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.
Abel Stewart was born June 22, 1815, on the homestead farm in Mersea township, where he grew to manhood. He began farming on 100 acres of the homestead farm, selling that later and coming to Lot 12, on the Lake Shore in Gosfield, where he purchased 100 acres of unimproved land. On the front of this lot he built a water mill, which he ran for many years, and then sold to a Mr. Patton. He completed the clearing of his land, and built a frame house which still stands on the place, his first home having been a log cabin. His death took place Sept. 21, 1884, when he was aged sixty-nine years, two months, twenty-nine days. He married Lucy Blackman, who was born at Lockport, New York, and who died in Gosfield Feb. 24, 1893, aged sixty-six years, nine months, twenty-four days. Their children were: ... Elihu B., of Detroit, married Jane Hairsine, and they have three children, Leonard, Maitland and Eva, both sons being physicians...
Eva
Stewart
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