The Stewarts of Ramelton are said to descend from the Earls of Galloway and the Lords Blantyre. They were the first of the Stewarts to be raised to the Baronetage, in 1623; and from them sprang the Viscounts Mountjoy and the Earl of Blessington.
GENERAL THE RT HON SIR WILLIAM STEWART, 1st Baronet, of Newtownstewart, County Tyrone, and Ramelton, County Donegal, went over to Ulster in 1608 as Captain Commanding a company of Scottish troops sent to serve in the Province.
He is stated by William Douglas of Glenbervie in his Historical and Genealogical Tree of the Royal Family of Scotland and name of Stewart (1750) to have been a son [or grandson] of Archibald Stewart, 3rd Laird of Fintalloch who died ca 1596, and whose family descended from Sir William Stewart, 2nd of Garlies, the ancestor of the Earl of Galloway.
He was in great favour with JAMES VI and I, and became an undertaker for the plantation of escheated lands in the province of Ulster, 1610.
He was Knighted in 1619, and created a Baronet in 1623, designated of Ramelton, County Donegal.
In the rebellion of 1641 Sir William and Sir Robert Stewart, Governor of Derry, routed Sir Phelim O'Neill near Strabane, and in other places.
Sir William received large grants of land from the Crown in counties Donegal and Tyrone.
He was a Privy Counsellor in the reigns of JAMES I and CHARLES I, and having served as a military officer in the troubles of Ireland, received in satisfaction for arrears of pay due to June, 1649, one debenture of £4,329 (equivalent to £636,500 in 2024); while his son, Sir Alexander Stewart, was allotted for his services a debenture for £2,599.
Sir William married Frances, second daughter of Sir Robert Newcomen, 1st Baronet, of Mosstown, County Longford (by Catherine his wife, daughter of Sir Thomas Molyneux), and had issue,
ALEXANDER, his successor;Thomas, of Fort Stewart, Co Donegal; ancestor of ANNESLEY, 6th Baronet;Catherine, m 1631 Sir J Montgomery, of Rosemount; son of 1st Viscount Montgomery.
Sir William died in 1647, and was succeeded by his eldest son,
SIR ALEXANDER STEWART, 2nd Baronet, a distinguished military commander, who wedded, ca 1648, his first cousin, Catherine, daughter of Sir Robert Newcomen, 4th Baronet.
Sir Alexander was a Covenanter heading the Logan forces, and fell at the battle of Dunbar, 1650, on The King's side, having by his wife had an only son,
SIR WILLIAM STEWART, 3rd Baronet (1653-92), who was advanced to the dignities of Baron Stewart of Ramelton, County Donegal, and Viscount Mountjoy, County Tyrone, in 1683, being constituted at the same time Master-General of the Ordnance for life, and Colonel of a regiment of foot.
He served in Hungary at the siege of Buda (1686), and upon his return to Ireland was raised to the rank of Brigadier-General with the pay of £497 10s a year.
His lordship undertaking, with the Lord Chief Baron, Sir Stephen Rice, 1688, a mission from Lord Deputy Tyrconnell to JAMES II, then at Paris, was, immediately upon his arrival in that city, thrown into the Bastille, and there confined until 1692, when, being released, he waited upon WILLIAM III in Flanders, and lost his life, in 1692, in the battle of Steenkerque (or Steinkirk).
Sir William espoused Mary, eldest daughter of 1st Baron Coote of Coloony, and had issue,
WILLIAM, his successor;Alexander, ancestor of 1st Earl of Blessington of 2nd creation;Charles;Mary; Catherine.
His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,
WILLIAM, 2nd Viscount and 4th Baronet, Lieutenant-General in the Army, and Master-General of the Ordnance, who married, in 1696, Anne, younger daughter and eventually heiress of Murrough, 1st Viscount Blessington.
This lady brought into the Stewart family the Boyle estates in counties Wicklow and Kildare, and the Manor of Silchester, in Hampshire.
By her Lord Mountjoy had issue, with five sons and four daughters (died young),
WILLIAM, his successor;Mary, m 2nd Baron Tyrawley.
His lordship died in 1728, and was succeeded by his eldest son,
WILLIAM, 3rd Viscount and 5th Baronet (1709-69), who was created, in 1745, EARL OF BLESSINGTON (first creation).
His lordship wedded, in 1733, Eleanor, daughter and heiress of Robert FitzGerald, of Castle Dodd (Castle Harrison), County Cork, and had issue,
1. William, styled Viscount Mountjoy (1734-54), dvp;2. Lionel Robert, died young.
His lordship dsps 1769, when the Peerages expired, but the Baronetcy devolved upon his heir-at-law,
ANNESLEY STEWART (1725-1801), of Fort Stewart, 6th Baronet, MP for Charlemont, 1763-97, who espoused, in 1755, Mary, daughter of John Moore, of Drumbanagher, County Armagh, by whom he had (with a daughter) two sons,
JAMES, his successor;William Henry.
Sir Annesley was succeeded by his elder son,
SIR JAMES STEWART, 7th Baronet (1756-1827), MP for Enniskillen, 1783-90, and for County Donegal, 1802-18, who married, in 1778, Mary Susanna, daughter of Richard Chapell Whaley, of Whaley Abbey, County Wicklow, and had issue,
JAMES ANNESLEY, his successor;William Henry;Anne; Elizabeth Susanna; Sophia Frances.
Sir James was succeeded by his elder son,
SIR JAMES ANNESLEY STEWART, 8th Baronet (1798-1879), Vice-Lieutenant of County Donegal, High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1830; Colonel, Donegal Artillery; served for some time in the Inniskilling Dragoons.
He wedded, in 1830, Jane (dsp 1886), daughter of Frances Mansfield, of Castle Wray, County Donegal.
Sir James dsp 1879, and was succeeded by his kinsman,
AUGUSTUS ABRAHAM JAMES STEWART, as 9th Baronet (1832-89), JP DL, great-great-grandson of 1st Baronet, a barrister, who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his nephew,
 |
| Armorial bearings of the 9th Baronet |
SIR WILLIAM AUGUSTUS ANNESLEY STEWART, 10th Baronet (1865-94), who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his brother,
SIR HARRY JOCELYN URQUHART STEWART, 11th Baronet (1871-1945), DL, High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1905, Major, Donegal Artillery, who married, in 1896, Isabel Mary (Dromore House, Letterkenny, County Donegal), daughter of Colonel Frances Stewart Mansfield DL, of Castle Wray, County Donegal, and had issue,
William Frances (1901-44), killed in action in Normandy;JOCELYN HARRY, his successor;Walter Annesley;Malcolm Geoffrey;Alan Robert;Isabel; Kathleen Mary; Hester Anna Lilian; Violet May; Evelyn Frances.
Sir Harry was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,
SIR JOCELYN HARRY STEWART, 12th Baronet (1903-82), of Fort Stewart, Ramelton, County Donegal, who wedded firstly, in 1932, Constance Mary, daughter of D'Arcy Shillaber, of New South Wales, Australia, and had issue,
ALAN D'ARCY, his successor.
He married secondly, in 1946, Katherine Christina, daughter of James Sweeney, of Tamney, County Donegal, and by her had further issue,
Brian Jocelyn;Terence Annesley;Marie Jeanette; Katherine Benedicta.
Sir Jocelyn Harry Stewart was succeeded by his eldest son,
SIR ALAN D'ARCY STEWART, 13th Baronet (1932-2024), of One Acre House, Church Street, Ramelton, County Donegal, who married, in 1952, Patricia, daughter of Lawrence Turner, of Ramelton, County Donegal, and had issue,
NICHOLAS COURTNEY D'ARCY, his successor;Lindsay Stephen, born 1956;Constance Patricia; Siobhan D'Arcy.
Sir Alan was succeeded by his eldest son,
NICHOLAS COURTNEY D'ARCY STEWART, who would be 14th Baronet (1953-).
 |
| Entrance front, Fort Stewart House (Image: UAHS, 2020) |
FORT STEWART, near Killydonnell, County Donegal, is a Georgian mansion built between 1730-60 to replace an earlier dwelling to the north-east.
This is a three-storey house, double gable-ended, with a seven-bay entrance front.
There are single-storey, irregular, two-bay wings.
 |
| Garden front, Fort Stewart House (Image: UAHS, 2020) |
A pilastered porch was added about 1823.
 |
| Entrance porch (Image: Buildings of Ireland) |
The entrance hall is adorned by four Tuscan columns, with rib-vaulting rising from them.
 |
| Outbuildings attached to Fort Stewart (Image: UAHS, 2020) |
Fort Stewart House succeeded a fortified plantation dwelling, likely a bawn, erected by Sir William Stewart about 1619.
Town Address of 9th Baronet ~ 5, King's Bench Walk, Temple, London.
3 comments :
So does Nicholas reside in Stewart house and if not when did seek Stewart house?
That is the question that I'd be interested to know about myself.
Fort Stewart was purchased by the Day family many years ago and is mainly used as a holiday retreat by the successors. Nicholas continues to live in Ramelton.
Post a Comment