George Sawin Stewart (1870-1922) was an accomplished American genealogist. According to Stewart Clan Magazine, December 1922 issue, “Mrs. Stewart possesses the most voluminous collection of Stewart data in the country, compiled by her husband, the late George Sawin Stewart, a genealogist of high rank.” – Editor Horace W. Dickerson of NYC.
George was “particularly interested in 150 of the Dunbar prisoners”, as he stated in his January 18, 1911 letter to Miss Elizabeth French, a fellow genealogist living in London. He requested her assistance in researching records in England with the intent to publish any information about the prisoners in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register.
In later years, via correspondence with Mr. Joseph Gardner Bartlett (Elizabeth French’s new husband), he shared the lists that he compiled: “Scots at Lynn 1653. Iron Works Inventory” and “The Dunbar Prisoners”. These documents are now part of the The Bartlett Collection housed in the R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston, Massachusetts.
As of 06 Feb 2015, based on genealogist Diane Rapaport’s research, it appears Mr. Stewart’s lists do not have sources to verify his findings. He most likely compiled his lists based on an understanding of the Scottish workers and their associations during those early dates in Massachusetts Bay. Further research is required and it may well be that we will never know with certainty which men arrived on the Unity .
Dan Jenkins Research
The following documents, written by George Stewart, were found by the late Daniel G. Jenkins of Weymouth, Massachusetts in the Fall of 2007, on behalf of our founder, Teresa Rust. Dan was an experienced amateur genealogist and a member of, and researcher for, the New England Historical and Genealogical Society. He was looking for ancestor names in Teresa’s lineage (along with those of his interest) and circled John Hamilton and John Magoon (her known SPOW ancestors). Unbeknownst to Dan and Tereasa at the time, Teresa’s husband’s ancestor, Duncan Stewart, is number 101 on this list!
