William Steuart (British Army officer)
William Stewart | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1643 Scotland |
| Died | 4 June 1726 (aged 82–83) Hanover Square, London, Middlesex, England |
| Allegiance |  General |
| Commands held | Queen Anne's Forces in Ireland |
| Battles/wars | Williamite War in Ireland |
General Sir William Stewart (1643 – 4 June 1726), was a Scottish-born soldier,
Biography
William Stewart (also sometimes spelt Steuart) 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 granddaughter of James Stewart, Earl of Arran and Lord Chancellor of Scotland. His paternal grandfather, William Stewart of Burray lived at Mains, Wigtownshire and was the elder brother of Alexander Stewart, 1st Earl of Galloway. Steuart himself was a first cousin of John Sinclair (d.1705), 8th Earl of Caithness, and a nephew of Lt.-Col. Sir Archibald Stewart (d.1689), the first Baronet of Burray.
His father had been granted lands in Ireland by
He served with distinction for the remainder of the
He was promoted to
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.[2] The auctioneer Christopher Cock sold the house and its contents in Hanover Square, on 14 April 1730.[3]
Family
General Stewart was married twice: His first wife, The Rt. Hon. and Lady Katherine FitzGerald, Viscountess Grandison, 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), County Waterford, by his wife Katherine, second daughter of John Power (1599–1661), 5th Baron La Poer, and her guardians included Charles II of England. She died in December 1725. One month later Stewart married Eliza, daughter of Sir Rowland Alston (1654–1697), 2nd Bart., of Odell Castle, Bedfordshire, by his wife Temperance, daughter and heiress of Thomas Crew, 2nd Baron Crew. Neither wife bore him children.
After various charitable donations the bulk of the remainder of his will was divided between his brother and sister and the children of his elder brother, Captain James Steuart (d.1689), to whom he had acted as guardian. His nephews were: (1) Colonel John Steuart (d.1762) of
References
- ^ Childs. The British Army of William III p.18
- ^ "A new church". St George's Hanover Square. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- ^ Cock, Christopher (1730). A catalogue of the dwelling-house of the Rt. Honourable General Stuart [sic], (deceas'd.) As Likewise, The Houshold-Goods in the said house, consisting ... London: Christopher Cock.
Bibliography
- Childs, John. The British Army of William III, 1689-1702. Manchester University Press, 1987.