Life History

11th June 1785	Married Catherine Moody in St Andrews, Holborn.
17th Dec 1788	Birth of son Cosmas Henry Stewart in St. Pancras.
1793	Birth of son Richard Hardinge Stewart in St. Andrew Holborn.
5th Feb 1805	Death of son Cosmas Henry Stewart in The Shambles.
22nd Jan1806	Birth of daughter Ann Shaw (daughter of Ann Shaw)
12th Oct 1809	Birth of son Henry (son of Ann Shaw)
12th Oct 1809	Birth of daughter Mary (daughter of Ann Shaw)
1815	Died in Madras, India..

Notes

Cosmas' position in this tree as Mary Ann's brother may be incorrect. Clearly, he had close ties with the Drewry family. (See The Stewart/Runciman Connection.)
It may be that Cosmas is a cousin to Mary Ann and Catherine Barbara.
(See, also, The Box.)

Is Cosmas Henry Stewart the natural son of Nevill of Nevill Holt?

'Cosmas Henry' is not a common name pairing.
The only other instance that I have found in Google is:

"Lady Mary Lee (d. 1758), mar. 31 Jul 1742 Cosmas Henry Joseph Nevill, of Nevill Holt, co. Leicester [1716-1763], son of Count Cosmas Migliorucci by his wife Mary Nevill, sister and cohrss. of Thomas Nevill, of Nevill Holt, co. Leicester, and 4th dau. of Henry Nevill, of Nevill Holt, co. Leicester, and had issue". [Source]
[See also and also]

Curiously:

Charles Stewart, 5th Earl of Traquair married Theresa Conyers (in 1745 or 46).
Theresa Conyers was the daughter of Margaret Nevill, daughter of Henry Nevill, of Holt. [Source]
Charles Stewart, 5th Earl of Traquair is the brother of the Lady Katherine who "gave the 'China bowl' .. as a christening gift to Mrs Jane Stewart for her daughter Katherine Barbara". [See ? Stewart]
(This 'Katherine Barbara' is our Catherine Barbara - the sister of Mary Ann Stewart, and we suspect sister of Cosmas Henry.)

That is to say:

If Cosmas Henry Stewart were the natural child of Cosmas Henry Joseph Nevill: he would be a young (natural) cousin of Theresa Conyers - born after her marriage to Charles.
Cosmas Henry Stewart would then be cousin (via Theresa Conyers' marriage) to Lady Katherine of Traquair.
However, the relationship between Lady Katherine and Jane Stewart, mother of Catherine B. and Mary Ann Stewart, has yet to be discovered.

Wedding Register entry

"Cosmas Henry Stewart of the Parish of Saint Andrews,Holborn .. Batchelor and Catherine Moody of the Parish of Saint George, Hanover Square .. Spinster .. by Licence on the Eleventh Day of June in the Year One Thousand seven Hundred and Eighty Five by me G Huddesford Curate .. In the presence of Us, E Hadley, RC Perry."

The Theft of a Watch

In 1774, Cosmas would be around 23 years old.

(The Proceedings of the Old Bailey - Ref: t17741019-38, 19 Oct 1774)
"Francis Dunmoll was indicted for stealing a silver watch, value 30 s. a steel watch chain, value 1 s. and a cornelian stone seal set in gold, value 3 s. the property of Cosmas Stewart, in the dwelling house of Abraham Dallain, October 5th."

It would appear that Cosmas was at least acquainted with Abraham Dallain, a 'Carver and Gilder'. (See British picture framemakers.)
The year before the theft at Dallain's house, a Richard Harding had married Katherine Dallain.
In his will, Abraham Dallain (d.1803)
"made bequests to his five grandchildren, of whom one, Abraham Harding was named as an executor".
Twelve years later an Isaac Dallain is recorded as being in partnership with a Richard Harding as Carvers and Gilders. Richard Harding "subsequently traded independently. By 1790 Harding was described in London directories as carver and gilder to the King, and on his trade card, 1791, as 'Carver and Gilder to Her Majesty', but he is not recorded after 1794".

It is just possible that Richard Harding Stewart (Cosmas' second son) was named after this Richard Harding but it is more likely that he was named for the Captain Sir Richard Hardinge that Cosmas served with on the Ganges and the Kent.

Cosmas was a Ship's Purser

Note that William Tillotson Drewry is shown as a passenger on the ship 'Lowther Castle' in 1815 (in the 'Arrival and Departure Notices of the Madras Almanac'); the same W. T. Drewry who mentions Richard Harding Stewart (Cosmas' son) as a dear friend in his will.
(See, also, The Box.)

In A Register of Ships, Employed in the Service of the Honorable East India Company
Cosmas is shown in the following voyages

1782 - 85:  Purser on the 'Ganges' (Coast and China)
1785 - 87:  Purser on the 'Kent' (St Helena & Bencoolen)
1788 - 89:  Purser on the 'Kent' (Bengal)
1791 - 92:  Purser on the 'Kent' (Coast and Bay)
1793 - 94:  Purser on the 'Kent' (Bengal)
1795 - 96:  Purser on the 'Princess Amelia' (Bengal)
1797 - and following years: Purser on the 'Earl of Abergavenny' (Bengal and China)
(See images below.)

1804 - 05:  Purser on the 'Earl of Abergavenny' (Bengal and China) Lost on Shambles. 5th Feb.

Cosmas is shown in the 'Return of the Ship's Company who embarked on the Earl of Abergavenny (East Indiaman) at Portsmouth on 1 Feb 1805.'
The 'S' stands for saved.

Wreck of the 'Earl of Abergavenny' (1805)

"On 5th February, 1805, the Earl of Abergavenny ran aground off Portland, and went down with the loss of 250 lives including that of the captain, John Wordsworth, younger brother of the poet William Wordsworth but their cousin, Joseph Wordsworth, who was the 3rd mate was one of the fortunate survivors." (source)

In 'The Dreadful Loss of the Earl of Abergavenny' it is reported that:

"On Thursday the 7th of February, at a quarter past six o'clock in the morning, Mr. Stuart, the Purser of the Abergavenny, arrived at the East India house, with the melancholy intelligence of the loss of the ship... Mr. Stuart, the Purser, was the first person who arrived at the House, from the ship."

Cosmas' son, Cosmas Henry junior, was also on the Earl of Abergavenny, as an East India Company cadet, when it was wrecked. Cosmas junior was one of the lives lost. Cosmas senior survived.

" …never had such a universal scene of woe presented itself at the East India House The Purser was so overcome by the frequent repetition of the sad -- sad story, that, soon after he left the India House,he fell into a strong fit. He unhappily had more than general cause for sorrow --a son -- his pride -- his hope -- had unfortunately perished in the common wreck, and under such distressing circumstances, that to relate them were to " add the death" of the survivor. He was undressed, put into a warm bed, and receiving every medical and soothing aid which humanity could suggest, was soon restored to the misfortune of memory." [Source - An imteresting read]

Divers investigating the Wreck of Earl of Abergavenny found:

"a small seal in ebony and gold with 'Cosmas' on one side and 'lisez et taisez-vous' on the other. It belonged to a young midshipman by the name of Cosmas, or his father."
'Lisez et taisez-vous' can be translated as 'Read and shut up' or perhaps 'Read and keep quiet'.

The images here are adapted from two rather unclear images 'borrowed' from the Wreck of Earl of Abergavenny Web site.

William G. E. Stewart

Whether William G. E. Stewart, the second mate (who survived), is any relation to Cosmas is not known.

William had nine siblings one of whom was the Reverend James Haldane Stewart. Source)
William's father was Duncan Stewart, 6th of Ardshiel, 10th Chief of Clan Appin; his mother Ann Erving (daughter of John Erving of Connecticut) [Source: Stirnet]
William's grandfather was Charles Stewart, 5th of Ardshiel, who led the Stewarts of Appin in 1745. He fled to France after Culloden, and died 15th March 1757. (He is the chief for whom Alan Breck Stewart collected rents. See Kidnapped, by R. L. Stevenson, chap, ix.) [Source]

William George Irving Stewart m. Mariana Agell y Blanco [Source] - in Peru had issue - 3 daughters [Stirnet]

William George Erving Stewart was buried at St Pancras, 25th March 1829.

From 'The Monthly mirror' Volume 19 - Page 142

From the 'Cornell Library Journal: Issues 11-13' in Google Books.

"Finally, in late March, Captain Wordsworth, Sr., received a letter from Cosmas Henry Stewart, the purser of the Abergavenny, who on the night of the wreck had been sent ashore in the cutter with the ship's dispatches. ..."

For full, detailed, description of the wreck see Deep distresses : William Wordsworth, John Wordsworth, and Sir George Beaumont ...

Cosmas appears to be mentioned a number of times in The Letters of John Wordsworth

Ann Shaw

Cosmas had 3 children with Ann Shaw (while his wife Catherine Moody was still alive).

In 1806, they had a daughter, Ann Shaw.
In 1809, twins, Mary and Henry Shaw.

See Ann Shaw in her brother Richard Harding Stewart's page.

London Times 8 Jan 1816 - Obituary

(in FIBIS)

"At Madras on 11 Aug (1815), universally regretted, Cosmas Henry Stewart Esq, of the HEIC ship Lowther Castle".
In another announcement (in the image) his name is spelt as Cosmo.
(One of the passengers on the voyage out to Madras was William Tillotson Drewry.)

The image on the right is 'borrowed' from the " West Africa Study Circle"

The photo is by Trevor Hearl, 1993,
and is published by Trevor Hearl for the St Helena Link.

Cosmas' Will

The Will
Transcript of the Will

The main will was written on the 7th September, 1798 (before his son died in 1805).
It appears to have been written on board ship while he was purser of The Earl of Abergavenny.
He give his address as Fitzroy Square, London, and leaves everything to his wife Catherine Stewart.
He mentions both his children (Richard Harding Stewart - with no 'e' initially but in a codacil as Hardinge).

Cosmas first nominates 2 friends as executors and later deletes one leaving:

"and I hereby request of my dear friends William Runciman Esq of Chandos Street Covent Garden and xxxxxxxxxxxxx [crossed out by CHS - note in margin] London to act jointly with my dearly beloved wife Catherine Stewart as my Executors"
In London, March 13th 1813, he amends his will: "I hereby request nominate and appoint Mr William Runciman of Birchmore, Bedfordshire and Mr William Williams of .... Lane London together with my dearly beloved wife Catherine Stewart to be my exors to the above written will and testament hereby revoking my former nomination of Mr John ...owzie which I have crossed out myself. C H Stewart No 8 Hatton Garden London"

A second codicil is written on the same date saying that on the death of his wife everything goes to his son Richard Harding Stewart of the War Office, London.

Note: Richard Harding Stewart and William Williams are the gentlemen who prove the will of Samuel Drewry and that RHS is mentioned as a friend in, and is an executor of, William Tillotson Drewry's will.

The first five of the images below suggest the source of the name of Cosmas and Catherine's second son.

Images

The following images are from " A register of ships, employed in the service of the Honorable the United East India Company" by Charles Hardy.:

Also found

International Genealogical Index / BI

COSMO GORDON STUART
Christening: 01 MAR 1767 Saint Martin In The Fields, Westminster, London,
Father: JAMES STUART ; Mother: ELIZABETH

COSMO JAMES STEWARD
Birth: 30 Jan 1776
Christening: 02 Feb 1776 Saint Anne Soho, Westminster, London, England
Father: JAMES STEWARD; Mother: MARY