John Stewart

"Covenanter" is not a middle name. That word was removed as his middle name.

Also, an earl as the parent does not appear to be a correct parental connection. It does not make sense for John Stewart to be the son of an Earl considering his modest wealth would be inconsistent with that of the son of an Earl. The son of an Earl would have many titles and privileges and not likely to flee Scotland for Ulster or America.

Furthermore if this man is a royal Stuart, it is even less likely that this Stewart would be a Covenanter because Stewarts were usually Jacobites in support of a Stewart crown. The Catholic Stewart crown re-asserted ecclesiastical authority over religious matters, which upset the Protestants whose number had grown since the Reformation. Those who objected to royal authority over religious matter were Covenanters who made a covenant not to return to the Catholic faith. Until 1688 there was great civil unrest resulting in the killing of numerous dissenters who objected to the religious authority of the Stewart crown, and many Covenanters fled Scotland.

Covenanters wanted to read the bible, which they believed was the word of God. Whereas the Catholic Church did not generally encourage readings of the bible. The New Testament was said to be Christian, while the Old Testament was for the Hebrew. Thus, Catholic worship focused on prayer rather than bible study. So, giving up reading the bible was hard for the curious new Protestants that had gradually emerged in the last century since the Reformation began.

It was't just about religion. It was about great money powers. Money-lenders generously funded the Protestant-Catholic wars in northern Europe because the new bible-centered Protestantism had the effect of defying the Hebrew, and eventually led to allowing Jewish money-lenders and other Jews back into European cities where they had been banished.

The Catholic church had forbade usury for centuries because it collapsed local economies and gradually transferred property ownership to lenders. However under Protestantism, the moneylender could require rulers to permit usury in exchange for loans. Thus powerful money interests re-introduced the usury under Protestantism, a practice that had previously gotten them evicted from European towns centuries ago.

Money lenders best thrive on new populations of borrowers and so they pushed hard to fund Cromwell and other Protestant movements to gain access to northern European markets for usury. The money-lenders first gained access to Holland, where the money-lenders moved after being evicted from Spain in 1492.

It was Hebrew money-lenders from Holland who funded Cromwell and who installed the Dutch Protestant William and Mary as the crown rather than the rightful Stewart heir, who was Catholic. The re-introduction of usury to the United Kingdom eventually led to the transfer of the ownership of City of London to Hebrew money-lenders and the rise of modern capitalism. The wars alternating Protestant versus re-asserting Catholic rule is central to understanding why it tended to be Protestants who moved to America.

This battle between Hebrew-funded Protestant Parliamentarians and Vatican-funded Catholic kings led to many waves of emigration to America.

There were Catholic Stewarts and some Stewarts were Covenanters.

However, a Stewart Protestant Covenanter of modest or middle-class means as the son of a high-born Catholic Stewart Jacobite royalty does not make sense. Jacobites were supporters of Catholic (Stewart) king who was of the rightful heir of the royal Stewart line and crown.

There were Stewarts who were Covenanters, but not likely if he was the son of a Catholic Earl. Besides, the son of an Earl would inherit his own lands, titles and responsibilities to his ancestral lands. An earl is just a step from the crown. Before removing the connection, can someone please provide the records or proof of this link? Please clarify with documentation if possible.

It does make sense for the parentage and removal to Northern Ireland or Pennsylvania to reflect the troubles in Scotland of this era. Many Protestant Covenanters lost their lives defending their right to define their own interpretation of the bible. Many Catholic Stewarts also lost their lives defending the rightful place of the Stewart claim to the crown. Many Catholic Stewarts fled to America after the Battle of Culloden and other Jacobite rebellions when they sought to restore Catholic Stewart rule. There were Protestant Stewarts, but royal Stewarts were likely to be Jacobite Catholics in favor of a Stewart king. There were however also noblemen who were Protestants.

Which was this man? Since his descendants appear to be of Covenanter stock, this man is most likely not the son of an Earl. Unless there is documentation the earl as parent should be removed. Otherwise this record raises doubts as to the credibility of the entire line.

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