52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: (Week 1) Family Lore - Unraveling Family Myth of the Stuart Families of Mississippi and Texas

Welcome to 2024 and another engaging round of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, initiated by Amy Johnson Crow. This year, we kick off with a theme close to many of our hearts: family lore. Let me share a personal anecdote that turns a family myth on its head.

Growing up in Texas, my family always proudly identified as the Stuarts. There was another clan in town, the Stewarts. Our family lore was firm: "We are not related to any Stewarts, only Stuarts." This was a line drawn in the sand, separating us from them.

Flash forward to 2004. Curiosity and a bit of genealogical mystery led my male Stuart cousins in Mississippi to take Family Tree DNA's Y-DNA test. Our aim? To trace the elusive father of William Davis Stuart (b. 22 February 1823 in Alabama - d. 20 July 1907 in Neshoba County, Mississippi) (pictured below with his wife, Hannah Jones, who is being incorrectly listed in trees now as "Hannah Mariah Delbridge" of Missouri. Hannah Delbridge married a different William Stuart in Clark County, Missouri).

The results were nothing short of a revelation. Our Y-DNA matched with descendants of the Cowpasture Stewarts from Augusta County, Virginia, originally hailing from Perthshire, Scotland. In a single test, the long-held belief of our unique Stuart lineage was debunked.

As an interesting footnote to this tale, my Stuarts lived near the families of William Stewart in Winston and Neshoba Counties, Mississippi. Despite the proximity, our family narrative was firm even after Y-DNA testing showed we were Stewarts: we were not related to those Mississippi Stewarts.

Intrigued and determined to uncover the truth, we found a descendant of William Stewart willing to undergo a Y-DNA test. The results were eye-opening: he matched with our Stuart men. Subsequent research unveiled that the William Stewart family is, in fact, closely related to our William Davis Stuart family.

This twist adds another layer to our family's rich tapestry, reminding us that sometimes, family lore and historical facts can converge in the most unexpected ways.

Yes, we are indeed connected to those who spell their name as Stewart. This discovery not only reshaped our family's story but also underlined the power of DNA in genealogy. It goes to show, sometimes the tales we grow up hearing might just be waiting for a twist in the tale.

This content was crafted for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge, focusing on the theme "Family Lore" this week.

- Revis