History of the Stewarts | Famous Stewarts
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Charles Stewart V of Ardsheal
Charles Stewart V of Ardsheal
Very few records remain of Ardsheal´s life from before 1739 as many of the family papers were destroyed when the house at Ardsheal was sacked and burned after Culloden. However he was a Jacobite and kept up a correspondence with the Stuart Court in exile In 1739 he was issued with a commission from James VIII which was basically a warrant to raise and command the clan in war so despite Dougal Stewart, the 10th of Appin being the chief however it was Charles not Dougal who led the clan out. In some accounts. it is claimed this because he is a child however since he had come of age by the 1730s this seems unlikely.
Ardsheal married Isabel Haldane in 1732 daughter of John Haldane, 2nd of Lanrick (1677-1764) and Margaret Murray.
Ardsheal was attainted for high treason on the 8th June 1746. He was specifically excepted from the Act of Indemnity in 1747. Before escaping to France he spent a few weeks concealed in a cave on his estate, still called Ardsheal´s cave, on the hill of Ardsheal, being brought food by some of his tenants. It is likely that he had managed to escape by September 1746 leaving his wife and children. There are some accounts that state that he remained there in the cave until his wife gave birth and fled at this point realising that there would be no amnesty that would cover him. However in December the house was sacked and burned and his wife was forced to flee whilst heavily pregnant with her other 5 children. Anne Stewart was born on the 17th of December 1746. On the 20th December Lady Ardsheal took her children to stay with relatives in Stirling. Lady Ardsheal eventually joined him in exile In France.
The Crown annexed his estate and Colin Campbell of Glenure was appointed to factor it. Glenure began a policy of getting of rid of pro-Jacobite tenants these included James Stewart (James of the Glen) Ardsheal;s half brother. The eviction of the small tenants was set for 15 May 1752. The day before, Glenure was shot dead as he came onto the Ardsheal estate, This, of course, was the Appin murder. James of the Glen was found guilty of the murder and was hanged on the knoll at Ballachulish despite Alan Breck Stewart being the prime suspect.
Charles Stewart V of Ardsheal died in Sens, France in 1757.