History of Kent County, Michigan; together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships ... biographies of representative citizens. History of Michigan ...; C. C. Chapman & co., Chicago, 1881, p. 1403 [Walker Township]:
John Stewart was born in Essex Co., Canada West, in 1817; is son of James and Margaret (Fulmer) Stewart, the former a native of Pennslyvania, born in 1794, the latter born in Canada. Mr. Stewart was married in 1835 to Semantha Randall, born in New York in 1817. They have four children-Margaret, Heroin, Sylvester J. and Celestia. Mr. Stewart moved to Hillsdale Co., Mich., in 1837, and a year later returned to Canada. In 1844 he went to Vergennes, and a year later came to Walker. In 1850 he bought 40 acres on sec. 11, then in timber, and still owns 29 acres, with 20 improved. Mr. Stewart is a Granger. During the Canadian difficulties of '37 he was " pressed" into the British service, and did military duty six months.
Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Essex, J. H. Beers & Co., Toronto, 1905, p. 410-411:
James Stewart, a farmer and carpenter in Gosfield North, is the last surviving member of a family long known in the County of Essex, where they were among the earliest of the pioneer settles, while still farther back he traces his ancestry to the famous Stewarts of Scotland. He was born in the County of Norfolk, Middleton township, Oct. 13, 1840, son of Rev. James and Jane (Philpox) Stewart.
Originally three brothers came from Scotland to America: Charles, grandfather of our subject, settled in Canada; John went to Pennsylvania and was killed during the Revolution; and James, a soldier in the British army, died near Amherstburg, in Malden township, after the war of 1812. Charles Stewart, with his wife, Peggy, made his home in Mersea township, and lived to the remarkable age of 104 years. He had seven children, all now deceased: John, Charles, Abel, Rev. James, Polly (wife of L. D. Vaughn), Peggy (wife of Michael G. Fox) and Tabitha (Mrs. George Brown).
Rev. James Stewart was born in 1794. While he owned and lived on a farm, his life work was in the Baptist ministry, and he was a well-known preacher in the County of Essex. His death occurred in 1841, while he was at Long Point, Canada, engaged in the discharge of ministerial duties. He was twice married, and by his first wife, Betsy (Fulmer), of Mersea township, had five children, David, John, Isaiah, Jane and Margaret, all now deceased. By the second union with Jane Philpox, born in Iona, Canada, in 1800, there were three children, namely: Esther, the deceased wife of the late Thomas Craney, of Gosfield; Eliza A., the late wife of Thomas Hawkes, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; and James. After her husband's death Mrs. Stewart married William Taggatt. Her death occurred in 1898.
James Stewart was reared and educated in the County of Essex, and early learned the carpenter's trade. While he has always followed this to some extent, he bought a tract of wild land while he was still a young man, and has devoted his life mainly to farming. He now has a highly-productive farm on Concession 6, Lot 23, a place which he has himself cleared and cultivated, and on which he has built a number of unusually good buildings. To this home in 1861 he brought his wife, whose maiden name was Miss Julia Lane. She was born in Colchester South in 1846, the daughter of Aaron and Eleanor Lane, who were early settlers in that region, descendants from an old English family. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, but all have passed away save one daughter, Cecilia, the wife of John C. Hutchinson, a business man in Leamington, who has one daughter, Mildred.
In their religious belief Mr. Stewart and his wife are Methodists, and are members of that church, in whose work they have always taken an active part. Politically Mr. Stewart has always adhered to the Reform party, but has not been prominent in politics, as his services to the public have always been in connection with educational work, as a school trustee, or in some similar position. In his home Mr. Stewart has been an admirable husband and father; as a citizen, public-spirited and honest; among his friends and neighbors, upright in conduct, genial in nature and charitable in thought and deed, so that he is held in high esteem, respected and honored.
Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Essex, J. H. Beers & Co., Toronto, 1905, p. 156-157:
John S. Bruner, one of the leading citizens of Gosfield South, an extensive farmer and fruit grower at Elm Bluff Fruit Farm, occupies the old home of his father and grandfather, belonging as he does to one of the oldest and most honorable families of this part of County Essex...
John S. Bruner was born April 5, 1852... In 1872 Mr. Bruner was married to Catherine E., youngest daughter of Charles Stewart, Sr...
Mrs. Catherine E. (Stewart) Bruner was born in the township of Mersea, Feb. 26, 1856, daughter of Charles (Jr.) and Mary (Whittle) Stewart, natives of Pennsylvania and the County of Essex, respectively, granddaughter of Charles Stewart (Sr.) and great-granddaughter of James Stewart.
James Stewart, father of Charles Stewart, Sr., was born in Scotland and came to America about 1775. He came out as a soldier, belonging to the regiment known as the Black Watch, the 42nd Highlanders. He was married in Virginia to Peggy Brown, a Scotchwoman, and they afterward moved to Greene County, Pennsylvania, where they raised a family, Charles Stewart, Sr., being their youngest child.
Charles Steward, Sr., was married in
Pennsylvania to Jane Findley, and they afterward moved to Essex County, Ont., settling in Mersea township. They raised a large family of whom Charles Stewart, Jr., was the second one...
Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Essex, J. H. Beers & Co., Toronto, 1905, p. 90-92:
Simeon M. Stewart is a representative member of one of the historic families of County Essex, and is now proprietor of the leading hotel at Ruthven. The family, as the name indicates, is of Scottish extraction.
James Stewart, progenitor of the family in County Essex, was born in Argyllshire, Scotland, and always clung to the Highland costume, which, according to his clan, consisted of a kilted skirt, with sash and belt, a sword at his side, short hose and sandals. When he was quite young, the French war being then in progress a press-gang started on its rounds to gather up young men by force, for increasing the army, and a brother of James Stewart was captured, although he subsequently escaped. On account of his youth James did not seek to avoid the gang, but, to his dismay, he was also impressed and placed in a company called the Highland Watch, in the 42nd regiment, this being the first company that was raised in Scotland. He served faithfully through the entire war, and, after it closed, embarked for America. During the American Revolution he served as a colonel in the British army, and took part in the battle of Bunker Hill. Safely passing through this war also, he subsequently married, in Maryland, a Scottish-born maiden, Margaret Brown, and started with her across the Alleghany Mountains, she being the second white woman who had ever crossed voluntarily. They settled on a farm in Dunkard township, Greene county, Pennsylvania, and in the course of time eight children were born to them, four sons - James, John, Daniel and Charles - and four daughters - Sophia, Mary, Jane and one whose name is not recorded.
[Story of James Stewart's death at the hands of the Indians, and James and John being captured and taken to Malden. John escaped, and later James acquired a farm near Cedar Creek.] In 1805, the mother, then seventy-four years old, accompained by her sons and their families, came to Canada, where she died in 1838, at the advanced age of 107 years.
John and Charles Stewart served under Gen. Anthony Wayne in the Indian war in Ohio, and also assisted in the building of the stronghold, Fort Erie, the first one on Lake Erie. John Stewart married in Canada a Miss Augustine and Charles married Jennie Findlay.
Charles Stewart, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Pennsylvania, and when he settled in Ontario drew a Government lot on the 4th Concession, in Mersea township. Later he acquired much land, enough to enable him to start each of his sons with a farm. For years he was an elder in the Baptist Church. His children were: Charles, who lives at Olinda (he married Mary Whittle, whose youngest daughter married J. S. Bruner); John, who lived at Olinda and married Eliza Hamilton; Abel; and James. Of the daughters, Margaret married Michael Fox, locally known as "Big Mike"; Tabitha married Rev. Mr. Irving, a Baptist preacher; Polly married Lorenzo Dow Vaughtan; and Sally married Harrison Brown.
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James
Stewart
Esther Stewart ca 1835-
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