This interesting grave stone marks the final resting place of James Stewart and his family. It can be found in the Duncan Street Cemetery in Greenock.
The inscription on the stone reads -James Stewart (1785-1837) was a merchant in Greenock and Newfoundland. He and his brother William formed J & W Stewart - a successful import/export business trading with Newfoundland. They owned many ships which were involved in this trade.
In 1825 James Stewart married Joanna Shaw in Greenock. They had several children but as the gravestone shows three died in infancy. The family lived at Clydebank House on the Low Gourock Road (now the Esplanade). James Stewart was a senior magistrate in Greenock and at the time of his death was Provost elect for the town. Two sons survived him – James Stewart and Daniel Shaw Stewart.
The other partner in the business (J & W Stewart) was James’ brother William
Stewart (1792-1875) who also had a house (Seafield) on the Low Gourock Road
(Esplanade). William married Eliza Paton
in Greenock in 1832. They had no
children. As well as his business
interests, William was also interested in buying property. He had numerous properties in Greenock as
well as Blackhouse Estate and St Fillans House (St Philans) both near Largs. On his death, he left the bulk of his estate
to his nephews.
 |
| James Stewart of Garvocks and Blackhouse, MP for Greenock |
James Stewart’s sons followed very different paths - His elder son, James Stewart (1823-1898) of Greenock took over his father’s interest in the business of J & W Stewart. In 1855 he married Margaret Parker Darroch (1831-1859) daughter of Duncan Darroch of Gourock and his wife Susan Parker. They had two daughters – Susan Caroline Stewart (1858-1955) and Margaret Parker Darroch Stewart (1859-1928). His first wife Margaret died in 1859.
In 1868 James married Margaret Sandilands Stirling, daughter of
William Stirling and his second wife Olivia Salmond. William Stirling was West Indies merchant and
a partner in the firm of Stirling Gordon & Co. The Stirling family lived at Kenmure House,
Glasgow . James and Margaret had several children.
James Stewart took an active interest in the affairs of the
town and was Chairman of the Greenock Industrial School and a member of the
Greenock Harbour Trust. He was instrumental in forming the
local Volunteers and became a Major. In
1878 he was elected Member of Parliament for Greenock (Liberal) but retired
from political life in 1884 (He does not seem to have been very activive politically). He
purchased the estates of Routenburn and Quarter near Largs and the Garvocks Eastate at Loch Thom. By the 1891 census he had retired to the Blackhouse Estate near Largs. He died at Edinburgh in 1898.
The younger son of James Stewart (senior) - Daniel Shaw Stewart (1833-1892) did not go into the family business. He became a Captain in the 11th Hussars and married (1858) Anna Dowson Earle (1838-1919), daughter of Joseph Earle (1803-1860) and his wife Anna Sim. Joseph Earle was a timber merchant who lived with his family at Kensington Palace Gardens in London. Daniel later moved with his family to West Park, St Andrews where he died in 1892.
