Origins

Lazarus Stewart Sr. by his Ydna R-FT74278 is now found in the Sheriff of Bute Stewart FtDNA Project. He is found among several groups all with descent from Sir John Stewart, Sheriff of Bute and son of King of Scots Robert II. The exact lineage from Bute is still unknown, especially the last several generations leading to Lazarus.

Lazarus Stewart, Sr. Y DNA tests indicate descendants belong to Y DNA haplogroup R-FT74278, terminal SNP FTT46. Documentation for descendants of this line is very thin, except for the senior line, which is reasonably documented as it’s a current title in the Peerage of Great Britain (i.e., the Marquess of Bute). Interestingly, this is the only royal Stewart line officially recognized. Testing efforts under this line are fairly active, so we hope for new findings soon.

It was speculated that Lazarus was the son of Robert Stewart. According to “Pennsylvania Genealogies” < link >:

Robert Stewart had a large family, of whom we have record only of
3. i. Samuel, b. 1698 ; m. Mary McClay.
4. ii. Hugh, b. June 11, 1719 ; m. first, Hannah Dallas ; secondly, Nancy Moore

But Samuel Stewart, Sr. cannot have been the brother of Lazarus Stewart, Sr.. YDNA test results do not match. Samuel Stewart (supposedly) emigrated to Pennsylvania with his younger brother, Hugh Stewart. If so, then Hugh was not the brother of Lazarus, either. However, as of April 2023, there are no Y DNA test results from Hugh’s line to validate, one way or another.

See discussion, https://www.geni.com/discussions/263898?msg=1626192.

Lazarus Stewart

• Birth: 1683 - Lifford Parish, Donegal, Ireland
• Death: Sep 29 1744 - Paxtang, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, British Colonial America
• Wife: Margaret Steuart b. s 1688, d. s 12 Feb 1755

Probate Records show Lazarus and Margaret had 7 children:

1. John Stewart+4 b. c 1712, d. 8 Apr 1777. Married Frances.
2. Margaret Stewart+4 b. 1714, d. a 1740. Married James Stewart: parents of Capt. Lazarus
3. Margery Stewart+4 b. 1716, d. a 1752. Married John Young.
4. Lazarus Stewart Jr.4 b. 1718, d. a 21 Oct 1779. Married Ann.
5. Peter Stewart+4 b. 1720, d. a 1784. Married. Living in North Carolina in 1784.
6. David Stewart+4 b. bt 1720 - 1724, d. a 1784. Married. Living in North Carolina in 1784.
7. James Stewart+ b. 24 Dec 1723, d. 17 Feb 1817. Married June 18, 1739, Elizabeth Davies, Philadelphia: to Nor. Carolina.

Biography

Lazarus, was born in Lifford, Donegal, Ireland to William of the Ballintoy Stewarts and wife Margaret . Lazarus joined with Charles Leslie, a supporter of the exiled James Stuart "the Old Pretender." To escape the disfavor of Queen Anne Stuart's rule and opposition from Parliament in England, Charles Leslie and Lazarus with a few others escaped to Holland. Before Queen Anne died in 1714 Lazarus is recorded in 1712 back in his Lifford home in Donegal, Ireland, verified by his seal to a sale of property in Lifford Parish along with his father William and mother Margaret Stewart (Document "Memorial #3868" showing Lazarus on the deed of sale along with his parents, William and Margaret. The children of Lazarus and his wife were then born in Ireland and from there they came to New England, and in 1729 he settled at Paxtang Township, Lancaster (now Dauphin County), PA., where he died.

Lazarus has many mentions in the Stewart Clan Magazine in the 1920s but they are just about all now disproven. One mention of him was after George Stewart of Donegal, Pennsylvania, his brother-in-law because Margaret was the sister of George Stewart of Donegal. Then with the paragraph on Lazarus appears a paragraph about Andrew Stewart born 1699. Andrew is implied with Lazarus as a possible brother, but we have found this Andrew was a cousin. However, Andrew is a descendant of Andrew Stewart, Master of Ochiltree, Scotland. These Stewarts all worked hard to found Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania. Andrew Stewart, Master of Ochiltree, Scotland had a sister Margaret who at age 18 married an elderly John Knox (founder of the Scottish Presbyterian Church) and yet they still had 3 daughters before Knox died. These daughters all married and at least one had children whose lineages carry on down to today. Descendants of these 3 daughters and John Knox, the founder of the Scottish Presbyterian Church, are the only direct descendants today of John Knox. One of these descendant families is named Welch. So all these Stewarts could call the founder of the Presbyterian Church their "Uncle" John Knox.

Note, they all ended up in the Paxtang Community together as well as distant cousins Margaret who married Lazarus and her brother George who purchased property right beside Lazarus and his sister shortly before he died. On the reader much information is given on the descendants of Lazarus following pages 43 and 78 including his children, Margaret, Margery, John, Lazarus Jr., Peter, James, and David & others(?). Then go to the December 1928 issue of the Stewart Magazine(shows page 89 on the top) for information on Margaret's brother, George Stewart of Donegal Twp, Lancaster Co, PA. See: https://archive.org/stream/stewartclanmaga00incgoog#page/n294/mode/...

The information starting from page 89 shows that George, Margaret's brother, did have a brother named James bc1681 who came with him to Lancaster, Donegal Twp., Pennsylvania in the 1720s. George also named one of his sons James born 1708 who is featured in George's will proved 1734. The son of George, James married Margaret Stewart, daughter of Lazarus Stewart and one of their prominent sons was Capt. Lazarus Stewart of the Paxtang Boys Militia which joined the British in fighting the French and Indian Wars and then joined the American Revolutionary Army/Militias to fight the British for independence. Capt. Lazarus moved to Wyoming Twp, up near Scranton, PA and with his company of over 100 soldiers were confronted in 1778 with a force of British and Iroqois opponents. The irregular order of the Iroqois confused Capt. Lazarus and they lost the battle and were all massacred. Several cousins of Capt. Lazarus also lost their lives in the same battle. One was Lt. Lazarus Stewart. All these descendants of Lazarus Stewart the immigrant and his brother-in-law George Stewart the immigrant carried on these ancestors' example of being proponents of independence from England and freedom from persecution from the established Church of England. These Stewarts all worked hard to found Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania.

According to records found, Lazarus Stewart married Margaret Steuart, sister of George Steuart of Donegal township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, (B89 -SCM), as indicated by an entry in a minute book of the Pennsylvania board of property: "Feb 28, 1728/29: George Stewart requests the grant of about 500 acres or land below the fork of Sawatara creek, 200 acres for himself and 300 acres for his brother-in-law, Lazarus Stewart." (G245-SCM) 3 This newly found record of the wife of Lazarus is also a good indication of where in N. Ireland that was the home place of Margaret Steuart, the wife of Lazarus. It was no doubt Donegal County in N. Ireland because their first township in Lancaster, PA was then named Donegal TWP. That is where we should find the ancestry for Margaret now.

Lancaster County, PA invited various diverse Christian dissident groups to settle in the county at the wishes of William Penn to escape persecution . Lazarus Stewart was from Scotland and some of his family found refuge in Ireland like he did as dissidents. The question is then, what kind of dissident community did they bring to Paxtang Community, Pennsylvania and where did it originate? The history of the Paxtang Presbyterian Church, the second oldest continuously open church in America that is Presbyterian, began from 1729-32. The first settlers there were Scottish Presbyterians and Lazarus Stewart was one of them and from the Stewarts of Scotland.

The first church they established in that area of Pennsylvania was the Paxtang Presbyterian Church in1729 and it still exists today in the northern suburbs of Harrisburg. The Paxtang church is the second oldest continuously open Presbyterian Church in the USA. John Knox, the founder of the Scottish Presbyterian Church was a 7th or 8th cousin to the Paxtang boys(the Stewart brothers led by Capt. Lazarus Stewart, grandson of Lazarus b1683. John Knox married Margaret Stewart(1548-1612), the sister of Andrew Stewart, Master of Ochiltree, Scotland born in 1535. This made the Stewart lines very loyal to the Presbyterians. They were original Covenanters in 1643. This was the period of Charles II (1660-1685) who attempted to force Episcopacy on the Scottish nation. North Ireland became a refuge for Presbyterians and condemned covenanters. It is suggested these Presbyterians preferred to abandon their native country rather than go back on a solemn covenant entered into by the Scottish people in 1643 to recognize as their only standard the Westminster confession of faith as ratified by the General Assembly of the church of Scotland in 1647." (Taken from TFS Sketch 2 attached as a source)

AMERICA: Covenanters began to migrate to America beginning in the year 1717, when preacher William Tennant, founder of Log College, the first Presbyterian seminary in North America, brought his family to the Philadelphia area. In North America Covenanters became known as members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church. They were among the most vocal agitators for independence from Great Britain and volunteered in large numbers as soldiers in the revolutionary armies. The Covenanters were opposed to slavery, and in 1800 the Reformed Church voted to outlaw slave-holding among its members.

Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the Early Scotch-Irish, J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, pages 146-149

"in the Orphans' court proceedings we have the foundation of the genealogy herewith given: THE CHILDREN OF LAZARUS STEWART: may have had other children, but the following are the names of all who reached mature years:

• i. John, b. 1712; m. Frances _____.
• ii. Margaret, b. 1714; m. James Stewart.
• iii. Margery, b. 1716; m. John Young.
• iv. Lazarus, b. 1718.
• v. Peter, b. in 1720; took up one hundred acres of land adjoining Andrew Lykens and William Campbell, in Hanover township, surveyed to him on the 17th of September, 1743. Prior to 1760 he removed to North Carolina; m., and left issue.
• vi. James, b. 1722; took up one hundred and fifty acres of land "adjoining Lazarus Stewart and James Murray on Swahawtawro creek, in Hanover township," surveyed to him on the 2d of December, 1738. He married and removed to North Carolina with his brother.
• vii. David, b. 1724; m., and removed with his brothers to North Carolina.

  ---

(from Chris Siber) Lazarus Stewart I was born in Scotland (?) abt. 1683-8. He emigrated with his family first to Ireland, then to Holland, and finally to America, and settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. While still in N. Ireland he married his cousin (with a similar ancestry up the line) Margaret Stewart daughter of Charles Stewart of Tonderghie b. 1666 and Margaret Harris. Lazarus died in Lancaster Pennsylvania 1743. According to "History of Dauphin County Pennyslvania" published in 1907 "At a session of the Presbytery held at Middle Octoraro, Lancaster county, November 20th 1735, Lazarus Stewart appeared to prosecute a supplication of Manada creek for a new congregation of Presbyterians. The region along Manada creek to the mountains was settled rapidly, and the people early began to feel the inconvenience of going so far as Derry to church, and moved for a new "erection" for a congregation." The congregation came to be called the Old Hanover Presbyterian Church. It was located about at Manada-Hill, near I-81 exit 77. That was called Hanover Township then and South Hanover now. The church building has been demolished but the Old Hanover Cemetery appears to remain there. Several of this family were buried there. "The town is known for the 220-foot (67 m) covered bridge built in 1906 that crossed Swatara Creek between Derry Township and South Hanover Township. The bridge, restored by Hershey Enterprises in 1964, burned the night of September 3, 1966. Business and industry in this little town included a sawmill, grist mill, cabinet shop, store and schoolhouse." That was where the Old Hanover Presbyterian Church was built.

Lazarus cleared 20 acres of his 300 total acreage. In a land description of Dec 2, 1738 his land is mentioned as adjoining. After his death his son Lazarus took out a warrant dated Oct. 20, 1743 for the land his father had never patented.

By the way, many of Lazarus' descendants are still Presbyterian today and many have been ministers as is true for my own family as well. My Brewer grandparents knew they were from the old Stewart Lords and Stewart Scottish Presbyterians, namely Lazarus Stewart and his father-in-law, Charles Stewart, and my grandparents were staunch Presbyterians, members of 1st Presbyterian in Duluth, MN. My dad was ordained as an elder by the same church. My siblings went to a Presbyterian college and one was a Presbyterian pastor for 40 years.

Lazarus was one of the Stewarts of Hanover Township just NE of present-day Paxtonia, PA. He came to America in 1729 from N. Ireland, locating a tract of land on "Swahatawro creek" in what was then Lancaster County, PA. This tract was 300acres, surveyed for him by the proprietaries on Mar 6th, 1739. He built a house and a barn on it and cleared 20 acres of arable land and planted an orchard. He never obtained a warrant for his land and it was in dispute a long time until his son Lazarus Jr. took a warrant out for it. William Stuart later raised a dispute , after the death of Lazarus Jr's first wife, to gain his share of the land, which was distributed to him in 1785. There appears to be no record of the name of Lazarus Jr's first wife and he may have had other children with her.

Other accounts

Stewart Clan Magazine, Page 43. < link >

History of Hanover Township, page 479 < link >

Y DNA discussion

See https://www.geni.com/discussions/263898?msg=1626192

FTDNA Y-700 results show Lazarus Stewart descended from Sir John Stewart (1350 – 1441), Sheriff of Bute, Arran, and Cumbrae, the son of Robert II, King of Scots. As documented in the FTDNA “Stewart-Bute” and “Stewart-Royal” projects, this line is distinguishable through the following SNPs below the R-L746 branch: FTT46, Y14197, Y14198, and next FT74278.

Specifically, to Lazarus, FTDNA kits 14486, 993678, 977797, B886018, and 971822 show that descendants of Lazarus carry the [R-FT74278] SNP. This determination was acquired through testing descendants of David Stewart 1722-1798 and James Stewart 1723-1817.

As of the date of this posting, this SNP (R-FT74278) has been propagated by two Geni profiles, descendants of Lazarus. See the Y DNA tab for details.

Also See: chart attached

References

• for considerably more on Lazarus Stewart and his descendants, see http://www.lwgriffin.com/g0/p579.htm#i18499 at http://www.lwgriffin.com .
• Lazarus immigrated from Northern Ireland in 1729 to Hanover, Lancaster County (now Dauphin County).
• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Nov 6 2020, 3:56:00 UTC
• Historical Record ...: The Early History of Wyoming Valley and ..., Volumes 1-3. Vol. 1, page 2. Oct 1866. “The Family of Capt. Lazarus Stewart.” < GoogleBooks >
• THE TRIBE OF LAZARUS STEWART OF PAXTANG. PA. Stewart Clan Magazine, November 1928, Volume vii, No. 5. Page 78. < link >
• History of Hanover Township : including Sugar Notch, Ashley, and Nanticoke boroughs : and also a history of Wyoming Valley, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, by Plumb, Henry Blackman, b. 1829. Page 479. < Archive.Org >
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/MTNZ-3P5 Cites
• “Stewart Research Paper” < link >
• "Lazarus Stewart, Sr. - Hypothesis: [1] Lazarus line of descent from Robert II, King of Scots, [2] How Lazarus received his name" Geni discussion (George Raymond Freeman et al, 2/5/2025) (discussion tab of https://www.geni.com/people/Lazarus-Stewart-Sr/6000000011624098689 profile)