William Steuart
Encyclopedia
General
Sir William Steuart (1643 – 4 June 1726), was a Scottish soldier, Commander-in-Chief of Queen Anne's Forces in Ireland and benefactor of Hanover Square, London
.
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William Steuart (also sometimes spelt Stewart) was the second son of Colonel William Stewart (d.1691), adjutant
to the Marquess of Montrose
at the Battle of Philiphaugh
, by his wife Barbara, the grand-daughter of Captain James Stewart, Earl of Arran
and Chancellor of Scotland. His paternal grandfather, William Stewart of Burray
, Orkney and Mains, Wigtownshire
, was the elder brother of the 1st Earl of Galloway
. Steuart was a nephew of Lt.-Col. Sir Archibald Stewart (d.1689), the first Baronet of Burray, and his father's sister, Jean, married Sir James Sinclair of Murchil, making Steuart a first cousin of John Sinclair (d.1705), 8th Earl of Caithness
.
His father had been granted lands in Ireland
by Charles II of England
in lieu of arrears of pay due to him as a Cavalier
officer during the English Civil War
, and it was there that William Steuart grew up. He joined the army and became a Captain with the 1st Foot Guards before his promotion by William III of Orange
to Lieutenant-Colonel of the 16th Foot. He was subsequently promoted to Colonel
of the 9th Regiment. Before 1681 he was promoted to Brigadier-General and served with distinction during the Irish Campaign, 1689-1691. At the first Siege of Limerick (1690)
he was badly wounded in the right hand, permanently disabling him, but he went on to assist in the relief of Derry
, and was wounded again at Limerick
and Athlone.
He was promoted to Major-General in 1696. On Christmas Eve
, 1700, he fought a duel with Colonel Bellew. Within two yards of his opponent, Steuart, with his left hand, shot Bellew through the hat. In return Bellew threw away his pistol saying that he did not desire to kill Steuart. By 1703 he was promoted to Lieutenant-General. In 1711, in the absence of the Duke of Ormonde, Queen Anne
appointed him Commander-in-Chief
of her forces in Ireland
. The same year he was made a full General
and Privy Councillor. George I
later removed him from his colonelcy of the 9th Foot, suspecting him of 'favouring the Chevalier'. He lived at Hanover Square, London
and was a member of Parliament for Waterford
. He owned considerable amounts of land in Ireland.
General Steuart died 4 June 1726, and is buried with his first wife in the vault of the Duke of Buckingham
at Westminster Abbey
. In his will he left £5,000 to endow a school for the poor boys of his parish, St. George's, in London
. He also donated the land on which St George's, Hanover Square was built, laying the first stone in 1721.
, was the widow of Brigadier-General Hon. Edward Villiers
(d.1693), the eldest son of George Villiers, 4th Viscount Grandison
. She was the daughter and heiress of Sir John Fitzgerald of Dromana House (Villierstown
), Co. Waterford, by his wife Katherine, second daughter of Baron La Poer
, and her guardians included Charles II of England
. She died in December, 1725. One month later Steuart married Eliza, daughter of Sir Rowland Alston (1654–1697), 2nd Bart., of Odell Castle
, Bedfordshire
, by his wife Temperance, daughter of 2nd Baron Crew
. Neither wife bore him children.
After various charitable donations the bulk of the remainder of his will was divided between three of his nephews to whom he acted as guardian, the sons of his elder brother, Captain James Steuart (d.1689): Colonel John Steuart (d.1762) of Dublin, inherited the General's land at Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow, where his son, William, built Steuart/Stewart's Lodge in 1752; Major Charles Stewart, who had a 'very considerable fortune of his own' bought Bailieborough Castle
in 1724; and James Stewart (1678–1757), Admiral of the Fleet
, was the executor of the General's will. Their fourth and eldest brother, Brigadier-General The Hon. William Steuart (d.1736) of Ballylane, Co. Waterford, whose monument stands in Bath Abbey
, was cut off with only a shilling
. This was most likely due to his marrying the General's stepdaughter, Hon. Mary FitzGerald-Villiers, compromising some of the General's properties.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sir William Steuart (1643 – 4 June 1726), was a Scottish soldier, Commander-in-Chief of Queen Anne's Forces in Ireland and benefactor of Hanover Square, London
Hanover Square, London
Hanover Square, London, is a square in Mayfair, London W1, England, situated to the south west of Oxford Circus, the major junction where Oxford Street meets Regent Street....
.
Biography
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
to the Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
at the Battle of Philiphaugh
Battle of Philiphaugh
The Battle of Philiphaugh was fought on 13 September 1645 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. The Royalist army of the Marquess of Montrose was destroyed by the Covenanter army of Sir David Leslie, restoring the power of the Committee of Estates.-Prelude:When...
, by his wife Barbara, the grand-daughter of Captain James Stewart, Earl of Arran
James Stewart, Earl of Arran
Captain James Stewart, Earl of Arran was created Earl of Arran by the young King James VI, who wrested the title from James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran...
and Chancellor of Scotland. His paternal grandfather, William Stewart of Burray
Burray
Burray is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland. It lies to the east of Scapa Flow and is one of a chain of islands linked by the Churchill Barriers.-Geography and geology:...
, Orkney and Mains, Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown is a registration county in the Southern Uplands of south west Scotland. Until 1975, the county was one of the administrative counties used for local government purposes, and is now administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway...
, was the elder brother of the 1st Earl of Galloway
Earl of Galloway
Earl of Galloway is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1623 for Alexander Stewart, 1st Lord Garlies, with remainder to his heirs male bearing the name and arms of Stewart. He had already been created Lord Garlies in the Peerage of Scotland in 1607, with remainder to the heirs...
. Steuart was a nephew of Lt.-Col. Sir Archibald Stewart (d.1689), the first Baronet of Burray, and his father's sister, Jean, married Sir James Sinclair of Murchil, making Steuart a first cousin of John Sinclair (d.1705), 8th Earl of Caithness
Earl of Caithness
Earl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to have taken place in favor of Maol Íosa V, Earl of...
.
His father had been granted lands in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
by Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
in lieu of arrears of pay due to him as a Cavalier
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
officer during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, and it was there that William Steuart grew up. He joined the army and became a Captain with the 1st Foot Guards before his promotion by William III of Orange
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
to Lieutenant-Colonel of the 16th Foot. He was subsequently promoted to Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of the 9th Regiment. Before 1681 he was promoted to Brigadier-General and served with distinction during the Irish Campaign, 1689-1691. At the first Siege of Limerick (1690)
Siege of Limerick (1690)
Limerick, a city in western Ireland, was besieged twice in the Williamite War in Ireland, 1689-1691. On the first of these occasions, in August to September 1690, its Jacobite defenders retreated to the city after their defeat at the Battle of the Boyne...
he was badly wounded in the right hand, permanently disabling him, but he went on to assist in the relief of Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, and was wounded again at Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
and Athlone.
He was promoted to Major-General in 1696. On Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
, 1700, he fought a duel with Colonel Bellew. Within two yards of his opponent, Steuart, with his left hand, shot Bellew through the hat. In return Bellew threw away his pistol saying that he did not desire to kill Steuart. By 1703 he was promoted to Lieutenant-General. In 1711, in the absence of the Duke of Ormonde, Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
appointed him Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of her forces in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The same year he was made a full General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and Privy Councillor. George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
later removed him from his colonelcy of the 9th Foot, suspecting him of 'favouring the Chevalier'. He lived at Hanover Square, London
Hanover Square, London
Hanover Square, London, is a square in Mayfair, London W1, England, situated to the south west of Oxford Circus, the major junction where Oxford Street meets Regent Street....
and was a member of Parliament for Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
. He owned considerable amounts of land in Ireland.
General Steuart died 4 June 1726, and is buried with his first wife in the vault of the Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. In his will he left £5,000 to endow a school for the poor boys of his parish, St. George's, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He also donated the land on which St George's, Hanover Square was built, laying the first stone in 1721.
Family
He was married twice. His first wife, The Rt. Hon. and Lady Katherine FitzGerald, Viscountess GrandisonKatherine FitzGerald, Viscountess Grandison
Katherine FitzGerald, suo jure Viscountess Grandison , was a wealthy Irish heiress, being the only child of Sir John FitzGerald of Dromana, County Waterford. She inherited the Dromana estate in 1664 upon the death of her father. She was married three times; firstly to John Le Poer, 2nd Earl of...
, was the widow of Brigadier-General Hon. Edward Villiers
Edward FitzGerald-Villiers
Edward FitzGerald-Villiers , was an English soldier in Ireland.He was the eldest son of George Villiers, 4th Viscount Grandison and his wife Mary, daughter of Francis Leigh, 1st Earl of Chichester. In 1677 he married the heiress Katherine FitzGerald, through whom he gained substantial property in...
(d.1693), the eldest son of George Villiers, 4th Viscount Grandison
Viscount Grandison
Viscount Grandison of Limerick, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1620 for Sir Oliver St John, the Lord Deputy of Ireland, with special remainder to the male issue of his niece Barbara, wife of Sir Edward Villiers, elder half-brother of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham,...
. She was the daughter and heiress of Sir John Fitzgerald of Dromana House (Villierstown
Villierstown
Villierstown is a village in west County Waterford, Ireland. It is situated on the banks of the River Blackwater. The latest census of 2006 recorded the population of the village at 260....
), Co. Waterford, by his wife Katherine, second daughter of Baron La Poer
Baron La Poer
Baron La Poer, de la Poer, or Le Pour, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland held by the Marquess of Waterford. Its creation is the sole instance of the law of the Kingdom of Ireland recognizing a peerage by writ.-The origin of the title:...
, and her guardians included Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. She died in December, 1725. One month later Steuart married Eliza, daughter of Sir Rowland Alston (1654–1697), 2nd Bart., of Odell Castle
Odell Castle
Odell Castle was an 11th century castle in the village of Odell, in the county of Bedfordshire, England.The land where Odell Castle stood was originally owned by Levenot, a thane of King Edward the Confessor. At the time, the land and village were called Wahull. After the Norman invasion, William...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, by his wife Temperance, daughter of 2nd Baron Crew
Baron Crew
Baron Crew, of Stene in the County of Northampton, was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created on 20 April 1661 for the politician John Crew. He was the son of Sir Thomas Crewe, Speaker of the House of Commons. Lord Crew was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Baron. He sat as Member...
. Neither wife bore him children.
After various charitable donations the bulk of the remainder of his will was divided between three of his nephews to whom he acted as guardian, the sons of his elder brother, Captain James Steuart (d.1689): Colonel John Steuart (d.1762) of Dublin, inherited the General's land at Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow, where his son, William, built Steuart/Stewart's Lodge in 1752; Major Charles Stewart, who had a 'very considerable fortune of his own' bought Bailieborough Castle
Bailieborough Castle
Bailieborough Castle, located in Bailieborough, County Cavan, Ireland, was built by William Bailie a Scottish "undertaker" or Planter, who was granted the lands of Tonergie in East Breffnie by James I. He built the castle and enclosed the demesne by 1629...
in 1724; and James Stewart (1678–1757), Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments...
, was the executor of the General's will. Their fourth and eldest brother, Brigadier-General The Hon. William Steuart (d.1736) of Ballylane, Co. Waterford, whose monument stands in Bath Abbey
Bath Abbey
The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Bath, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is an Anglican parish church and a former Benedictine monastery in Bath, Somerset, England...
, was cut off with only a shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
. This was most likely due to his marrying the General's stepdaughter, Hon. Mary FitzGerald-Villiers, compromising some of the General's properties.