The baptism of John Stuart was recorded in the Tarland and Migvie (Aberdeenshire) Parish Register, in an entry dated 15^th December 1770:

Peter Stuart alias McHandy at Miln of Culth had a Child baptized named John Witnesses John Ewan in Knowhead & John Reid in Miln of Culth

This alias may be taken to be a matter of clan allegiance and makes sense of what has been hithero unfathomable, i.e. an entry in the Kildrummy (Aberdeenshire) Parish Register of Marriages:

Octr. 15th John McAndy & Charlotte Cattanach having consigned pledges were regularly proclaimed & married Novr. 8th. 1796

The Wimberley study, referring to him as ‘John Stuart, in Newmill, Birse’, supplies the information that he married Charlotte Boyd Cattanach in 1792, although his source is not given. On the evidence of the above, it may be taken that the actual year was 1796.

The Birse Parish Register, in connection with the baptisms of daughter Mary in 1799, son ‘Hary’ (sic) in 1801, son Peter in 1803, daughter Helen in 1805 and George in 1808, styles him ‘John Stuart in New Milne’ (the ‘in’ is omitted in the entry for Peter), an obvious variant upon ‘Newmill’.

Further information about John is provided by his son, Harry Stuart, in Agricultural Labourers, As They Were, Are, and Should Be, In their Social Condition, published by William Blackwood & Sons, of Edinburgh and London, in 1853 (1854 reprint), in a footnote to p. 9:

I have some good notion, also, what the habits of the manufacturing people were in towns about the end of last century, from the circumstance of my own father having been a chief clerk and manager in a spinning manufactory, about that time newly erected, with Arkwright’s then mighty improvements... His father’s landlord sent for him, and pressed him to lease three farms to be joined in one, for three nineteens and a life, at any rent he himself thought he could pay, and a large grazing farm rent free into the bargain, to encourage him, and which last was let at L.100 a-year some thirty years ago ; but as many others were standing back, afraid of losing their capital, and as there was great encouragement given to young men of a good education from the country, by the manufacturers in towns, as managers of works, from their knowing best how to treat their workpeople, just recently but simple rustics, he preferred the latter employment; but from over-work, anxiety, and confinement, his health soon broke down, and he returned to country, and became an energetic improver too; but being quite as much in the dark as others, it was to little or no profit. He died when but a young man, and myself a mere boy; but as he took great pains with my school-lessons, and as, while confined two months before his death, he kept me at home from school, to read the Prayers of the Church of England to him every other hour, to encourage the lessons, and to make the confinement less tedious to me, he told me very many little tales of the customs of those times, both in town and country. These two months are by far the most agreeable, both as to recollections and advantage, in all my “small life.” Parents, make, if possible, your children your chaplains when you are sick.

JOHN STUART son of PETER STUART also farmer in Newmill, Birse d... 1816 aged 44 leaving a widow & 7 children: MARY d. 1819, PETER & JOHN in 1846 – all shewing what children are when trained up in the fear of God. His widow, their mother, so truly beloved & respected CHARLOTE (sic) BOYD CATANACH d. 18 Jan. 1848 aged 72. ROBERT formerly in Newmill & latterly at Ruthrieston, Old Machar d. 15 Apr. 1864 aged 66. MARY ROSS widow of said ROBERT STUART d. 11 Oct. 1872 aged 78.

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Erected by their grateful sons ROBERT farmer in Newmill, HARRY minister Oathlaw, GEORGE schoolmaster of Oathlaw

The 1864 death certificate of his son Robert and the 1880 death certificates of his sons Harry and George were consistent in recalling John as a ‘farmer (deceased)’.

The 1875 death certificate of his daughter Helen Gordon Stuart recalled John Stuart as a master meal miller (deceased).

Forebears

According to the Wimberley study, John was a ‘son of Peter Stuart, also in Newmill’, mentioned to in John’s biogaphical extract, supra. This is the same man who went by the alias of McHandy and was at Miln of Culth, Tarland and Migvie Parish, in 1770.

The following www.findagrave.com inscription is also found in Tarland Kirkyard, on a flat memorial stone, in front of and under the broken stone pertaining to his son John:

PETER STUART farmer in Newmill, Birse was interred here in 1810 in his 84th year of a highly useful religious & respected life. MARY HUNTER his wife in 1818. Also their children WILLIAM, MARY, MARGARET, ANN, HELEN & MICHAL (sic).

It might therefore be inferred that Peter was born c. 1726 and that his wife, Mary Stuart MS Hunter, was John’s mother.

Brothers & Sisters

John Stuart had at least two brothers, the above-mentioned William and Michael, and four sisters, Mary, Margaret, Ann and Helen.