Patrick Stewart - early Immigrant, Civil War Veteran, kin to Bridget (Stewart) Hastings

Since I knew my ancestor Bridget was a Stewart (from her children's baptismal records, among others), and that she and several of her children were god parents (sponsors) to Patrick Stewart's children, I had always assumed they were kin, most likely siblings. Their proximity in Lexington further strengthened that assumption. I'm now more convinced in that I did have a Stewart descendant tested for autosomal DNA and there is a match into the Hastings line. Might be a more distant relationship, 1st cousins for instance, but age wise seems pretty likely as brother/sister.

What is interesting about Patrick is that he was in America many years before Bridget and her family arrived. It may have been the draw for them to end up in Lafayette County, Missouri, right in the middle of the U.S.. Tracing him back took quite a few years, and a French translator to identify his route. The story out of a descendant of Patrick's oldest child is that he (Charles) was born in the New York Harbor in 1842. I've not been able to find that ship, nor broadening it to other ports, but at least the time frame is established. Patrick's first wife died in Iowa in July of 1850 and he remarried, in... Montreal! (June 1850) That's where the translation came in. He had to provide the details that his first wife did pass, and he was able to re-marry in the Catholic Church, which he did to Ann McCaffrey (a dozen different ways I've seen that spelled). By 1855 he was resettled in Lexington as the children of his 2nd wife have baptisms starting at that date. As noted in an earlier blog 1855 was also the year that Bridget and 3 of her children traveled to New Orleans. So some time between the 1851 of his marriage, the 1851 census of Bridget in Liverpool, and 1855 these families reunited in Lexington. We can't be certain that Michael Hastings didn't head out first, hearing of opportunities in America and call for Patrick Stewart to join him, or the other way around, but they were in communication. Speaking of communication, if you have not taken a look at The Boston Pilot database, you should. I found it online for searching. Here's the description:

From 1831 through 1921, the Boston Pilot newspaper printed a "Missing Friends" column with advertisements from people looking for "lost" friends and relatives who had emigrated from Ireland to the United States. This collection of 31,711 records is available here as a searchable online database. http://infowanted.bc.edu/

I have found a few references back to families in Lexington looking for kin. Here's an example:
Thomas Halloran mentioned in the Boston paper in 1870's as "from Westport, County, Mayo, Ireland and living in Lexington, Missouri"

Patrick Stewart joined up with the Union Army, along with his son, Charles and nephew Thomas Hastings.

From USGENWEB Kansas Web Site 9/18/1999

FIRST REGIMENT KANSAS VOLUNTEERS---INFANTRY: COMPANY E.

*if a person is listed more than once, they were promoted*

Sergeants 

· Charles Stewert, Lexington, MO.Dis. for disability, Lagrange, Tenn., Nov. 26, 1862 

Corporals  

· Charles Stewart, Lexington MO 

Privates 

· Charles Stewart, Leavenworth 

ADDITIONAL ENLISTMENTS---COMPANY E.

· Thomas Hastings, Leavenworth 

· Patrick Stewart, Kansas City, MO 

RE- ENLISTED VETERANS, COMPANY E.

Privates 

· Thomas Hastings, Leavenworth

You'll note his son Charles (the one that was to have been born upon arrival in America in the harbor) rose through the ranks. Although Charles, born on American soil didn't need it, Patrick and Thomas, by joining the Army was eligible for citizenship.

"Special consideration was given to veterans. An 1862 law allowed honorably discharged Army veterans of any war to petition for naturalization -- without previously having filed a declaration of intent -- after only one year of residence in the United States"

This is a wonderful picture of Charles Stewart's family for the most part, a very matronly bunch:

Would be wonderful to collect more photos like this of Irish from Lafayette County.

Patrick was honorably discharged, having suffered a wound in the back during his service. Note the reference to his birth location to County Mayo ("Myo") in Ireland, another tie-in to the two families:

Patrick's youngest son from his first marriage, Mark, also joined up as a very young man of 15 as a Musician, but in a Missouri regiment. He was in for the duration. It must have been a traumatic experience for such a young man. 

------

Mark's military record:

Mark Stewart, Musician, Co. B, 28 Reg't Missouri Infantry

Age - 15 years

Appears on

Company Muster-in Roll

dated - St. Louis Co. Mo., Sept 8, 1862

Muster-in date Sept 8, 1862

Joined for duty and enrolled:

When July 30, 186*

where Lexington

Period 3 years

WBeck copyist

------

Mark Stewart

Priv, Co F, 10 Reg't Calvary

Appears on Co. Muster-out Roll, dated

Nashville, Tenn, June 22, 1865

Muster-out date June 22, 1865

Last paid to Oct 31, 1864

Clothing acount:

Last settled: Aug 31, 1864; drawn since $ 56 42/100

Due U.S. for arms, equipments, &c., $ 19 61/100

Bounty paid $ 25; due $ 75

Remarks: Stop for one Colt's Army Revolver,

one Sabre Knot

N.M. Jackson, copyist

-------

Patrick was in the 1883 Pensioner's Roll, the 1890 Veterans Census, and after he passed in 1892, his wife received a Widow's Pension.

He has been the only Irish kin that I've found that had a will:

(My transcription) FHL Film 0955930

Lafayette County, Missouri Probate Court Vol F-H

          Last Will and Testament of Patrick Stewart, Deceased,

          Know all men by these presents that I, Patrick

          Stewart of Lexington in the County of Lafayette

          State of Missouri in feeble health but of sound

          and disposing mind do hereby make publish and

          declare this to be my last will and testament.

First: It is my wish that all my debts be paid.

Second: I give each of my children Thomas, Charles, Bridget,

          and Mary Ann the sum of one dollar.

Third: I desire to be buried decently and have a suitable

          monument erected over my grave.

Fourth: All the rest of my property real and personal

         I give and bequeath to my wife Ann Stewart

         whom I also herby appoint as the sole executrix

         of this my last Will and request that no bond

         be required of her as such executrix. Witness my hand

         and seal this 4th day of May 1892

         Attest                                           Patrick Stewart (his Mark)

         U. G. Phetzing

         

         Signed sealed published and declared as his last

         will in our presence and we at his request in

         his presence and in the presence of each other

         have signed our names here to as witnesses May 4th 1892

                                                                    U. G. Phetzing 

                                                                    Katie Murphy

The online papers at ...
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/newspapers/?state=Missouri&ethnicity=&language=
were just a few issues shy of finding an obituary for Patrick Stewart. Was hoping to glean a bit more about him. Maybe one of those issues will pop up as "found" in the future!

We can hope...

The Irish - To Lafayette County Missouri

A little historical background first: The Irish Potato Famine (was not really a "famine" in that there was plenty to eat in crops (grains in particular), but the subsistence crop, the potato, which sustained the poor tenant farmers failed in a massive blight that lasted from about 1845 to 1852), killed a million or more by starvation or disease (from malnourishment), and drove countless others to flee for their lives. The English used it as an opportunity to drive Irish from their farms. Even before this, and for many more years after a mass exodus was in the making that drove the Irish to all parts of the world, with a large proportion to the U.S..
So in terms of relocating to Lafayette County, Missouri, the movement could have been in direct result of the Potato Famine, or in later years by the opportunity seen through letters home by those that did make the trip earlier. As I've read in places that one draw is that certain groups from locations in Ireland would tend to move to areas of the U.S. that held earlier immigrants of their locale. Can't say that I've been able to establish that for Lafayette County, but then I'm just starting. Maybe that puzzle will come into place eventually.
Where I put my stake in the ground is an 1860 marriage:
______________________________
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Records, Lexington, Missouri
married: Aug 1, 1860
James Hughes s/o James Hughes and Bridget Quigley
to: Sarah Hastings d/o Michael Hastings and Bridget Stuart
witness: John Hughes and Bridget Moran / Edward Hamill / 7.50
______________________________

So my first question... is John Hughes kin to my James Hughes, or is it a common name enough to just be a coincidence? And how is Bridget Moran related, possibly to Sarah? There my guess it that yes, she may be fellow County Mayo countryman, but to date I haven't figured that out. Other than I see quite a few references to common surnames to County Mayo as being Moran.

County Mayo is located in the West of Ireland. One of the very hardest hit by the famine.

So the next question is, who are these fellow Irish that are living near by my Michael Hastings, Bridget and Margaret? Kin, or from County Mayo, in this 1860 census?

I've attempted to go back to the Parish records on the hunch that those that are listed as sponsors or witnesses may be either kin or from similar areas in Ireland. So far other than the direct relationships I can see between the three families, nothing pops up. Even made a little spreadsheet of it:

I've tried to trace as many of these people as I could, but haven't had much luck there. Also have got as many of the death certificates as possible to see if the informant provided more than just "Ireland" for a birth location. No luck either. But I keep trying....

While it is not practical to enumerate all Irish in the various census, hopefully if you have "traveled back" to this time and place we can talk about what we've collectively done to get ourselves "across the pond" and see what common ties we might be able to find.

Michael

The Gathering - Irish to Lafayette County Missouri - Post "an Gorta Mor" (The Great Hunger - aka Potato Famine)

This Blog is going to be centered around the Irish coming into Lafayette County Missouri around the time frame of 1840 to 1870. I chose that because I assume that groups of Irish from the same place in Ireland congregated where family had previously immigrated. I've seen a lot of Irish, like my kin, head up the Missouri to settle and work the Coal Mines and railroads and there's a great likelihood that they are kin, or at least familiar with each other from the "old country".
I've spent quite a bit of time trying to triangulate kinship through the Catholic Parish Records, but even though I know who were witnesses and sponsors by name, I have yet discovered what family relationships that may have existed. DNA might be a path to start, so invite anyone that has done their own autosomal DNA to compare among the Lafayette County Irish to see how they might be related.
My kin are a couple that met in Lafayette County and married in 1860 in the Catholic Church. I've not been able to determine his origins, James Hughes (~1836/Ireland-1912/KCMO), but have quite a bit on his wife, Sarah Hastings (~1843/CountyMayoIreland-1923/KCMO). She had both her parents living in Lexington, and the parish records establish her parents. Fortunately there were several records that establish County Mayo, and I believe I've discovered her parents marriage record that establishes their marriage near Westport in that county. I believe the family name was Irish as O'histon or Heston, but anglicized as Hastings. I find them all together in Liverpool before traveling to America, in the 1851 census.
Descendants of three sisters, mine and two others, have been tested by autosomal DNA and confirm what our assumptions on kinship are. Although the family was together in England, they all had three separate paths in America, so was good to confirm our records. I was also able to establish that an assumed brother that had been left behind in Liverpool appears to also be kin. A descendant from a tree that I put together from miscellaneous records appeared to all fit, and the autosomal DNA appears to bear out those assumptions.
My hope for this blog is to find others that tie back to Irish Kin that lived in Lafayette County Missouri in the 1840-1870 time frame and see if we can discover kinship, or at least from the same area in Ireland.
Slainte' !!!

The Townships of Lafayette County, 1870

From a Panoramic etching of the River and Town of Lexington

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/map_item.pl?data=/service/gmd/gmd416/g4164/g4164l/pm004300.jp2&itemLink=D?gmd:14:./temp/~ammem_6hEU::&title=Bird%26%2339;s+eye+view+of+the+city+of+Lexington,+Lafayette+Co.,+Missouri+1869.+Drawn+by+A.+Ruger.&style=pmmap&legend=

The Old Catholic Cemetery in Lexington - It actually had been moved when putting in a new road so all headstones are not reliably placed, or even existing if they were not replaced in this "new" location.

My kin's kin - Patrick Stewart is most likely brother to my Bridget (Stewart) Hastings, mother of Sarah Hastings, Mark is his son, and Thomas Hastings is Bridget's son. Note they were all in the Civil War together. Missing is Patrick's son Charles Stewart who also served with this kin, he moved to Montana and on.

My kin - James & Sarah
(buried in KCMO)