According to Manitou history book:
“He was born in Granton-on-Spey, Scotland where he took his apprenticeship in carpentry. When Peter came to Canada, he was foreman of the building of the Stoney Mountain Penetentiary. In 1876, he married Josephine Barclay, daughter of James Barclay. He purchased four scripts of land in the Barclay district and lived their until 1917, when he retired to Manitou to live with his daughter, Jessie, and her daughter, Josie. He was a charter member of the first curling club formed in 1877. While in Winnipeg, he curled in the first game played with wooden blocks on the river. He enjoyed curling in Manitou well into his 80’s, in fact he was an avid sportsman all his live. He was an honourary elder of St. Andrew’s United Church and a staunch Liberal.”
A June, 1940 newspaper article on him entions that he came to Canada in 1872 (to Guelph, Ontario), and came west in 1874 (to Fargo, ND by train, then by boat on the Red Rier to Winnipeg, and then to Stony Mountain to build shacks for the men to live in. He retired in 1917 to Manitou, MB.
1901 census lists him as immigrating to Canada in 1875.
Lynda Boyle’s family tree for him mentions that he was an only child.
There is a Blair Castle in Scotland which is where James Barclay and Peter Stewart met while carpentring there before James came to Canada.
Listed as living with his daughter Jessie Mills in the June 9, 1916 census.
Story of Peter Stewart, written by his granddaughter Annie Josephine Gilmour for a memorial service had at the 100th anniversary of the Barclay farms in Manitoba:”Peter was born in Granton-on-Spey, Morayshire, Scotland June 16th, 1850. He belonged to the Territorials and at age 19 held the championship for rifle shooting. He came to Guelph, Ontario in 1872 and was carpenter foreman while building the Agricultural College. After finishing this project he came to Manitoba in 1874. He came by train to Fargo, ND, then down the Red River by boat to Winnipeg. He spent a day there and then went to Stony Mountain to build shacks for the working men to live in while building the Penitentiary. Barclay & Morrison were the contractors. In 1876 he married Josephine, the daughter of James Barclay. While living in Winnipeg he built the first water flume on Alexander Street. He was a charter member of the first curling club in Winnipeg - playing with wooden rocks on the Red River. A curling club was formed in 1877 & then they used iron rocks. In 1877 he purchased four scripts given by the government and homesteaded in Barclay District north of Darlingford, now owned by Gerald Barclay, grandson of Robert Barclay, brother of James.He and Josephine had four children. Mary Roberta born in Winnipeg in 1877, James Barclay - never married, Annie, and Jessie Mills. Roberta married Parker Boyle and lived near Saskatoon, and had four of a family: Inez, Charles Peter, Dorothy and Jean. Annie married John Cowan, they had five children: Stewart, Grace, Jack, Frank and Donald. Jessie married James Strong, and had one daughter Josephine (Josie). In 1917 Peter and daughter Jessie, and Josie retired to Manitou where he enjoyed life until 1944 when he passed away, but his mind was alert to his final day. He was an avid sportsman all of his life. He loved to hunt elk, moose, deer, ducks and geese which were plentiful in the early days. He curled until well into his 80’s and never missed a ball game while in good health. He had belonged to the Presbyterian Church, then the United and was an Honourary Elder of St. Andrews, Manitou at the time of his death. He was loved and well respected by all his relations and friend. The late Senator Sharpe summed his life this way: “Even though you & I don’t see eye to eye in politics, no one could ever point a finger at you for anything mean or dishonest you had done and I consider you one of my best friends.”
Judy Cowan has copy of the actual marriage record, and they were married on January 31, 1877. Peter was a builder in Winnipeg, and Josephine lived in Rockwood, Manitoba at the time. They were married by John Black, and the witnesses were W.W. McMullan and W.M. McDougall.
His obituary, from a local area newspaper: “Peter Stewart The oldest pioneer of the Manitou and Darlingford districts passed to the Great Beyond Friday evening, August 18th, when Peter Stewart died at his home in Manitou. Mr. Stewart was born in Scotland in the town of Granton-on-Spey in Morayshire on June 16, 1850. He came to Guelph, Ontario, in 1872 and then to Manitoba in 1874, coming by train to Fargo, N.D., then by boat down the Red River to Winnipeg. He spent a day in Winnipeg then went on to Stony Mountain where he was foreman on the construction of the Stoney Mountain penitentiary. In 1870 he purchased Scripts in the Darlingford district and for forty-seven years made that his home. he retired in 1917 to live in Manitou. He is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Jessie Strong of Manitou, Mrs. John Cowan of Darlingford, and Mrs. Parker Boyle of Grandora, Sask. His wife pre-deceased him in 1908 and his only son in 1938. Funeral service was conducted in the Manitou United Church on Sunday, August 20th, by Rev. J.W. Cruikshank. Internment was made in the Darlingford cemetery. Pallbearers were W. Speirs, A. Goldsmith, H. Dickson, W. Robinson, W. Griffin and J. Compton.”