Jannet Stewart McKechnie
1849 - 1906


" Each life is a miracle that changes the world
and leaves it a better place than it was before "

My GR grandmother Jannet (Janet) STEWART was born abt 1849
in the Scotch Block, Esquesing Township Halton Ontario.
She was the daughter of James STEWART and Jannet (Janet) McGREGOR.

(*ESQUESING is a Mississauga Indian name that means 'Land of the Tall Pines'.)

James STEWART was chr Oct 7 1787 in Borenich, Blair Atholl, Perthshire Scotland.
Jannet (Janet) McGREGOR was born abt 1814-15 in Scotland.

My GR grandmother had only 1 sister, Mary, born abt 1851.

Mary married William SNOW abt 1882 and they had 1 child, Mary Ellen, b abt 1883.

Mary became a widow at a young age when William died Feb 2 1891,
after contracting pneumonia following a 40 mile trek to attend a funeral !!

Mary Ellen died Dec 10 1903 from tuberculosis.

Mary Stewart SNOW died Jan 12 1938 of a perforated bowel
while staying at her niece's in Hamilton Wentworth Ontario.
She is buried with her family in Boston Presbyterian Church Cemetary in Esquesing.

Dougald & Janet had 7 children:
1) James Stewart ~ b Jan 1869,
married Arabella May JAMIESON (3 children)

2) William Gilbert ~ b Mar 31 1870
Gib was known as 'Blind Missionary' in Red Deer area of Alberta
Died in Red Deer in May 1926.

3) Mary E ~ b Oct 5 1871
Minnie never married and she died in 1950 in Hamilton Ontario.

4) John ~ b 1873,
John went Westward with brother James at age 18
and died of pneumonia in Apr 1891 in Brandon Manitoba.

5) Euphemia ~ b Nov 11 1875,
Effie married Harry STIPE
She died in 1967 in Hamilton Ontario.

6) Anne ~ b 1877, married John CAMPBELL.
According to her niece, Annie's husband had been a sailor.
One day sometime in 1920,
he walked out one day and disappeared into thin air ~ he was never heard from again ....
Annie lived much of the rest of her life with her brother James and his wife Arabella.
Actually, according to the same niece, Arabella & Annie took in paying boarders.

Anne McKechnie CAMPBELL died at age 82 in 1959 in Kamloops BC.

7) Elizabeth Jane ~ b May 1880.
Little Lizzie had measles and suffered convulsions for only 1 day, dying in Nov 1881.


Janet's father James STEWART died April 19 1865 in Esquesing Township
and left his considerable estate to be shared
between his wife Janet, daughters Janet and Mary,
as well as 'gifts' to his grown children from his first marriage to Elizabeth STEWART.

In the 1877 County Atlas for Halton,
Mrs Dougald McKECHNIE is listed as owning:
Concession V, Lot 10 ~ 100 acres.
It would appear from this,
that her father, James STEWART, in his 1865 will,
granted the complete ownership of the property to Janet,
not to be jointly owned with anyone she may have later married.



We can only suppose or assume that from the years 1869
with the birth of their 1st child,
my grandfather Jame Stewart,
to the year 1878,
the family did the best they could with their land
and the crops they managed to grow and the living they managed to make.



Sometime in 1878,
Dougald contracted 'consumption' or tuberculosis as it is now known,
and suffered greatly for 2 long years.
Needless to say, his entire family suffered vicariously along with him.

Dougald died eventually on Christmas Eve in 1880, rendering the holidays a sad time for everyone.

In the 1881 Census,
Janet is listed as widow, age 32, living in Esquesing Township Halton.
Living with her are children:
Gilbert 11, Mary 9, John 7, Euphemia 6, Anne 4
and Elizabeth 10 months, born last May.

Next door lived Janet's sister, Mary SNOW, 30 and her husband William, 33.
Living with them:
Janet STEWART 67, widow, and James McKECHNIE age 12 (my grandfather).



While the family was still in mourning and trying to manage as valiantly as possible,
little Elizabeth Jane (Lizzie) contracted measles, suffered convulsions for 1 day
and died as a result in November 1881,
barely 1 year after her father's death.

In the 1891 Census,
Janet is listed as widow, age 42, living in Esquesing Township Halton.
Living with her are children:
James 22, Gilbert 21, Mary 19, John 18, Euphemia 16 and Annie 14.



Very shortly after the Census was taken,
brothers James and John,
heard the call, "Go West, young man!"
and left their home and family in Ontario to travel West.
They arrived in Brandon Manitoba on April 12 1891.
It seemed that John had contracted pneumonia on the train
and apparently the doctor didn't know what it was.
Two weeks later, at the young age of 18 years, he died.

His body must have been sent back to Ontario,
because he is buried in the family plot
in Boston Presbyterian Cemetary in Esquesing Township.

My grandfather, James, continued his way West,
eventually marrying Arabella May JAMIESON (originally of Ontario)
on Nov 17 1904 in Red Deer Alberta.
James was the only one of Janet's children to marry during her lifetime.



Janet's 2nd son, William Gilbert (Gib),
left Esquesing for Alberta in the Fall of 1905,
arriving as the travelling minister for the Red Deer West District,
especially Sylvan Lake and Rocky Mountain House,
where he remained for the rest of his life, til his death in May of 1926.

Gib wasn't officially ordained in the Presbyterian ministry until May 23 1921,
only 5 years before his death.

He was affectionately known as the 'blind missionary of Alberta' all the while he served there.

Janet died Jun 20 1906 in Esquesing Halton Ontario at the age of 57,
as a result of 'general debility', according to her death registration.

Janet is buried in the family plot in Boston Presbyterian Cemetary Esquesing Township
with virtually every other connected family member EXCEPT her husband Dougald.

Now, THAT is the mystery I would like to solve!!
Where are Dougald and his parents buried??

The other mystery is:
Where were Janet and daughters Euphemia, Mary and Anne
during the Census taking of 1901 ?
Where was her sister, Mary SNOW, during the Census ?
I'm presently trying to find the answer!!

Return to My McKechnie Direct Ancestor Line
Return to My Stewart Direct Ancestor Line

Return to James Stewart McKechnie: A Pioneer's Trek Westward - Son of Janet
William Gilbert McKechnie: Blind Missionary - Son of Janet
Janet Stewart McKechnie Davidson - Grand-daughter of Janet
A Real, Genuine Canadian Christmas Tree - Grandson of Janet
James Stewart & Janet McGregor - Parents of Janet
John Stewart & Christian Douglas - Grandparents of Janet
Alexander Stewart & Christian Stewart - GR grandparents of Janet