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James Stewart [A:237] born about 1749, marched as a minute-man from Blandford, MA, “immediately after the battle of Lexington,”₉ April 20, 1775, as a corporal in Capt. John Ferguson’s company, Col. Timothy Danielson’s regiment, and served a week and three days. ₈ In this same company were Jehiel and Spencer Stewart, –273, sons of Paul³ Stewart. James, with these other two, promptly re-enlisted April 30 in the same company - Capt. Ferguson’s - and served at the siege of Boston, three months and eight days. The names of the three Stewarts appeared in a company return dated at Roxbury, Oct 6, 1775, and the three were likewise given an order for more money in lieu of bounty coat, endorsed “Dec. 28, 1775.”₈ James and Spencer went on soldiering together. James was made orderly sergeant and was discharged from Ferguson’s company on Mar. 1, 1776.₉ James was a sergeant in Capt. William Cannon’s detachment of Col. John Mosely’s regiment which marched from Blandford under Lt-Col. Timothy Robinson to ticonderoga, Oct. 21, 1776, to reinforce the Continental Army, and served 11 days: mileage allowed, 260 miles out and back. Sylvanus Stewart, –273, marched in Capt. William Knox’s detachment at this time. Enlisting Dec. –, 1776, James was engaged under a commissary in transporting stores from Suffield, CT, to Bennington, VT, until April –, 1777.₉ On May 1, 1777, he enlisted as an orderly sergeant in Capt. William Cannon’s company (Sylvanus Stewart was in Cannon’s company), Col. Whiting’s regiment, and participated in the battle of Bennington. He was discharged Nov. 1, 1777. He married (1) -----, and was not in Blandford in the census of 1790. By his first wife he had two sons, James, born in New York City, and William, born March 25, 1787. He married (2) April 19, 1815, Cynthia Ward, in Westerlo, Albany County, NY. He died Nov. 22, 1844, in Broome, Schoharie County.

John Augustus Stewart married Phillippina Christina —. He was of New York City when he made his will Dec, 16, 1787, which was probated Oct. 8, 1793.₅ His wife was named as one of the three executors, who “shall sell my house and lot of ground situated in Orange Town in Orange County, NY.” His children were:

August William
Maria Christina	m. David Gardner
Margaretta Catherina	m. Leopold Beck
Anna	deceased, leaving children
Adam Frederick	deceased, leaving children
Johanna (youngest daughter)	m. Henry Rosenkrantz

John Stewart, born aobut 1737, enlisted Nov. 25, 1763, at the age of 26, in Capt. James Clinton’s company of men of Ulster and Orange counties, NY, in which William Stewart was first lieutenant. This William Stewart was doubtless the William Stuart, born in Scotland about 1720, who was a soldier, aged 40, in Capt. Clinton’s company in Ulster County in a roll dated April 26, 1760. James Stewart, born in Scotland about 1740, enlisted Mar. 24, 1761, in Capt. Howells’ command of Orange County men.

John Steuart, born about 1741 “in Ireland,” enlisted Aug. 5, 1775, in Capt. Robert Johnston’s company, as shown by a muster roll of the men raised and who passed muster in the county of Orange for this company. He was described as being 34 years of age and born in Ireland; by trade a laborer; stature, 5 feet 8 inches; complexion, brown, hair and eyes black.

James Steward, born aobut 1758, married about 1780 Jane Whittier.₁₁ He lived in Minisink, Orange County, NY.₅ Data were kept by Mrs. Christina Mills of Middletown, and further notes and a copy of his will were sent us in 1927 by Elizabeth Horton of Middletown, who said he was a son of James and Catherine, —268. The name was generally spelled Steward.₅ James Steward was town clerk of Minisink in 1793-96 and 1798-1800. From 1801 to 1808 James Steward, Jr., was town clerk. He died late in 1811 and is said to have been buried in Stewarttown. His will, dated Oct. 3, 1811, was witnessed by Silas Steward, John Stewart, and Samuel Tooker, and appointed as executors his wife Jane, Gabriel Steward of Goshen, and Jonathan Bailey, Jr., of Minisink. It named his five daughters and tweo young sons, giving the sons “this old farm whereon I live.” It also spoke of the 100-acre lot which he bought of Laurence Knortright. Children:₅

Alexander Stewart, born Dec. 15, 1755, married Mary —, born Mar. 31, 1761.₄ The family is said to have been living in the vicinity of Little Britain, Orange County, NY, in the time of the Revolutionary War. He died Jan. 26, 182, aged 64 years, 1 month, 11 days, and Mary, consort of Alexander, died Sep. 14, 1837. They are buried in Little Britain. Perhaps the following, buried in the same cemetery, were their children:

Walter³ Stewart, born probably about 1705, married Margaret ----, born in 1710.₄ He lived in Sadsbury, Chester County, PA. He was granted land May –, 1752, and his name was on the list of taxables in Sadsbury township in 1753.₁₂ Margaret died Sep. 7, 1748, aged 38, and was buried in the yard of the Presbyterian Church of Upper Octoraro. He died in 1778 and was buried beside his wife Margaret, the gravestone of his son Andrew containing the inscription, “In memory of Walter Stewart and his wife Margaret.” Walter’s will was dated July 20, 1777, and proved Apr. 29, 1778. It appointed his son Andrew sole executor, and was witnessed by Thomas Boyd and Joseph Powell. Andrew was given “the plantation on which I live” and was directed “to pay to my son James £30 one year after my death.” The executor was to make “no charge nor demand whatsoever against my grandson Walter nor his mother for the time he lived with me.” This grandson Walter was a “son of my son Alexander, deceased,” and was to receive a legacy when he became 21 years of age, and his mother, Martha, widow of Alexander, was provided for. The will also spoke of “my grandson William Stewart.” Children:₅

Alexander⁴ Stewart (Walter³), born about 1735, married Martha —. He died before 1777, when his father made his will, leaving his widow Martha and at least one child, Walter, a minor. This boy Walter evidently had lived for some time with his grandfather before the grandfather died. Besides Walter there was another grandson, William Stewart, who may also have been a son of Alexander:

Andrew⁴ Stewart (Walter³), born in 1737, married Agnes —. There was an Andrew Stewart who was a landowner in Sadsbury township in 1753 when this Andrew was 16 years old. Andrew inherited his father’s farm in Sadsbury in 1778, which had been granted under patent dated may –, 1752, by James Hamilton, lieutenant-governor of Pennsylvania, to Walter Stewart [a:xvi:181] and sold part of it May 19, 1788, to Samuel Willson, stonemason. Andrew’s wife Agnes signed the deed with him [c:ii:408]. He died Dec. 26, 1804, in his 68^th year, and his widow Agnes died Apr. 6, 1814, aged 68. They were buried in the Upper Octoraro Church cemetery. Andrew’s will was dated Dec. 25, 1804, making his sons James and Enoch executors, and was written by Rev. A. Mitchell and witnessed by George Boyd and Samuel Wilson. The will mentioned his children Andrew, James, Elijah, Mary, wife of James Irwin, Margaret, Jenny, Sarah, Nancy, Hannah and Enoch. Feb. 25, 1806, the executors made a deed to Samuel Wilson, and on Mar. 8, 1806, Wilson deeded land to James. Children:

Sarah	Oct 26, 1772		d. Oct 28, 1829
Elizabeth	Oct 26, 1772		d. Apr 14, 1797
Andrew
Mary		m. James Irwin
James B.	1778	m. (1) Rebecca – (2) Ann Love	d. Nov 18, 1837
Elijah		m. Lydia Reynolds: to Cherry Tree, Venango Co., 1802
Margaret
Enoch	Jun 14, 1783	m. Mary --	d. Apr 7, 1861, Sadsbury
Hannah	May 20, 1785		d. May 3, 1864
Alexander Mitchell	May 21, 1787		d. Jun 5, 1787 (on same stone as Enoch)
Jennet
William	1791		d. Aug 24, 1794, in his third year₄
Agnes

James⁴ Stewart (Walter³), was born about 1740. His father provided in his will in 1777 that James should be given £30 one year after the father’s death. James may have received a substantial sum previously, or may have settled elsewhere. He may have at the time been in the military service.

Gen. Walter⁵ Stewart was born about 1756 in County Derry, Ireland, and came to Philadelphia at an early age, said P. O’Neill Larkin. He is said to have been a cousin to Charles¹⁹ Stewart, – A:133, “born in County Donegal, who was colonel of the First New Jersey regiment of minute-men, afterward on the staff of General Washington and subsequently member of Congress from New Jersey,” but this seems only conjecture. He married (1) about 1778, —, by whom he had son William.₁₄ He engaged in the mercantile business, joined the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and the Hibernia fire company [he was not a Catholic] and at the outbreak of the Revolution he recruited a company in Pennsylvania. He was appointed aide de camp to General Gates. In 1777 he was colonel of the 13^th Pennsylvania regiment. He is said to have been one of the handsomest men of his day. A story is told of his stealing a kiss from the pretty young wife of Stephen Girard, the wealthy merchant. At the approach of the British army in 1777 Girard moved his merchandise from Philadelphia to Mount Holly, where he set up shop. The American army was camped nearby, and one day Colonel Stewart was in the store and, when Girard’s back was turned, he kissed the storekeeper’s wife, mostly as a prank to amuse the group of soldiers who were in the store. Mrs. Girard told her husband, who created quite a scene and forced Stewart to apologize. After the war Stewart resided in Philadelphia, retiring from the army in 1783 as brigadier-general, enjoying the esteem of General Washington. He married (2) Arpil 11, 1781, in Christ Church in Philadelphia, Deborah McClenachan, daughter of Blair McClenachan. He formed a partnership with A. Nesbitt as early as 1785, and the firm of Stewart & Nesbitt carried on extensive commercial and land buying transactions. In one of their deals involving land in Luzerne and Northumberland Counties they contracted to buy land “on the south side of the Big Wophollopin, adjoining lands of Jacob Hergershein, Jacob Stembech, and Archibald Stewart,” and one of the witnesses to the agreement was William Stewart, Sr. In some of the original documents, now owned by Dr. C.A. Humberd of Barnard, Mo., –B:223, Walter signed “Walter Stewart, Jun., partner of A. Nesbitt,” Feb. 16, 1792. Gen. Stewart died June 14, 1796, in Philadelphia, aged about 40. His will, dated June 14, was proved June 16, and requested that his wife and Blair McClenachan be made guardians of his children; it mentioned his “eldest son William”, “my sons until 21", “my daughters until 18", and an unborn child. One of his daughters married Judge Church. We lack the names of his children excepting William, born 1780.

Adj. Walter⁴ Stewart, born about 1730, perhaps in Scotland, was in Augusta County, VA, as early as 1754. Tradition says that he came over as an officer in Gen. Braddock’s army and after the war settled in Virginia [History of Jackson, Jefferson and Porrawattomie Counties, KS, 1889]. “The family trace their ancestry back to Mary, Queen of Scots,” this book says, “and were lineal descendants of Walter and Alexander Stuart, who were beheaded.” It is probably that Walter’s father was in the Stuart uprising of 1715 or of 1745 in Scotland, and Walter himself may have swung a sword in the battle of Culloden. He was commissioned ensign July 25, 1754, in Col. George Washington’s Virginia regiment, and on Aug. 31, 1754, he was made lieutenant, as shown by a list of commissions sent to Col. Washington and preserved among the Washington papers. Lt. Stewart went with Braddock on the expedition against the French and Indians at Fort du Quesne (Oct. 10 to Dec. 27, 1755) and was wounded in the defeat on the Monongahela. He was captain in command of a company of regulars in 1758.₈ He maried, about 1765, Catherine —. On March 15, 1771, he was appointed surveyor of Catawba district by the King’s Bench to succeed William Robinson. Walter Stewart and wife Catherine deeded Nove. 8, 1771, 75 acres at Small Spring of the Catawba in Botetourt County to John McKinzie.₇ Nov. 2, 1773, he purchased 96 acres of land on North fork of the Roanoke River from Daniel and Ann McCarmack for £27-7. He was appointed adjutant to the Botetourt and Fincastle troops on the expedition against the Indians on the Ohio and was in the battle of Point Pleasant in 1774, in which his horse got away; this he stated on Oct. 14, 1776, when asking the Virginia House of Delegates to compensate him with the sum of £14.₆ At a court for Botetourt County rising May 11, 1780, he made proof that he had served as a sergeant and as quartermaster sergeant in the military forces comprising the 1^st and 2^nd Virginia regiments in the last war (1778) until such regiments were discharged and disbanded, and the bench ordered that the proof be certified and that proper grants to land be issued.₆

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