last updated 1 May 2015

 

 

HOME PAGE     STEWART / ALDOUS FAMILY TREE 

 

James Cooper Stewart 1836 - 1919 (83) & his Family

 

The information on this page is taken from my family data base which is a work in progress

Adrian Fletcher - afletch at paradoxplace dot com

 

 

 

James Cooper Stewart 1836 - 1919 (83)

 

Illustrated James C Stewart story     Photos of James Cooper Stewart and Family     J C Stewart Will / Probate & Inventory

 

Born Brechin, Angus (Scotland), 24 January 1836, son of a house painter (later described by JCS as an Artist !)

Emigrates to Melbourne on the famous Clipper "Marco Polo" 1857

Marries Australian born Amelia Henderson Waugh ("Ma") in Collingwood (Melbourne) 16 June 1860

Founding partner - Malleson England Stewart (Solicitors, Melbourne) 1868 - described as one of Australia's leading commercial lawyers

Mayor of Melbourne 1885 - 1886

Builds palazzo "Edzell" - St George's Road, Toorak (Melbourne) - early 1890s

Amelia dies whilst on a visit to her daughters in England in 1903

James Marries Edith Rosa Francis Cowling (Muston) on 26 August 1911 in the Scots Church in Melbourne.  She is a 31 year old Sydney divorcee and James Cooper is 75.  Edie shows her true colours and takes off on trips to New York etc burning up James' money.

September 1916 - whilst England grinds through the horrors of WW I, James and Edith face off in front of the Chief Justice of Victoria in an 8 day divorce hearing which provokes quite a bit of press interest and embarrassing entertainment

James dies in Southport, Hampshire on 18 August 1919 whilst on a visit to his three married daughters, all living in England

 

 

James and Amelia Stewart's children c1886

 

 

Standing: Gordon Robson (1862 - 1906 (44)),  George Alexander Waugh (1864 - 1938 (74)),  Isabella Henderson (Aldous) (1865 - 1938 (73)) 

 

Seated: Ethel Amelia (Staples) (1880 - 1950 (70)),  Amelia (née Waugh) (1841 - 1903 (62)),  James Cooper (1836 - 1919 (83)), 

Mary Falconer (May) (Watson)(1877 - 1957 (80),  Frederick William (1872 - 1916 (44) killed fighting in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in France during WWI)

 

 

Gordon Robson Stewart (1862 - 1906 (43))

 

Wedding    Will    Probate/Inventory

 

Gordon Robson Stewart was given the same names as one of his dad's brothers back in Brechin.  15 June 1887 - Gordon Robson Stewart (1862 - 1906 (43)) marries Isabella (Belle) Galbraith (1860 - 1918 (57)) in the garden of her parents home in Kew (Melbourne) - Rev Charles Strong* officiates.  Gordon becomes a partner in his father's law firm Mallesons et al, but dies in 1906 aged just 43, leaving Belle and four children to be financially supported by his dad. 

 

Gordon's eldest son James Cooper Stewart married Anna Marie Celia Benigna Coffey in Hobart Cathedral in July 1926.   Two years' later he was dead at the age of 40.  This is a transcription of the family headstone in Boroondara (Kew) Cemetery in Melbourne.  "KOSB" stands for the Kings Own Scottish Borderers, a  famous British Army regiment.

 

 

Gordon and Belle's other children were Eileen (c1890 - 1948; married George Chapman), Ruby (c1891 - 1965; married Lance Strachan) and Helen "Nell" (c1899 - ? ; married Marshall Wood).  There are several descendants now alive in Australia.

 

*Earlier in the decade Rev Charles Strong had been forced to resign from the charge of the Scots' Church in Melbourne in the wake of a still celebrated, nasty and long-running conservative / liberal (Strong) fight in which J C Stewart, then the church's Law Agent, was one of his few establishment supporters.  This may explain the garden wedding and the absence of Stewart's friend Strong from the wedding at the Scots' Church (below). 

 

 

George Alexander Waugh Stewart (1864 - 1938 (74))

 

Wedding

 

12 July 1887 - George Alexander Waugh Stewart (1864 - 1938 (74)) marries Isabella Robina Rutherford (1866 - 1939 (73)) in the Scots' Church, Melbourne - Rev Joseph Hay officiates. 

 

Their only child is the unmarried "Aunty Aimee".  JC asks them to move in to Edzell with him after the death of Amelia.  They later move out and sever contact with the old man after he marries the 31 year old master gold digger Edith Cowling (Muston) in 1911 whilst they were travelling in Europe and without letting them know!

 

Aunty Aimee used to send us food parcels (including eggs) when we were living in Somerton, Somerset after the end of WW II.  She died in 1958.

 

 

Isabella Henderson Aldous (Stewart) (1865 - 1938 (73))

 

Wedding

 

   

 

 

7 September 1887 - Isabella Henderson Stewart (1865 - 1938 (73)) marries Dr George Frederick Aldous (1861 - 1937 (76)) in St Stephen's Church, Gloucester Rd (London) - Rev Joseph P Waldo officiates, and James C and Ma are there.  They have four daughters of whom only one - Adrian's grandmother Clare Sproule (Aldous)  -  marries.

 

 

Ethel Amelia Staples (Stewart) (1880 - 1950 (70))

 

Wedding

 

21 July 1900 - A quite pregnant 20 year old Ethel Amelia Stewart (1880 - 1950 (70)) marries Cyril Vernon Grey Staples (1876 - 1936 (59)) from Melbourne, in St Michael's Church, Burleigh St, Covent Garden (London) - Rev Alfred J Poynder officiates.   Ma and JCS do not make it to the London wedding, but sister-in-law Belle (which one?) is there and signs the register as a witness.  Cyril is a stockbroker who also plays occasional cricket as wicketkeeper for Surrey and the English Gentlemen (with W G Grace). 

 

Ethel and Cyril have four daughters followed by two sons, and there are several descendants now alive in Australia and the UK.

 

 

May Falconer Watson (Stewart) (1877 - 1957 (80))

 

Wedding

 

 

18 December 1900 - May Falconer Stewart (1877 - 1957 (80)) marries Lt Cecil Francis Lacon Watson R.N. (1873 - 1940 (67)) from the Isle of Wight, in St John's Church, Toorak (Melbourne) - Rev Charles Edward Drought officiates.   At the time Watson was posted to the Royal Navy's "Australian Station". 

 

The Watsons have one son, and his two children live in England (2009).

 

 

Frederick William Stewart (1872 - 1916 (44))

 

The sixth "survivor" is Fred.  He's in the family photo but not yet discovered in the Victorian Birth records.  At some stage he went to live in Canada.  On 10 August 1915 Fred signs an agreement to join the Canadian Over-Seas (sic) Expeditionary Force.  This form confirms his birth date (23 April 1872) and the identity of his dad, his Montreal address, and the facts that he is married and an artist.  He served as a private in the 19th Canadian Regiment.  Sadly the next record confirms that he was killed in action in France on 15 September 1916.  He is remembered in the Roll of Honour in the Canadian War Memorial at Vimy, but has no marked grave.

 

 

Photo 2010 by Emily Bradburn, 3xgrt grand daughter of James Cooper Stewart.

 

This is the sad sad tomb of the seven Stewart children who died in infancy.

It's in the Presbyterian section of the Melbourne General Cemetery (compartment g grave 266).

 

The names on the gravestone are:

 

Robert Waugh - died 17 December 1861, age 6 months

Mary Falconer - died 27 January 1868, age 15 months

James - died 8 February 1868, age 3 months

Amelia Hamilton - died 26 March 1870, age 2 years

Herbert Malleson - died April 1876, age 2 years*

Irving Hamilton - died 22 March 1876, age 8 months

James Cooper - died 27 October 1879, age 17 months

 

* cause of death - acute hydrocephalus - family living in Charnwood Crescent, St Kilda at this time

 

 

 

1-James Cooper Stewart (24 January 1836-18 August 1919)
+Amelia Henderson "Ma" Stewart (Waugh) (7 September 1841-1903)


. . . . . 2-Robert Waugh Stewart (June 1861-17 December 1861)


. . . . . 2-Gordon Robson Stewart (April 1862-18 February 1906)
. . . . . +Isabella "Belle" Stewart (Galbraith) (20 November 1860-31 March 1918)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-James Stewart (circa 1888-12 December 1928)
. . . . . . . . . . +Marie Benigna Stewart (Coffey) (-5 December 1951)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Eileen Isabel Chapman (Stewart) (circa 1890-circa 1948)
. . . . . . . . . . +George Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Mary Eileen McFarland (Chapman) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Patrick C McFarland (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Anne Davidson (McFarland) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Colin Davidson (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Andrew Davidson (1986-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-William Davidson (1987-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Patrick George Ross "Ross" McFarland (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Margaret McFarland (Cowan) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Kenneth McFarland (1988-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Megan McFarland (1992-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-George "Jock" Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Nancy Chapman (Henry) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-George "Toby" Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Judith Chapman (Neilson) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Annette Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Kathryn Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-John Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Jan Chapman (Brewer) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Adam Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-William Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Sam Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Rebecca Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Pamela Billing (Chapman) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Ron Billing (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Victoria Billing (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Sarah Billing (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Fleur Billing (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Meredith Stevens (Chapman) (-)
. .  . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Len Stevens (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Matthew Stevens (-)
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Laura Stevens (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Timothy Stevens (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Lowana Galbraith Wilson (Chapman) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +C J "Bill" Wilson (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Diana Wilson (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Helen Ivison (Wilson) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +B Ivison (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Rachael Ivison (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Phillipa Stewart Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Stewart Douglas Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Lila Chapman (Warren) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Warren Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Sheelagh Chapman (Prentice) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Mark Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Peter Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Grace Chapman (-)
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Derryn ? Chapman (-1995)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Jessica Chapman (-)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Ruby Strachan (Stewart) (circa 1891-1965)
. . . . . . . . . . +Lance Strachan (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Hilary Margaret Hiort (Strachan) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Sydney "Syd" Hiort (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Charles Hiort (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Malcolm Hiort (2 November 1957-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Gordon Strachan (circa 1919-between 1940 and 45)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Helen Mary Gordon "Nell" Wood (Stewart) (circa 1899-)
. . . . . . . . . . +Marshall Wood (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-John Wood (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Helen Kitching (Wood) (-)
 

 

. . . . . 2-George Alexander Waugh Stewart (1864-1938)
. . . . . +Isabella Robina Stewart (Rutherford) (1866-1939)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Aimee Muriel "Aunty Aimee" Stewart (-1958)


. . . . . 2-Isabella Henderson "Bella" Aldous (Stewart) (5 January 1865-5 July 1938)
. . . . . +Dr George Frederick Aldous (24 August 1861-27 September 1937)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Isabel Stewart Aldous (8 August 1889-25 October 1942)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Claribel Stewart "Clare" Sproule (Aldous) (27 March 1891-September Quarter–1958)
. . . . . . . . . . +Brigadier James Chambers "Jimmy" Sproule CBE (28 August 1887-15 May 1955)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Dr Brian James Sproule (5 June 1924-January 2005)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Irene Elizabeth Sproule (Paulin) (1924-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Clare Elizabeth Fleming (Sproule) (1952-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Thomas Fleming (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Ruth Fleming (1984-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Heather Fleming (1986-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Jane Fleming (1991-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-David James Sproule (1955-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Fiona Sproule (Hall) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Neil Sproule (1983-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Amanda Sproule (1986-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Mark Sproule (1988-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Ross Sproule (1991-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Ian Frederick Sproule (1957-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Marion Sproule (Murray) (-1999)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Rachel Sproule (1985-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Marguerite Aldous "Peggy" Fletcher (Sproule) (30 July 1917-22 August 2005)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Colonel Michael James Rex Fletcher MBE (23 April 1918-5 July 2007) divorced c1949
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Adrian James Fletcher (16 December 1943-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Carolyn Lennox "Carnie" Fletcher (Davis) (-) divorced 1994
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-James Edwin Fletcher (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Emily Clare Bradburn (Fletcher) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + Michael Robert Bradburn (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Nicholas Alexander Lennox Fletcher (-)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + Miren Jasone Zabella (-)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Angela Williams (Fletcher) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Lawrence C G C Williams (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Katharyn C M Rockhold (Williams) (-)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + Joel Rockhold (-)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Elizabeth Jane Williams (-)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-Christopher Patrick Carlisle Williams (-)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + Jenny Williams (Clark) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Madeleine Seward Aldous (1894-18 February 1979)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Geraldine Seward Aldous (1897-1976)


. . . . . 2-Mary Falconer Stewart (October 1866-27 January 1868)
. . . . . 2-James Stewart (November 1867-9 February 1868)
. . . . . 2-Amelia Hamilton Stewart (March 1868-26 March 1870)
. . . . . 2-Frederick William Stewart (1872 - 1916)
. . . . . 2-Herbert Malleson Stewart (April 1874-1 April 1876)
. . . . . 2-Irving Hamilton Stewart (July 1875-22 March 1876)
 

 

. . ... . 2-Mary Falconer "May" Watson (Stewart) (6 October 1877-1957)
. . . . . +Cecil Francis Lacon Watson RN (1873-1940)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Ronda Watson (September 1907-September 1907)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Cecil Stewart Watson (28 March 1909-1996)
. . . . . . . . . . +Catherine Lilah Wallace Watson (Alexander) (1907-1979)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-John Stewart Lacon Watson (1939-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Sally Newton Watson (Dunn) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Justine Nicola Catherine Pyecroft (Watson) (1976-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Richard Pyecroft (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-Sally Philippa Stephanie Watson (1978-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Elizabeth Anne Watson (1946-)


. . . . . 2-James Cooper Stewart (July 1878-27 October 1879)


. . . . . 2-Ethel Amelia Staples (Stewart) (1880-1950)
. . . . . +Cyril Vernon Grey Staples (30 September 1876-21 May 1936)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Mary V G Staples (October 1900-)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Molly Bloomer (Staples) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . +Del Bloomer (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3 children Bloomer (-)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Audrey "Bluebell" Faviell (Staples) (1903-)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Jill de Hassid (Staples) (-)
. . . . . . . . . . +Maurice de Hassid (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Jocelyn Stewart (de Hassid) (maybe 1932-)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Stewart Staples (October 1905-)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Peter Staples (28 May 1914-17 October 2005)
. . . . . . . . . . +Joyce Eleanor Staples (Streeter) (10 December 1923-4 June 2005)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Howard Philip Staples (25 August 1947-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Andrew David Staples (12 June 1951-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Georgina Mary Dorothy Fry (Staples) (19 December 1953-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Deborah Ann Ryan (Staples) (circa 1955-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Victoria Joy Harvey (Staples) (23 January 1957-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +Andrew Charles Harvey (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Matthew William Staples (31 May 1961-)
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Phyllis

 

 + Edith Rosa Frances Stewart (Cowling / Muston) (1880 Portsmouth - 6 August 1940 Melbourne)

 

 

Incomplete data as at September 2010 plus a couple of additions