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Robert
Stewart aged about 40 years
prior to departing for WW1
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My Stewart
family began in Australia sometime after 1905 with the arrival
of my grandfather Robert Stewart who was born 1876 in New
Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire Scotland. Little is known of Robert's
early history except that he left home at age 15 to join
the Highland Light Infantry and served some time fighting
in India and various places. After 11 years of service he
seemed to have returned to Scotland for about a year working
as an attendant at an asylum near Glasgow until shortly
after his mother died. Sometime over the next few years
he emigrated to Australia, possibly via New Zealand. Here
in Australia he worked for some time as a masseur and operated
the 'Stewarts Hydro' in Moree at the Moree Baths.
Robert started
our family here when he met and married his English born
wife Lydia Lillian Chitty (Lilly). Unfortunately the call
of the military was too strong for him and even though he
had a new wife and small baby he joined the AIF at the age
of 40 and went off to fight in WW1 and was awarded the Distinguished
Conduct Medal and Military Medal. After the war Robert and
Lilly settled on a farming block near Griffith New South
Wales where they spent much of their life together until
retiring and moving to Sydney.
Roberts parents
were Peter Stewart and Agnes (nee Liston) who married in
Elgin, Morayshire, Scotland in 1852. Peter and Agnes had
around 13 children together of which at least 7 died, however
soon after the birth of the last known child, Daniel, they
seem to have lived apart. In both the 1881 and 1891 Censuses
they weren't in the same town and on Peters death certificate
in 1899 he was listed as single. Nine years later Agnes
was listed as the widow of Peter on her death certificate.
Peters parents were Charles and Jessie (nee Reith).
If you have
any information or feel you are connected to my family I
would love to hear from you.
Peter Stewart
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