Castlemilk History

The last Laird of Castlemilk was born on the 9th of May 1854. He was born in Dublin and named William James Stirling Crawford-Crawford Stirling Stuart. He was privately tutored and attended Cambridge university. He was once reported to his grandmother, after being caught in the tool shed with his tutors daughter. He also served in the Lanarkshire malitia, but didn't take to army life. He loved dogs & horses but would never ride a black horse after falling off one and dislocating both hips.

William with his 4 sisters                William and Annie                 William in his colledge 'togs'.

At the age of 36' Sir William married Constance Marie de Lormet of Dennistoun. They were wed at St Marks church, North Audley street London, on July the 9th, 1890. Constance Marie was casual with her life and often arranged day trips for the children of the local village, Carmunnock. At the outbreak of WW1 she assisted in making food & clothing parcels for the troops posted to 'the front'.

William and Constance Marie had three children, two sons, James & Douglas Rae, and one daughter Helen constance Stuart. Both sons attended Oxford University, Jimmie attended Christ church with Rae attending University college. At the outbreak of WW1, Jimmie joined the Scots guards and Douglas Rae joined the Royal Scots Greys.

On the 9th of November 1914 James was fatally wounded when leading his men on an attack against German machine gun positions at Ypres. He died of his wounds at L'Ecole de la Bienfaisance. His name is on the Menin gate as his last resting place was lost during heavy artilllary fire. Douglas Rae survived the war and returned safely to Castlemilk.

Constance Marie died of a neglected appendix on February 18th 1916, The surgeon of the family never forgave himself for opperating too late and at the age of 19, Helen found herself mistress of her Fathers household. Helen later married Major herbert Harry Stevenson at Carmunnock church, the first time one of the Stuart family wed in that church.The church holds the family vaults dating back many centuries which they attended on a weekly basis. (see pictures left). Sir William James Stirling Crawford-Crawford Stirling Stuart died in 1938, three days after having a heart attack, hundreds attended his funeral which drove through Carmunnock village. His daughter Helen said "With my Father passed one of the greatest and best of Lairds and also the glory of Castlemilk". His estate factor wrote, Castlemilk is now dead for us, He was Castlemilk,and now it's only a building.