Belle Stewart - Marriage

Marriage

Belle's version of "If I Was a Blackbird" inspired Alex Stewart, a bagpiper, to propose to her. They married in secret on 17 August 1925 at Ballymoney in Northern Ireland. As married second cousins, they for a time had fears that this would affect the health of their children, but such fears proved unfounded.

Belle married into a rich heritage. Alex's father Jock Stewart (1869–1954) had become a champion piper, supposedly the subject of the popular Scots and Irish drinking-song "Jock Stewart, A Man You Don't Meet Every Day" recorded by The Dubliners and The Pogues among others. Jock's father, "Big Jimmy" Stewart, also a champion piper, allegedly died when beaten to death by a group of Irishmen he met on his way home from busking in the Pitlochry area — because he refused to play a tune they requested. Alex's mother, Nancy Campbell, reputedly had both a grandfather (Andy Campbell) and a grandmother sentenced to death by hanging in the 18th century for the crime of travelling.

For a few months Belle suffered from Bell's palsy. Alex left her and returned to Ireland. After treatment she made a complete recovery, and Alex returned to her. On 7 July 1935 Bell gave birth to Sheila. Belle also had another daughter, Cathie, and two sons, Andy and John. The family made their living by selling scrap metal and by pearl fishing.

During the Second World War the authorities conscripted Alex Stewart into the military. His Captain, a "Naken" or Non-Traveller, also came from Blairgowrie. The Captain was wounded in action and Alex carried him to the Red Cross camp. When the Captain learned who had saved his life, he said that he would have preferred to die rather than to owe his life to a "Tink". Alex and his wife wrote letters in the Traveller cant known as Beurla-reagaird. The British Army postal censors could not understand it, and ordered them to stop.

In 1952 Alex and Belle paid a builder to build them a house.