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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun Urr. Alasdair Stiùbhart. Sgrìobh e an leabhar ‘Elements of Gaelic Grammar’. Rugadh e sa mhansa ann am Blàr Athall ann an seachd ceud deug, seasgad ʼs a ceithir (1764). Aig aois trì-deug, chaidh e a dh’Oilthigh Chill Rìmhinn.

Ann an seachd ceud deug, ochdad ʼs a sia (1786), fhuair e dreuchd mar mhinistear ann am Maoilinn. Tha sin faisg air Baile Chloichridh, ann an Siorrachd Pheairt. 

Ged a bha Gàidhlig aige, cha robh e misneachail mu ghràmar na Gàidhlig. Agus bhiodh e a’ searmonachadh gu tric anns a’ chànan. Aon bhliadhna, bha e meadhanach thairis air a’ gheamhradh. Thug sin ùine dha. Sgrìobh e an leabhar-gràmair aige. Chaidh fhoillseachadh ann an ochd ceud deug ʼs a h-aon (1801).

Roimhe sin, fhuair Alasdair dùsgadh spioradail. Thàinig an soisgeulaiche Sasannach, Teàrlach Simeon, a dh’fhuireach sa mhansa ann am Maoilinn. Bha Mgr Stiùbhart dhen bheachd gun robh Dia air Mgr Simeon a chur thuige mar theachdaire. Bho sin a-mach, bha taobh soisgeulach aig Alasdair Stiùbhart nach robh aige roimhe. 

Dà bhliadhna gu leth an dèidh sin, chaochail a bhean le tinneas sgamhain. A rèir na sgrìobh e fhèin, bha an dùsgadh spioradail aige cuideachail dha ann a bhith a’ dèiligeadh ri bàs a mhnà.

Bha Alasdair a-nise ainmeil. Fhuair e cuireadh bho ghrunn mhinistearan a dhol a Shiorrachd Rois. Phòs e an nighean a bu shine aig fear dhiubh, an t-Urr. Teàrlach Calder. Fhuair e cuireadh a bhith na mhinistear ann an Inbhir Pheofharain.

Ann an ochd ceud deug ʼs a dhà-dheug (1812), thàinig an dàrna eagran dhen leabhar-ghràmair aige a-mach. Bha Alasdair cliùiteach mar sgoilear Gàidhlig. Dh’iarr Comunn Gàidhealach na h-Alba air faclair Gàidhlig a chur ri chèile. Ach dhiùlt e. Bha e ro thrang mar mhinistear.  

Cha robh e toilichte ann an Inbhir Pheofharain. Ghluais e a Dhùn Èideann, far an robh e na mhinistear aig a’ Chanongate. Chaochail e an sin ann an ochd ceud deug, fichead ʼs a h-aon (1821). 

Bidh mòran ga chuimhneachadh mar mhinistear. Bidh gu leòr eile ga chuimhneachadh mar fhear de phrìomh sgoilearan Gàidhlig a linne. Sàr-Pheairteach am measg sàr-Pheairtich eile.

I was telling you about the Rev. Alexander Stewart. He wrote the book ‘Elements of Gaelic Grammar’. He was born in the manse in Blair Atholl in 1764. At the age of thirteen, he went to the University of St Andrews.

In 1786, he got a position as the minister in Moulin. That’s near Pitlochry in Perthshire.

Although he spoke Gaelic, he wasn’t confident about Gaelic grammar. And he would often preach in the language. One year, he was in poor health over the winter That gave him time. He wrote his grammar book. It was published in 1801.

Before that, Alexander underwent a spiritual awakening. The English evangelical, Charles Simeon, came to stay in the manse in Moulin. Mr Stewart was of the opinion that God had sent Mr Simeon to him as a messenger. From that time on, Alexander Stewart had an evangelical side that he hadn’t had before.

Two and a half years after that, his wife died from pulmonary disease. According to what he wrote himself, his spiritual awakening was of assistance to him in dealing with his wife’s death.

Alexander was now well-known. He received an invitation from several ministers to go to Ross-shire. He married the eldest daughter of one of them, The Rev. Charles Calder. He received an invitation to be a minister in Dingwall.

In 1812, the second edition of his grammar book came out. Alexander was renowned as a Gaelic scholar. The Highland Society of London asked him to compile a Gaelic dictionary. But he refused. He was too busy as a minister.

He wasn’t happy in Dingwall. He moved to Edinburgh, where he was a minister at the Canongate. He died there in 1821. 

Many people will remember him as a minister. Many others will remember him as one of the prime Gaelic scholars of his day. A great Perthshire man among many great Perthshire folk.