Died of wounds received in action aged 23
Buried at Haatswell Daads
James was born at 1 Upper Berkeley Street, London, the elder son of William Crawford Stirling-Stuart of Castlemilk, Lanarkshire and his wife Constance Dennistoun. His parents kept ten household staff at the time of his birth.
By 1901, the family were living at The Priory, Reigate and James had a brother, Rae, and sister, Helen. Seventeen staff were employed.
James was educated at Eton and came up to Christ Church in 1910.
At the outbreak of war he joined the 1st Battalion, Scots Guards, and served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders. He was wounded in action at Ypres and died the same day at L'Ecole de la Bienfaisance, Ypres. He was buried at Haatswell Daads School, Ypres and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Panel 11.
His name is on the memorial located in the family vault of the Stirling-Stuarts, former Lairds of Castlemilk, at Carmunnock Parish Church. This states that he is buried at Haatswell Daads.
ECOLE DE BIENFAISANCE CEMETERY, YPRES, was on the North side of the Poperinghe road, immediately West of the railway, in the grounds of a school (later rebuilt). It was used by Field Ambulances in 1915-1917, and it contained the graves of 133 soldiers from the United Kingdom, three from Canada, three from Australia and one of the British West Indies Regiment
The War Memorial at Carmunnock Glasgow was built by Mr William Stirling Stuart, It was dedicated in 1922. His son heads the list of the Fallen of the First World War. One hundred and seventeen men from the parish fought in the war, thirteen of whom were killed. The metal bowl of the Memorial was originally a horse trough and a special commemoration for Lieutenant Stirling-Stuart’s love of horses.