John Hay Stewart (abt. 1837 - abt. 1900)

Born about 1837 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Jane Elizabeth (Purkiss) Stewart — married 15 Apr 1874 in Pilkington Township, Wellington, Ontario

Descendants

Died about 1900 at about age 63 in Alberta, Canada

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Biography

John Hay Stewart was born about 1837 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland. The family immigrated to Colborne, Huron, Canada West about 1840 where he grew up on the family farm. ^[1] John left the farm "as soon as he was old enough to strike out on his own, ... at about eighteen." "he was soon working, first of all in Pennsylvania and then in some of the southern States. A few years later, he came up to Michigan." There "he first became a member of the Masonic Lodge. The privilege of becoming a Mason was one thing that always meant a great deal to him." While in Bay City, Michigan, he met Irene. ^[2] John Hay Stewart and Jane Elizabeth Purkiss were married 15 Apr 1874 in Pilkington Township, Wellington, Ontario. ^[3] They lived in Michigan. In 1880, John was a steam engineer in Ogemaw Springs, Ogemaw, Michigan, USA. ^[4] About 1882, Tom Stevens, John's brother-in-law, offered John a job in his factory as a mechanic, which was accepted. The factory was in London, Middlesex, Ontario. John was not comfortable there, so John and Irene decided to go as far away as possible and begin again. In 1884 John and Irene Stewart and family, went to Alberta on the newly completed Canadian Pacific Railway, to Calgary. They drove the final 100 miles, a three day trip with team and democrat, to their homestead. ^{[5] [6]} They farmed at SW 14 36 36 W4, Red Deer, Alberta (now Penhold). ^{[7] [8]} John died in 1900.

Sources

1. ↑ 1851 Census of Canada West, Huron, Colborne, Colquhoun Stewart household, schedule A personal, unnumbered district, unnumbered subdistrict, p. 36, lines 12-20; Library and Archives Canada, RG31, microfilm C-11728.
2. ↑ Children of the Pioneers, Norman Stewart, (n.p.; n.d.), held by Bert Sheppard Stockmen's Foundation Library and Archives, Cochrane, Alberta.
3. ↑ Ontario Marriage Registrations, Stewart - Purkiss, registration no. 009258 (1874); digital image, Ancestry.ca, citing Archives of Ontario microfilm MS932, reel 15.
4. ↑ 1880 United States Census, database, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org), entry for John Stewart, Ogemaw Springs, Ogemaw, Michigan, p. 9B; citing NA microfilm T9-0600.
5. ↑ Irene Stewart, "These were our Yesterdays", 1979, privately published
6. ↑ Children of the Pioneers
7. ↑ 1891 census Canada, Alberta, Red Deer, district 197, subdistrict 15, division b, p. 7, family 42; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http//www.ancestry.ca :accessed 6 April 2010) citing Library and Archives Canada RG31, microfilm T-6425
8. ↑ Stewart Supplies Limited, 2002 calendar, digital image, January page, Kaszas Communications (http: www.marketingjournalism.com/clients : accessed 30 November 2010) citing Stewart family papers.