John Ferdinand Smyth Stuart facts for kids
John Ferdinand Smyth Stuart (born in 1745 – died December 20, 1814) was a doctor and a Loyalist from Scotland who lived in America. He claimed to be a great-grandson of King Charles II. He was known as John Ferdinand Smyth until 1793, and later as Ferdinand Smyth Stuart. He also wrote a book called A Tour in the United States of America in 1784, using the name John Ferdinand Dalziel Smyth.
During the American Revolutionary War, Stuart left America and spent the rest of his life in England and the West Indies.
Contents
His Early Life and Family History
John Ferdinand Smyth Stuart was born in Scotland in 1745. He later wrote that his father, R. Wentworth Smyth, had fought in the Jacobite rising of 1715 and the 1745 Jacobite uprising.
Stuart claimed that his mother, Maria Julia Dalziel, was the granddaughter of General James Crofts. General Crofts was said to be a son of the Duke of Monmouth, who was a son of King Charles II. Stuart also claimed that his father, Wentworth Smyth, was the Duke of Monmouth's son by Henrietta Maria Wentworth. This would mean Stuart himself was a direct descendant of the royal House of Stuart.
However, some historians and genealogists have questioned these claims. Stuart said he was named after his godfather, Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick.
Stuart recalled that he became an orphan very young. His mother died when he was two, and his father died when he was five, reportedly by drowning while trying to escape arrest. Stuart said he studied medicine at a Scottish university before moving to Virginia in 1763. An obituary mentioned he studied with Dr. Gregory in Aberdeen, but there are no official records of his university studies.
Life in America
Stuart moved to the Thirteen Colonies and settled near Williamsburg in Virginia, where he worked as a doctor. By the 1770s, he was renting and managing large farms.
When the American Revolutionary War began, Stuart joined the Loyalist forces on October 15, 1775. Loyalists were people who supported the British Crown during the war. He later wrote that he commanded an armed ship in Chesapeake Bay and also gathered a group of men for work on the frontier. He was captured more than once and was held prisoner for about 18 months.
After escaping from the rebel forces, Stuart arrived in New York in 1777. He became a Captain in the Queen's Rangers, a Loyalist army group. In October 1777, he fought in the Battle of Germantown. Around the end of 1777, Stuart wrote a book about his adventures called Narrative or Journal of Capt. John Ferdinand Dalziel Smyth, of the Queen's Rangers. In this book, he criticized the rebels.
While stationed in New York, Stuart married Abigail Haugewout in October 1778. She was the daughter of a Loyalist farmer from Long Island. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1780. Stuart later had some disagreements with his commanding officer and returned to England in early 1780 due to poor health.
Life in England and the West Indies
After returning to England, Stuart remained an officer on half-pay during the rest of the American War. The British government helped Loyalists who had lost property during the war. Stuart received an allowance, which increased over time. He tried to get Long Island in the Bahamas as compensation for his claimed losses of land in Virginia and Maryland, but his request was denied because his claims were not fully believed. His half-pay ended in 1783.
In 1784, Stuart's allowance was stopped after some accusations were made against him. He then published his book, A Tour in the United States of America. This book shared his experiences, but people who knew him in North America challenged some of his stories.
In 1785, Stuart went to Jamaica, where he was appointed a Major, but he only stayed for 16 days because of a hurricane.
In 1793, Captain Smyth changed his name to Stuart. He did this to show his claim of being a descendant of the House of Stuart, the royal family. He later said, "what was the name of Smyth to me?" meaning it didn't reflect his royal connection.
In 1795, Stuart took a job in San Domingo (now Haiti). He joined Admiral Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian on a trip to the West Indies. He was shipwrecked three times in 1795 and 1796. He was also present when the British captured Saint Lucia and Martinique. In San Domingo, he tried a treatment for yellow fever, claiming it worked well. After returning to England, Stuart continued to try and get more financial help from the government, but he was not successful.
In 1803, while working as a barrack-master (someone in charge of military housing) at Billericay, he was badly beaten. In his final years, he was a barrack-master at Landguard Fort in Suffolk.
In 1808, after the death of Cardinal Stuart (who was considered the last legitimate Stuart descendant of King James II), Stuart wrote a book claiming he was the closest living descendant of the House of Stuart. In 1814, he retired and moved to London.
His Family Life
On October 23, 1778, Stuart married Abigail Haugewout in New York, even though her father did not approve. They had one daughter, Elizabeth, born in October 1780. By then, Stuart had already moved to England. His wife stayed in New York and lived until 1828. In 1797, Stuart visited New York and met his wife again. In 1802, his daughter Elizabeth married Gideon Nichols.
Before his 1797 visit to New York, Stuart had started a second family in England with Eunice Gray. Their first son, Henry, was born in 1793. They had more children: Henrietta Maria (1797), Mary Clementina (around 1799), Charles Henry (1802), Constantine Wentworth (1805), Spencer Percival (1807), and Ferdinand (1812). Stuart married Eunice Gray on September 7, 1803.
Sadly, four of their children in England died young: Henry (1794), Charles Henry (1802), Spencer Percival (around 1807), and Henrietta Maria (1813).
Death and What Happened Next
On December 20, 1814, Stuart died after being hit by a carriage in London. He left his second family without money. He was buried on January 1, 1815. A magazine published a long obituary that praised Stuart's life and asked for help for his family.
In January 1815, Lord Palmerston, who was in charge of war matters, agreed to give Eunice Stuart an annual allowance of £25 to help her and her children. In 1816, the Prince Regent (who later became King George IV) gave Eunice a pension of £50 a year. Eunice died in 1818, and Palmerston increased the money for the children to £24 a year. A neighbor helped pay for Constantine Wentworth's education.
Two of Stuart's remaining children from his second family died in their twenties: Mary Clementina in 1826 and Ferdinand in 1835. Constantine Wentworth lived until 1849 and got married. He became an officer in the army and later visited his half-sister, Elizabeth, in New York. Elizabeth had many children and grandchildren and lived until 1858, leaving behind many descendants.
His Published Works
- Narrative or Journal of Capt. John Ferdinand Dalziel Smyth, of the Queen's Rangers (New York, 1778): This was Stuart's first major book, telling about his adventures during the American Revolutionary War.
- A Tour in the United States of America (London, 1784): This longer book described his travels and activities during the war. It was also translated into French. Some people described his view of America as "strong but not flattering," as he didn't like the colonists' republican ideas or their manners.
- A Letter to Lord Henry Petty on Coercive Vaccination (London, 1807): In this book, Stuart argued against vaccination. He wrote it after one of his own children died.
- The Case of Ferdinand Smyth Stuart (London, 1807): This book was about Stuart's complaints regarding how the British government treated him financially.
- Destiny and Fortitude: An Historical Poem: In Sixteen Elegies: Being a Detail of the Misfortunes of the Illustrious House of Stuart, by Ferdinand Smyth Stuart, the nearest descendant (London, 1808): In this poem, Stuart explained his connection to the royal House of Stuart, especially after the death of Cardinal Stuart, who was the last direct legitimate descendant of King James II.
