James Edward? Stewart, I SV/PROG

(Arrived in SA aboard SS Britanica possibly in the 1820's) According to the family folklore the Stewarts and the Hoods lived in the same block of flats in London and were on the same ship to South Africa. It must in fact be this generation because the children i.e James Stewart II and Mary Ann Hood were only born in the 1830's.

The reference to his existence is the phrase:

"hy (Thomas Samuel Hood) het besluit om na Hopedale (tans Uniondale) te verhuis waar sy swaer, Mnr J. Stewart, begin het om 'n nedersetting op sy plaas aan te lê. "

of Anista below was obtained from The centenary publication of the DRC church where the writer J.A. Heese incorrectly stated that T S Hood was married to a miss Stewart, brother of James II. J Stewart was in fact his future son in law.

Originally from Scotland, he came from London, England to South Africa to share in the riches of the ostrich farmers when ostrich feathers were in high fashion and very expensive. He or his son was the owner of the Standard Hotel in Uniondale in the mid 1880's

In 1839 besluit Bernard Matthys Wehmeyer om 'n deel van sy plaas Avontuur in erwe op deel en teen billike huur aan bruin kleinboere beskikbaar te stel. Hy nader die sendelinge van Pacaltsdorp naby George, werksaam vir die Londense Sendinggenootskap, om sendingwerk in die Langkloof te kom doen. William Anderson , hoof van die sendingstasie, besluit om die onderwyser, Thomas Samuel Hood, na die Langkloof te stuur. Hood wat 'n wye kennis van siektes en medisyne gehad het, was dadelik gewild onder oud en jonk. Onder sy leiding het die gemeente wat aanvanklik met ses lede begin het, geleidelik tot 45 dooplidmate gegroei. Op daardie stadium was Hood reeds sieklik en hy het besluit om na Hopedale (tans Uniondale) te verhuis waar sy swaer (nee Skoonseun - Daan B), Mnr J. Stewart, begin het om 'n nedersetting op sy plaas aan te lê.

Bron: Die Storie van die Langkloof bl 95- Anista van Huyssteen.

Another trace to possibly his whereabouts is in : CO 3990 86 MEMORIALS RECEIVED. JAMES STEWART. REMISSION OF FINE. 1836 where he apparently left his farm along the Baviaans river due to a Caffrarian war/unrest. What possibly links him to James Stewart II who had a very similar and very neat signature.