|
|
| Pictured left is Mary Stewart, my great-grandmother,
her husband John Blair and son William Blair. Mary Stewart was born
20/Oct/1871 at
Sarclet in Caithness.
She was the daughter of Neil Stewart and Elizabeth Downie.
Neil was a Crofter/Fisherman in the village of Sarclet. He and his family lived here (click to view) Neil and Elizabeth had a large family consisting of 4 boys and 8 girls. Of them I don't know very much except one brother is said to have gone to Alberta, Canada where, he is reputed to have become at some point the largest crop farmer there. Another is believed to have moved to live in South Africa. My great-grandmother Mary Stewart, was "sent away" when she was about thirteen years old to work in Airthrey Castle near Stirling. The family story is that one of her brothers was involved in a fight in which someone was seriously injured or killed. Mary was then sent away to be shielded from the scandal or problems which followed. She stayed there for many years and eventually became the housekeeper to the owner Colonel Graham John Blair (pictured left), son of William Blair and Mary Ann Taylor |