Mary Walsh Stewart

I know very little about my great grandmother Stewart. I know she was born about 1860 and married my great grandfather, Thomas Stewart, in the 1880s. Mary and Thomas had their first daughter Mary, who was called Min by her family, in May 1886. Later that same year she had twin girls, Anne Joseph and Sarah Margaret. They both died. 

In 1889 Mary and Tom had a boy who they named Alexander Francis. I think he died early as well because there wasn't any reference to a brother among the three surviving sisters. Then in the latter part of the 1890s, the Stewarts had two girls, Ida and Bella.

The godparents for Anne Joseph, were Samuel Jan and Ann Walsh. I suspect this Ann Walsh was related to Mary, her sister, or cousin. As well, the second names of the children Joseph for Ann and Francis for Alexander may be clues to Mary's parentage as well. 

I found one Francis Walsh, listed among the St. John's house/sign painters in the Rochfort Directory of 1877. While Walsh was a common name in St. John's at the time, there aren't any Joseph Walshs listed in the St. John's area. Mary may have been from St. John's, another part of the island or a first generation immigrant and I may never know the truth.

Mary died in 1924.This was during the time when Sam, Ida and the children lived with Tom and Mary on Water Street. Ida and Mary were in the  kitchen, Mary sat holding baby Angela in her lap. Mary died, dropping Angela on the floor. Angela was unhurt. Having witnessed my own mother's sudden death, I can imagine Ida's thoughts and feelings about the incident.

My great grandmother was buried in Belvedere Cemetery in the plot with James Healey, Min's first husband. Mary's grandson Albert was buried in that same plot in 1921. Later, her grandsons Jackie and Robert, husband, Tom and daughter Ida would be buried there too. For years when I was young, my father, grandfather, my brother, Frank, and I tended that grave at Belvedere. I know a little more about Mary now than I did at that time, but there are certainly more questions than answers. However Mary now has her place in our family history.