James STEWART was born on Croftcarnoch Farm in Borenich, Blair Atholl, Perthshire and baptized on Oct 7, 1787.

His parents were John Stewart of Blair Atholl and Christian Douglas of Dull who married December 26, 1776 in Lick, Dull, Perthshire.

James emigrated to Ontario in July 1818, arrivng with a *testificate* in hand [a letter of introduction from his home parish] and lived nearby his first wife's parents' farm, along with some other Scotsmen.

He received a crown grant of 100 acres in Esquesing Township, in Halton county, Ontario and eventually owned 700 acres and operated his own sawmill on his property.
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1st MARRIAGE
-- abt 1825 to Elizabeth Stewart, daughter of Margaret Lamond / Lamont and John Stewart who was known as the "Father of Scotch Block" in Esquesing Township, Halton county.

James and Elizabeth had 4 sons and 2 daughters before her death in 1841.
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2nd MARRIAGE
-- about 1847 to Janet [Jennet] McGregor and they had 2 daughters, Janet and Mary.

Between 1851-1855, James built a beautiful Georgian home for his family in Esquesing Township, which was referred to as *Stewart's Castle.*
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The 1861 AGRICULTURAL CENSUS recorded the following for James and Janet, giving us a clear picture of these homesteaders and what they had accomplished --

385 acres held by James / 100 acres held by Janet
200 acres under cultivation
141 acres under crops in 1860
59 acres under pasture in 1860
3 acres under orchards or garden
185 acres under wood or wild

Cash Value of Farm = $18,000.00
Cash Value of Farm (in implements or machinery) = $400.00

45 acres of fall wheat / 500 bushels of produce
500 acres of spring wheat / 300 bushels of produce
6 acres of barley / 80 bushels of produce
12 acres of peas / 280 bushels of produce
10 acres of oats / 350 bushels of produce
1 acre of potatoes / 300 bushels in produce
1 acre of turnips / 150 bushels in produce
50 tons of 2000 lbs or 50 bundles of 16 lbs

63 pounds of wool
24 yards of flannel
12 steers or heifers under 3 years of age
8 milk cows
6 horses over 3 years of age
1 colt or filly under 3 years of age
22 sheep
20 pigs

Total Value of all Livestock = $925.00

550 pounds of butter
300 pounds of cheese
10.5 barrels of pork at 200 pounds each barrel
52 barrels of beef at 200 pounds each barrel
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James died April 19, 1865 in Esquesing Township, Halton, leaving his widow, 2 young daughters as well as his 4 living children from his 1st marriage and many grandchildren.

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FATHER of the BLOCK -- -- excerpt from the book "Halton's Scotch Block, The People and their Stories" by Jim Dills and Gloria Stark Brown:

When John and James Stewart, hardy Highland Scots, petitioned Sir Peregrine Maitland in 1819 they explained:

"The principal motive that induces your Excellency's Petitioners to take the Liberty of Praying for a Scotch Settlement is to enable them to support a regular bred Clergyman of their Persuasion (Presbyterian) and who understands their language to enable them as much as in their power to transmit both to their posterity, it would encourage them to every industrious exertion, superior to what might be expected, by being mixed among strangers".

The Land Council of Governor's Office ordered "that the 2 leaders (John and James Stewart) and the 2 Douglas(s) receive 200 acres each and if not granted them already next 100 acres each and further that they be located as near as possible to one another in the same township and that 6000 acres of the lands adjacent to this location be reserved for their associates to emigrate out next summer, till further orders".

(The acreage occupied as the Scotch Block came to far exceed that early provision to nearly 20,000 acres)

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