Howardstown, Canaan, Bloomfield, Skowhegan (Early History) Sprague Journal of Maine History Vol. VIII Aug., Sept., Oct., 1920 No. 2 page 151-153 Ancestry of the Stewarts. EARLY SETTLERS OF HOWARDSTOWN, CANAAN, BLOOMFIELD, SKOWHEGAN. STEWART-STUART-STEWARD (BY A. W. STEWART, AUGUSTA, MAINE.) The name Stewart is spelled in more than thirty different ways. It was derived from the Latin word seneschal, or senescallus which the Scots interpret Stewart and the English steward. In ancient Scotland the seneschal, stewart, or Lord High Stewart was, next to the king, the highest officer in the realm, and was Minister of justice, Finance and War, Chancellor of the Excheq- tier, and Commander-in-Chief of the Army. The office of Lord High Stewart was appointive until the reign of Malcomb IV who made it hereditary in the family of Walter Fitz Alan, who held it at that time, 1157. The father of Walter Fitz Alan was Alan Fitz Flaald. He was born in Brittany, and removed to England before 1101 where he became Lord of Owestrie. Walter 3rd assumed the office of Lord High Stewart in 1204, and like many others of his time adopted as his surname, the name of his business, or office, and consequently became the founder of the Clan Stewart of Scotland. He married Beatrix, grand- daughter of David I, and, consequently, while few of the mem- bers of Clan Stewart were descended from the Stewart kings, all are descendants of the ancient kings of Scotland. The name appears first in Scotch records when Sir William Stewart took part in the proceedings of parliament in 1398. Mary "Queen of Scots " was educated in France where the name, owing to the absence of the letter w in the French alphabet, was neces- sarily apelled with u, and the form Stuart was established, and although her ancestors as well as her son James VI used the form Stewart, most writers follow Queen Mary's example Duncan Stewart was born in the Highlands of Scotland about 1623. He espoused the cause of his kinsman King Charles II, and in supporting him, either at the battle of Dunbar in 1650, or Worcester in 1651, was captured by the army of Cromwell, and with the other prisoners taken in those battles sent to the American Colonies, and indentured as servants to the Colonists. Duncan was landed at Ipswich, Mass., in 1654 and married Anna Winchurst of that town. They removed to Newbury in 1659 and for thirty years occupied a farm in Byfield Parish near the Rowley town line. They later removed to Rowley. In early Suffolk Court Records, Vol. 42, P. 75, dated 1698, oil file at the courthouse in Boston, Mass., can be found the deposi- tion of Duncan Stewart " About seventy-five years old " and witnessed by the court officer. The name of Duncan Stewart, and later a reference to his widow as "Old Widow Stewart" appears in Rowley town records. Duncan died ill T717, and his wife in 1729, probably over a hundred years old. James Stewart (son of Duncan and Anne Winchurst) was born in Newbury, Mass., in 1664. He was a " Carpenter and Planter." His name first appears on the Newbury tax list in 1688, and he served in the -Canadian Expedition, (King William's war) from that town. His first wife's name was Elizabeth, and he later married Sarah Prime, of Rowley. He removed to Rowley where he died in 1750. Samuel Stewart, son of Duncan and brother of James, married Dorcas Boston and their son John was born in Wells, District of Maine, in 1709. A document is on file in the Suffolk count), records which he signed "John Stewart." His son "Joseph the Quaker" and grandsons Samuel, Wentworth, and Calvin, lived in Belgrade, Me., and used the French form Stuart. Kennebec County Treasurer, Bert P. Stuart, belongs to this branch. Solomon Stewart (son of James and Elizabeth was born in Rowley, Mass., in 1698. He resided in Rowley, Salem, and Lunenburg, Mass. He entered the military service in 1721, and served as sergeant in Capt. John Wainwright's Company. In 1722 he was with Capt. Johnson Harmon's Company, fighting Indians in the " District of Maine." He was one of the garrison at Bruns- wick, Me., when the Indians burned the town. In 1725 he acted as scout for Capt. Richard Kimball's " Troop of Horse." He married in Andover, Mass., June 28, 1727 Martha Farring- ton of that town. Their children were Benjamin, Solomon, Phineas, Daniel, William, James, Jacob and Mary. Solomon Stewart died in Lunenburg February 28, 1758. Martha, wife of Solomon Stewart died in 1777, and her gravestone declares " She was a Virtuous Wife, a kind Neighbor and a tender Parent. Mournful Children here I lie as you are Now So Once Was I As I am Now So You Must be Prepare yourselves to Follow Me." Of the children of Solomon and Martha Stewart, Dea. William Phineas and Daniel married Abigail, Anne and Mary, daughters of Lieut. Abraham Ireland, who served in the French and Indian war. Solomon, Phineas and Dea. William were among the pioneer settlers of Fitchburg when it was separated from Lunenburg in 1764, and about 1776 they removed, as their nephew Daniel, (son of Daniel) had the previous year, to Howardstown, which later became Canaan and Bloomfield, and is now Skowhegan, Me. About that time they adopted the English form-Steward- of spelling their name. The most of their descendants have con- tinned its use, some, however, have returned to the original form, among them may be mentioned, George S. Stewart, Genealogist, of Bedford, Mass., a descendant of Daniel; the late Hon. D. D. Stewart, lawyer, of St. Albans, Me., great-grandson of Deacon William, and the late Elijah W. Stewart of Augusta, Me., who was a grandson of Phineas, and father of the writer of this sketch. Solomon Stewart-Steward was born in Rowley, Mass., January 14, 1730. lie married Elizabeth Taylor. Their children were Solomon, 'Mary, Betsey and Rebecca. Phineas Stewart-Steward was born in Rowley, Mass., March 27, 1732. In 1754 he was one of the carpenters employed in build- ing Fort Halifax, at the junction of the Kennebec and Sebasti- cook rivers in what is now Winslow, Me. In 1756 he was a sol- dier in the Crown Point Expedition. He married Anne Ireland. Their children were Samuel Bird, Anne, Phineas, Abraham, Thomas and Martha. Daniel Stewart was born in Salem, Mass., November 21, 1734. He married Mary Ireland. Their children were Daniel (who removed to Howardstown*), Benjamin, John, Amassa, Amherst, Stephen, Thomas and James. Deacon William Stewart-Steward was born in Salem, Mass., March 14, 1736-7. He married Abigail Ireland. Their children were William (better known as Dr. Bill), James and Jonathan. The descendants of the Stewart pioneers of Howardstown are Many, and have been, like their ancestors, sturdy and reliable men and women ready to obey and enforce the laws of their country, and when their country needed them for its defencce in 1812, its preservation in 1861 and " to make the world safe for Democracy in 1917, they furnished their full quota. ***************** (c) 1998 Courtesy of the Androscoggin Historical Society ************************************************* * * * * NOTICE: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. 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