Stuart's in USA
Two spellings of the family name, “Stewart and Stuart”, are used in this family tree but both derive their origins from the occupants of Rosscorkey Island from about 1834. Which of the spellings is historical correct is currently unknown. Generally, most of my paternal ancestors are known as Stewarts. However, James (est. b 1837) and his son John (b.1864) who went to America and his family and decedents in the USA are all recorded herein as Stuarts. For further explanation about the variation in the surname spelling is given on the “Stewart’s Page", link here.
Who were the boat builders?
The family folklore about my g-g-grandfather’s sons who migrated to America as ship builders has always intrigued me; who were they, what boats did they build and where in America did they go. While the 1901 and1911 Irish Census data for data Rosscorkey Island records James Stuart and his son Francis as boat builders no other information about their craft has been found. The folklore is also a little ambiguous in that it recalls “that two of Robert’s son’s Joseph and James remained in Ireland and, that Joseph also went to America but returned when his father died to inherit a large farm”.
A family link between the USA and Australia
Also intrigued about their boat building g-grandfather, who was from Ireland, were two people from Quincy (part of greater Boston) when they uncovered some correspondence linking him to Rosscorkey Island. Looking for more information they found a Blog item I had posted that mentioned the same location and had a brief family tree with similarities to their family tree. After an exchange of emails it was evident that there was a family connection. John was in fact James Stuart’s son and he, as the family folklore stated, was a boat builder that had gone to America. John’s recorded surname as well as all of his paternal decedents is Stuart.
About John Stuart
John (b.1864) came from Rosscorkey Island and is thus far the first recorded child of James Stuart (b.1837) and Susan Magrath. He went to America in 1884 and is recorded as arriving in Boston on the 23rd of March on-board the Iowa.
He married Eleanor Maynes (who was from County Tyrone) in Boston on 3 Jun 1894. The 1910 United States Census records that John and Eleanor have five children; Mildred Eleanor (b.1899), Robert Gerard (b.1900), Charles Edward (b.1901), Thomas Maynes (b.1905), Fannie Emeline (b.1905), Alice Susan(b.1909) and Mary Lincoln (b.1908). Additionally, there were two other children, James Leo (b.1896) but he died quite young and Rhoda Mildred (b.1910). The 1910 Census records their residence as Quincy Ward 5, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States; the ward 5 probable being in the local area of Wollaston.
John died in an unusual accident in 1919; apparently he and an assistant were overcome by leaking gas as they slept overnight his boatyard. An extract from the Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920 records this event, where a full version of the death certificate can also be viewed. Additionally, the story of this event as recorded in the archives of the Boston Daily Globe and, the full story can be viewed as a pdf document here.
John’s boat building business
Before his death John set-up a successful boat building business "John Stuart & Co.", in Wollaston, which is neighbourhood within the city of Quincy. His boatshed was located at the end of Beach Street, on the foreshore of Quinky Bay; see the 1900 map showing the approximate location below.
The type of boats John built can be ascertained from his designed "Cat-Yawl Motorsailer" of 1899 and a summary of this design is available in Google Book’s presentation of “Designs to Inspire: From the Rudder 1897-1942".
In another extract from the Boston Daily Globe in 1990, which reports a fire at John's establishment, reference is made to government torpedo boats that were being constructed and two naphtha launches that were on the premises. The article that reports his death states that he was well known among local yachtsmen had had a reputation for building speedy motorboats.
More about the boat building heritage
There are no photographs or documented descriptions of the boats built on Rosscorkey Island but, by looking at the geography, history and economic conditions existing in Ireland, particularly in the Northern Counties during and before the 19th Century, some idea of the type of boats constructed can be envisaged. I have attempted to do this in an article named the “Boat Building Heritage”, to view this document link here.
More information about John Stuart's descendants in the USA
Katie Anne Stuart in Provo, Utah, USA maintains an Ancestry Com Family Tree that includes the decedents of John Stuart and Eleanor. To view her tree I believe you will need a current subscription to Ancestry Com and hopefully the tree is shared publicly. Alternatively, access to Katie’s site may be possible through public libraries.
A simplified family tree showing the link between the USA Stuart’s and the Australian Stewart’s is shown in the image below.
Who else went to America?
As stated above, John’s passage to America on-board the Iowa was in 1883 and he arrived in Boston on the 23 of March. John had a younger brother Joseph (b.1866) and sister Mary Jane (b.1868) and there is some evidence that they also went to America. Another extract from the Boston Passenger and Crew List, 1820-1954 shows a Joseph and Mary Stewart arriving in Boston 24 of August 1893 on-board the Cephalonia and they would be joining Mary’s brother, a Mr J. Stuart who is already a resident of Boston. This is not conclusive evidence but does support the family folklore that several Stewarts/Stuarts went to America, but as the evidence suggests, they were James’s children, not Robert’s.
Two Joseph's
John’s brother Joseph Stuart birth details are recorded in the Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881 database as the 2nd September 1866. However, there is another related Joseph, who is recorded as Joseph Stewart in 1901 and 1911 Irish Census data in the nearby Townland of Mullinavarnogue (sometimes spelt Mullynavarnoge). He is significantly older with an estimated birth around 1850 + maybe 5 years. The older Joseph married Mary Lilly in about 1873 and by the time John Stuart left for America in 1883 they had 3 or more children.
The conclusion based upon Joseph Stewart’s estimated birth year (1850+) and other evidence in this family tree is that he was in fact John Stuart’s (b.1886) uncle and that in all probability he did not go to America. The only possible explanation of the family folklore that some of Robert Stewart’s son’s went to America is that this occurred at an earlier time but, no current search results support the earlier passage premise.
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