathrine side [in] Callander parish, [on the] estate of Drummond. [James mac Alastir's] offspring goes under the denomination of Lorachans." Stewarts of the South does not give the name of this son of James mac Alasdair mhic Donnachaidh. However, The Ardvorlich History identifies a Donald Stewart "in Edralechkick" in 1680 in the Dunblane Commissariat Records. In the absence of other evidence it is suggested that these two references refer to the same person. Donald's children are not known for sure, but are suggested by onomastics:
John? STEWART , 2nd of Edraleachdach and Lorachan b: ABT 1685 in Edralechdach, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland. He is believed to be the "John Stewart in Edraleekoch" in 1728 in the Dunblane Commissariat Records (from The Ardvorlich History). John is suggested as the father of:
Robert STEWART in Gartmore b: ABT 1730 in Edraleachdach, Strathgartney, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland.
Robert's information and descendants are presented below under 2 Line
Charles STEWART, in Edraleachdach b: ABT 1680 in Edraleachdach, Upper Strathgartney, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland.
Donald? STEWART, in Edraleachdach b: ABT 1680 in Edraleachdach, Upper Strathgartney, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland. He is presumed but not confirmed to be the son of Donald. It is suggested that John married firstly to Agnes STEWART, although no record of their marriage has been found. And that they were parents of:
The first line of the Stewarts of Lorachan resided at the main family holding of Edraleachdach and Lorachan. Stewarts of the South says that these two residences were "the same place". That is, they were probably two different residences on the same property. As noted above, Lorachan does not appear on any modern or historic maps. This line is described in Stewarts of the South as follows:
James Mac Alastir foresaid (This most likely refers to James, son of Alexander, son of Duncan, 5th of Glenbuckie) [who] had a son [who was] a tenant of Lorachans [on] Loch Cathrine side [in] Callander parish, [on the] estate of Drummond. [James mac Alastir's] offspring goes under the denomination of Lorachans.
- James Stewart, late tacksman of [L]orachans & Edralecheg, [which are the] same place. [James was] commonly called "the Black Serjant". [He] left three sons:
- John Stewart, [the] first son [who] died before his father
- Walter Stewart, [who is the] present tacksman of Lorachans & Edraleek [on] Loch Cathrine side [in] Callander parish [which is the] estate of Drummond. [Lorachans and Edraleek] was a lucrative tack from the Barons of Exchequer for a long time. [Walter had] two sons [who are both] minors. [He pays] rent �140.
- Alexander Stewart, [who is] brother to Walter. [He] is [a] land surveyor in England. Alexander, his brother, (it is believed that the "his brother" redundantly refers to Walter's brother) left two sons:
- (who is not mentioned)
- [the] 2[nd] of them [is the] head gardener to Sir Robert Preston of Valleyfield, Perth. This a good situation.
We account for this family as follows:
Sgt. James STEWART , 3rd of Edraleachdach and Lorachan b: ABT 1720 in Edraleachdach, Upper Strathgartney, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland. James is described in Stewarts of the South as: "James Stewart, late tacksman of [L]orachans & Edralecheg, [which is in the] same place. [James was] commonly called "the Black Serjant". [He] left three sons." James married firstly on 1 SEP 1748 in Lorrachan, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland to Catherine STEWART b: ABT 1726 in Scotland. Her parents are presently unknown. They had no known children.
Sgt. James Stewart of Lorrachan married secondly on 14 MAR 1753 in Callander, Perthshire, Scotland to Margaret STEWART b: 31 JUL 1725 in Cuilantogle, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland, daughter of John and Mary Stewart in Cuilantogle (their specific origins have not been identified. James and Margaret had the following family:
James Graham married secondly on 21 MAY 1814 in Callander and Port of Menteith, Perthshire, Scotland to Catherine STEWART b: 14 APR 1785 in Callander village, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland, daughter of John Stewart and Mary Ferguson of the "Stewarts in Soldier's Land" branch of the Stewarts of Glenogle. James Graham and Catherine Stewart had the following family:
Walter Stewart in Lorachan married on 24 APR 1800 in Callander, Perthshire, Scotland to Elizabeth MCDONALD b: 5 DEC 1778 in Callander, Perthshire, Scotland, daughter of Archibald McDonald of Monachyle and Margaret Stewart. Walter Stewart and Elizabeth McDonald had the following family:
James inherited the estate of Edraleachdach and Lorachan upon the death of his father Walter. James never married nor had children. Upon his death the estate passed conditionally to his brother Archibald as noted in the will below. It is not known if Archibald met the conditions of the will and retained Edraleachdach or not. James will is given as:
Testament of James Stewart, Edraleachohach, Loch Katrine-side, Parish of
Callander, d. 15 Oct 1870.
Reverend Hugh McDiarmid, Minister of the Parish of Callander, John Lorn
Stewart of Stronvar, Cambelton, and Rev�d(?) Blair, Trossachs, and Walter
Buchanan, Solicitor, Callander or survivors�.as trustees of the estate were
directed to:
1. pay all just debts
2. deposit L 1,000 and thereafter pay � of the yearly interest or proceeds
to my sister, Margaret Stewart, residing in Callander, during her lifetime
and the other half to my niece Elizabeth Stewart daughter of my brother
Archibald Stewart during her lifetime or until she attains the age of 30
years �and then upon the age of thirty, 500 pounds sterling from the said
one thousand pounds�Upon the death of said Margaret Stewart, 500 pounds
sterling from the said sum of one thousand pounds shall be paid over to or
applied on behalf of her son Walter Stewart�.
3. Trustees shall allow my brother Archibald Stewart and his son Archibald
John Stewart to remain upon and manage the farm of Edraleachdach with all
its possessions and furnish the trustees information about the management of
the farm yearly and for five years. After 5 years, �should my said Trustees
be satisfied with the management and behaviour of the said Archibald Stewart
and Archibald John Stewart� they were to convey the farm and it�s
possessions to them. If the trustees were dissatisfied they were to convert
the farm and it�s possessions to cash and �invest the sum of fifteen hundred
pounds sterling in their own names for behoof of the said Archibald John
Stewart in liferent for his liferent use�.�
4. To the Minister and Kirk Session of the Parish of Callander L 100
5. To the Trustees of the Trossachs Church L 100
6. The residue of the estate the Trustees were to retain for 10 years and
then divide equally between Archibald John Stewart and Elizabeth Stewart.
Witnesses: John Smith, MD; James Gray apprentice to Said Walter Buchanan.
Both Reverend Hugh McDiarmid and Andrew Blair signed to accept the offices
of Trustees and Executors.
The inventory of the estate came to L 3,478-4-3. John Lorn Stewart of
Stronvar, Campbelton and Walter Buchanan, Solicitor, Callander both declined
to act.
Registered in the Commissary Court Books at Dunblane for the Western
District of Perthshire, 25 Nov 1870, pages 92-106.
"Trustees shall allow my brother Archibald Stewart and his son Archibald John Stewart to remain upon and manage the farm of Edraleachdach with all its possessions and furnish the trustees information about the management of the farm yearly and for five years. After 5 years, �should my said Trustees be satisfied with the management and behaviour of the said Archibald Stewart and Archibald John Stewart� they were to convey the farm and it�s possessions to them. If the trustees were dissatisfied they were to convert the farm and it�s possessions to cash and �invest the sum of fifteen hundred pounds sterling in their own names for behoof of the said Archibald John Stewart in liferent for his liferent use�.�
Given that Archibald was found in 1881, ten years after his brother's death, residing again at Monachyle and is shown as a "retired farmer", this would strongly suggest that he failed to meet the conditions of the will above and that the farms of Edraleachdach and Lorach were sold by the trustees and dispersed as per above.
Archibald married on 17 AND 28 APR 1845 in Port of Menteith and Callander, Perthshire, Scotland to Janet BUCHANAN b: 30 MAY 1820 in Callander, Perthshire, Scotland, daughter of John Buchanan and Isabella Doig. Archibald and Janet had the following family:
Gartmore www.multimap.com |
Gartmore, Main Street viewed from the south. � Copyright Iain Thompson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. |
The second line of the Stewarts of Edraleachdach and Lorachan descend from Robert Stewart in Gartmore, brother of Sgt. James "The Black Sergeant" Stewart 3rd of Edraleachdach and Lorachan, above. This family is described in Stewarts of the South as:
Robert Stewart, [who is] brother to [the] foresaid James (believed to refer to James, the late tacksman of [L]orachans). [He] was [a] tacksman at Gartmore [in] Port [of] Monteith parish. [He] had four sons:
- James (or George) Stewart, [a] cottager [in] Aberfoil [in the] Lordship of Monteith. He has:
- two sons with their father
- James (or George) Stewart, [who is a] householder [in the] village of Gartmore. [He has] three sons
- the first is a mason
- the second a gardener
- the third is a shoemaker
- Patrick Stewart [who is] a tailor in Glasgow. [He has] four or five sons.
- Duncan Stewart, [who is] a labourer in Glasgow [and has] a family of sons.
We account for this family as follows:
Robert STEWART in Gartmore* b: ABT 1730 in Edraleachdach, Upper Strathgartney, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland. Robert is described in Stewarts of the South as: "Robert Stewart, [who is] brother to [the] foresaid James (believed to refer to James, the late tacksman of [L]orachans). [He] was [a] tacksman at Gartmore [in] Port [of] Monteith parish. [He] had four sons." Belinda suggests this Robert is the one shown in the Callander OPR as born illegitimately on 2 OCT 1709 in Callander, however I am sceptical of this birth. Robert married on 24 MAR 1757 in Aberfoyle, Perthshire, Scotland to Elizabeth MCFARLANE b: 3 JUL 1727 in Callander, Perthshire, Scotland. They had the following family:
*NOTE - There was another Robert Stewart in Gartmore, contemporary with this one, who also had four sons. He was from Gartnafuaran Branch IV
Bochastle is the site of a Roman fort build in AD 85 and believed to have been abandoned shortly thereafter. The ruins lay buried unknown for centuries until the River Leny flooded its banks in 1949 and exposed a portion of the ruins.
NOTE - This family is contemporary with Alexander and Elizabeth Stewart in Grodich and Auchnahard of Gartnafuaran Branch IV and they have similar sons.
Alexander Stewart, [a] tacksman of Bochastaill [in] Callander parish [on the] Earl of Murray's estate [which was] bought from Drummond of Perth. [It is] one of the prettiest farms in Perthshire. [He] left five sons:
- Charles Stewart, innkeeper in Callander - no sons
- Walter Stewart, a merchant in Callander - no family of sons
- David Stewart, a spirit dealer in Glasgow [who has] two sons [who are] doing well
- Peter Stewart, [a] cow-feeder in Glasgow [who has] three sons
- Alexander Stewart, [who is also a] cow-feeder in Glasgow [and has] one son who is an English Rider and [is] doing well.
Alexander STEWART , in Bochastle b: ABT 1715 in Edraleachdach, Upper Strathgartney, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland. Alexander is described in Stewarts of the South as: "Alexander Stewart, [a] tacksman of Bochastaill [in] Callander parish [on the] Earl of Murray's estate [which was] bought from Drummond of Perth. [It is] one of the prettiest farms in Perthshire. [He] left five sons." Alexander's third marriage is not certain -- the children shown there match with the description found in Stewarts of the South, but are somewhat geographically removed from the birth places of the earlier children. However, Stewarts of the South also indicates that Alexander's sons, when grown, were employed in Callander and Glasgow which would support the theory that the family was migrating east out of Upper Strathgartney.
There are three marriage dates recorded for Alexander and Elisabeth/Beatrice/Beatrix Stewart: "Alexander and Elisabeth Stewarts both in this parish listed themselves to be proclaimed in order to marriage 3 DEC and were married before their third proclamation." (bet 1735-1740 Episcopal) and Alexander STEWART and Bettrice STEWART in Auchnahard, m 14 DEC 1742 or 18 MAY 1747 in Callander (both entries say "both in this parish"). Then there are two birth for Charles as shown below but with a large gap in-between. We cannot be certain that these represent the same Alexander and Beatrix or whether there may have been multiple couples with the same names. We know there was at least one other contemporary Alexander and Elisabeth Stewart in Grodich from Gartnafuaran Branch IV.
Alexander married firstly on 10 MAY 1746 in Callander, Perthshire, Scotland to Bettrice STEWART b: ABT 1725 in Scotland of unknown parents. They had the following family:
Alexander married secondly on 10 FEB 1766 in Callander, Perthshire, Scotland to Christian KING b: ABT 1740 in Scotland. They had the following children:
Alexander is believed, but not confirmed, to have married thirdly to Mary MCLAUCHLAN b: ABT 1750 in Scotland, although no record of their marriage has been found. They had the following children:
Cuilantogle (top) and Ballagline near Glenhead (now extinct, shown at bottom red circle) www.multimap.com |
Coilantogle Ruins � Copyright Simon McKeating and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. |
The present accounting of this line may contain errors and is currently under review.
Stewarts of the South accounts for this family as follows:
Duncan Stewart, [a] late tacksman [at] Cuilanleogail [in] Callander parish [on the] Earl of Murray's estate. [He] left three sons:
- Duncan, a labourer to the Earl of Murray near Doune Lodge. [He has] four sons:
- One of them in the Earl's service
- the rest are minors
- Donald, [at] Summerline Flanders Moss [in] Kincardine parish. [He has] four sons:
- two of them [are] soldiers who performed actions becoming the descendants of their progenitors
- the other two [are] with their father -
- John, [who is an] innkeeper [in] Doune. [He has] three sons [who are] minors.
The above Duncan (patriarch of 4 Line, not his son) had a brother [who was] a baker in Dunfermline with a family.
No match can be found for Donald above in the 1814 Blair Drummond Census nor in the Kincardine OPR. It seems likely that Stewarts of the South has made an error on Donald's name.
We present the following detailed accounting of this family:
Duncan STEWART , in Cuilantogle b: ABT 1710 in Callander, Perthshire, Scotland. Duncan is described in Stewarts of the South as: "Duncan Stewart, [a] late tacksman [at] Cuilanleogail [in] Callander parish [on the] Earl of Murray's estate. [He] left three sons." Duncan's wife and children as shown here are not verified. Duncan is presumed to have married Elizabeth STALKER although no record of their marriage has been found. They had the following children:
John STEWART and Janet BUCHANAN, married 8 JAN 1773 in Callander, "both in this parish."
The Kilmadock OPR reveals only one John Stewart in this era having children and he happens to be residing in Doune and his sons match those described in Stewarts of the South. On that basis it is suggested that he MAY be the John Stewart who married on 02 DEC 1803 in Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland to Janet MCQUEEN b: ABT 1775 in Perthshire, Scotland. (acknowledging the huge potential for error here with the fact that John would have been nearly 60 when he married.) John Stewart and Janet McQueen are shown in parish records to have been the parents of:
Ardcheanochdan (now Tigh-Mor)
www.multimap.com
The following family was previously accounted as the parents of Sgt James Stewart in Edraleachdan and Robert Stewart in Gartmore, but is no longer:
James STEWART b ca 1685 married on 30 JUN 1715 in Callander, Perthshire, Scotland to Janet MCKEOUN b: ABT 1695 in Callander, Perthshire, Scotland, daughter of Donald McKeoun and Isobell Tylour. They had the following family:
John STEWART and Mary STEWART, no marriage parents of:
The following families have been researched by Belinda Dettman but have not been accounted for among the descendants of the Lorachan and Edraleachdach branches above:
Christian STEWART in Edraleckic (4895); married John Stewart in Glenfinglas (4894) 26 Aug 1801 Callander, Perthshire, Scotland.
James (4896); born 10 Jul 1807 in Bridge of Turk, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland.
John STEWART in Lorachan (7004); married Sarah McLaren (7005).
Alexander (7006); bap 4 Sep 1768 in Lorachan, parish of Callander, baptized in Aberfoyle, Perth.
Robert STEWART, Wright in Lorachan (6993) (Possibly James (5002) son of James Stewart of Brenchoil); born circa 1751; married Christian Stewart (6994) 17 Jun 1774 Balquhidder, Perth; married Christian Stewart (6994) 21 Jun 1774 Callander, Perth.
James (7025); bap 8 Mar 1775 Balquhidder, Perth.
Walter (6995); bap 30 Mar 1777 in Lorachan, parish of Callander, recorded in Aberfoyle, Perth.
David (5087); born 25 Nov 1779 in Graddich, Callander, Perth.
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