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Diamond wedding a unique Strathtay event

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Here’s a happy tale of everyday Highland folk who must be the antecedents of thousands of people in Perthshire.

They are John Stewart, who must have been born around 1820 and his wifeonly known as Mrs Stewart.

The couple made the news in 1907 by celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary an event described as unique in Strathtay.

They lived at Portnasallan Ferry House, Grandtully, and had a family of eight sons and five daughters, 71 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

It seems they were firmly rooted in Highland Perthshire. A quick look at genealogy sites shows Stewarts at that address in 1686 at the very least.

In his younger days, Mr Stewart had been “closely identified” with smuggling, which, according to our article almost amounted to a local industry and had been regarded as an “honourable” one.

Mr Stewart served his apprenticeship as a shoemaker and worked for two years in Luncarty and a further two years in Blairgowrie.

He returned to his native Balnaguard and carried on his business for a good number of years before the family moved to Portnasallan in 1851, described in our report as a picturesque old Highland cottage. He worked as a ferryman until 1868 when Grandtully Bridge was built.

Mr Stewart then turned his hand to timber, rafting wood from the Breadalbane forest down the river to Perth.

When the railway came, Mr Stewart landed a job as porter at Grandtully station, where he worked for 14 years.

Between 1868 and 1903 he served as beadle at Strathtay Free Kirk, later to become Strathtay United Free Kirk.

A keen sportsman, Mr Stewart could handle a gun and was a skilful trout angler.

To mark their special anniversary, family members presented the couple with a purse of sovereigns and Rev DRC Maclagan on behalf of subscribing neighbours presented them with two armchairs and a pair of slippers each.

I would like to discover Mrs Stewart’s first name.