Alicia or Alice Stewart : Short Biography

Edmund Jones, Alice’s (Alicia’s) great-grandson, and solicitor in York, England wrote: "Perhaps one reason why my grandfather (Capt John) was reticent as to his family was that his father, W Spotswood and his mother were separated. The former lead (sic) I believe a wild life and my great-grandmother brought up the family at Cork."

Mary Pollard, a librarian at the National Library of Ireland, Dublin, in her “A Dictionary of Members of the Dublin Book Trade 1500-1800”,  listed William Spotswood, a printer in Dublin, and records him marrying first Ann Pasley of Kildare and then in 1784 in Newry Miss Stewart of Enniskillen. Whether it was this William Spotswood, the printer, who married Alice is open to debate, as William is recorded as arriving in Philadelphia in 1785. If he had married Alice and absconded across the Atlantic within two years of marriage, leaving Alicia with two infant children, John and Jane, he could well be said to have led a wild life.

The Vestry Minutes of Easter Tuesday, April 1801 record ‘A  deed of sale properly executed by Mr. Richard Campbell of his part in the pew in the Gallery of the Church in Enniskillen occupied by him and Mr. Walter Stewart to Mrs Alice Spotwood having this day been approved by the Vestry it was agreed that the said Richard Campbells part in such pew become the property of the said Alice Spotwood and her heirs Exors Admins and assigns.’  (PRONI -Belfast Record Office. 15/5/1991 Ref Mic 1/110 Enniskillen Church of Ireland. Vol 1 Vestry Minutes. l73l-l920.)

In 1810 Alice wrote to Major James Armstrong, asking his assistance to resolve an administrative issue regarding the commission of her son John (British National Archives, Commander-In-Chief's (C-in-C) Memoranda, WO 31/294.) James Armstrong (who was from Enniskillen) had been on the staff of Richard Wellesley, Governor General of Bengal. (Subsequently  Armstrong was appointed ADC to the Duke of York but died soon after in 1812.)

Alice is mentioned in the will of her father, Walter Stewart,  proved May 1815, National Archives of Ireland - NA Ref T/370. It would appear her father felt Alice  was well enough provided for as he left her the token sum of one shilling and one penny, whereas as he left his house to his widow, and made provisions for his other daughters Jean and Cathe.

Alice’s death was recorded in the Enniskillen Chronicle & Erne Packet; No. 1826; Thu Jun 11, 1835
"In this town on Thursday last at the advanced age of 78, Mrs Spotswood - a lady much respected by all who knew her."

 Alicia (Alice) Spotswood's will of 1835 is also indexed in the Irish National Archives, but that copy of the will would have been destroyed in 1922. Fortunately her will prompted legal action in Tasmania, and copies survive in Australia. In the will Alice leaves the pew in the  Church of Enniskillen to her grandson James Kernahan, Jane Spotswood Kernahan's son.