The Steuart family of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; ...

was a prominent political family in the early

History of Maryland The recorded history of Maryland dates back to the beginning of European exploration, starting with the Venetian John Cabot, who explored the coast of North America for the Kingdom of England in 1498. After European settlements had been made to ...

. Of Scottish descent, the Steuarts have their origins in

Perthshire Perthshire ( locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the nor ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

. The family grew wealthy in the early 18th century under the patronage of the Calvert family, proprietors of the colony of

, but would see their wealth and status much reduced during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolu ...

, and the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

History

George Hume Steuart (1700–1784) was an

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

-educated

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

, who settled in

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

in the

Province of Maryland The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S. state of Maryl ...

in c1721, where he established a medical practice.Papenfeuse, p.773 He married there, and became a

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ch ...

planter, and politician. Politically, Steuart's interests were closely aligned with those of the Calvert family, proprietors of the colony of

. In 1742

Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, (29 September 1699 – 24 April 1751) was a British nobleman and Proprietary Governor of the Province of Maryland. He inherited the title to Maryland aged just fifteen, on the death of his father and gran ...

(1699–1751) sent his eldest but illegitimate son,

Benedict Swingate Calvert Benedict Swingate Calvert (January 27, 1722 – January 9, 1788) was a planter, politician and a Loyalist in Maryland during the American Revolution. He was the son of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, the third Proprietor Governor of Mar ...

, then aged around ten years old, to Annapolis and placed him in Steuart's care. Steuart evidently benefited from the Calvert family's patronage, as he later was appointed to a number of important Colonial offices. However, as a wealthy landowner with estates in both Maryland and

, Steuart was forced by the outbreak of the

to decide whether to remain loyal to

the British Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...

or to throw in his lot with the American rebels. Unable to remain neutral, in 1775 he sailed to Scotland, where he lived until his death in 1784.Nelker, p.118 His sons however remained in Maryland, loyal to the fledgling

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...

. Steuart's grandson, Major General George H Steuart (1790–1867) was a

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

general who fought during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It ...

. His military career began in 1814 when, as a young captain, he raised a company of Maryland volunteers, the Washington Blues, leading them at the Battle of Bladensberg and the

Battle of North Point The Battle of North Point was fought on September 12, 1814, between General John Stricker's Maryland Militia and a British force led by Major General Robert Ross. Although the Americans retreated, they were able to do so in good order having inf ...

, where he was wounded. After the war he rose to become major general of the Maryland Militia. In 1861, at the start of the Civil War, Steuart left his home state of Maryland, which stayed in the Union, and joined the

Confederacy Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...

, though at 71 he was by then too old for active service. During the

, Maryland remained loyal to the Union, but the Steuarts were substantial slaveholders and supported the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confede ...

. On April 16, 1861 George H. "Maryland" Steuart, then an officer in the United States Army, resigned his

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

's commission to join the Confederacy. Much of the family's property was confiscated by the Federal government as a consequence of their participation in the Confederate Army. Old Steuart Hall was confiscated by the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

and Jarvis Hospital was erected on the estate, to care for Federal wounded. The family's wealth and status never recovered from the catastrophe of the war. A number of less well-known Steuarts also joined the rebel states. Among them was the surgeon

William Frederick Steuart William Frederick Steuart (1816–1889) was a Maryland-born medical doctor who served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was a surgeon in the 3rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment, a unit that formed part of the briga ...

Family tree

George H. Steuart (planter) George Hume Steuart, (1700–1784) was a Scottish physician, tobacco planter, and Loyalist politician in colonial Maryland. Born in Perthshire, Steuart emigrated to Maryland in around 1721, where he benefited from proprietarial patronage and wa ...

(1700–1784) ** George Steuart Hume (1747–1787), physician. Returned to Scotland to inherit the family estates in

. **Dr Charles Mark Steuart, physician (1750–1798) ***Dr Charles Calvert Steuart, physician (1784–1836) ****

(1816–1889), surgeon who served in the Army of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War ****Captain

George Biscoe Steuart George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Preside ...

(1817-1881) *****

George H. Steuart (physician) George Hume Steuart (April 10, 1865 – January 6, 1945) was a physician from Maryland who occupied a number of leading medical positions. He served at various times as superintendent of the University of Maryland Medical Center, Maryland Universi ...

(1865-1945) ******

George H. Steuart (diplomat) George H Steuart (November 3, 1907 – September 19, 1998) was an American diplomat and Foreign Service officer, and one of the last consuls of the United States of America in Liverpool, England. He was a major benefactor of the Mary Ball Washing ...

(1907–1998) ** William Steuart, wealthy planter (1754–1838) ** Dr James Steuart of Annapolis (physician) (1755–1846). Baltimore Commissioner of Health in 1805 ***

George H. Steuart (militia general) George Hume Steuart (1790–1867) was a United States general who fought during the War of 1812, and later joined the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. His military career began in 1814 when, as a captain, he raised a company of ...

(1790–1867), raised a company of volunteers and was wounded during the

. **** George H. Steuart (brigadier general) (1828–1903), fought for the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. **** Lieutenant William James Steuart (1832–1864), C.S.A. Killed at the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate ...

, 1864.Nelker, p.67 ***

Richard Sprigg Steuart Richard Sprigg Steuart (1797–1876) was a Maryland physician and an early pioneer of the treatment of mental illness. In 1838 he inherited four contiguous farms, totalling approximately 1900 acres as well as 150 slaves.MSA C153-10, Liber TTS #1, ...

(1797–1876), founder of the Maryland Hospital for the Insane, at

Catonsville Catonsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 41,567 at the 2010 census. The community lies to the west of Baltimore along the city's border. Catonsville contains the majority of th ...

, Maryland. **** Dr James Aloysius Steuart (1828–1903). Baltimore Commissioner of Health from 1873-1882 File:GHSteuart.jpg, Brig. Gen. George H. "Maryland" Steuart File:William Steuart crop.jpg, William Steuart, planter File:Dr Geo H Steuart.jpg, George Steuart Hume returned to Scotland to inherit his family estates File:Richard sprigg steuart.jpg, Richard Sprigg Steuart, founded the Maryland Hospital for the Insane File:James steuart.jpg, Dr James Steuart of Annapolis was a physician who served during the Revolutionary War File:Camp Frederick june6 10 1843.jpg, Major general George H. Steuart reviews his militia at Camp Frederick File:William Frederick Steuart CSA.jpg,

CSA, Surgeon to the 1st North Carolina Infantry

Notable residences

The Steuarts built a number of homes in Maryland, none of which have survived intact. Among them were: *

Maryland Square "Maryland Square", later known as "Steuart Hall", was a mansion owned by the Steuart family from 1795 to 1861, located on the western outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland, at the present-day junction of West Baltimore and Monroe streets. In the first ...

, a mansion on the outskirts of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, owned by the Steuart family until 1861, when, at the beginning of the

, it was confiscated by the

United States Federal Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...

. In 1862 Jarvis Hospital was constructed on the grounds of the Steuart estate, built for the care of wounded Union soldiers, the house itself being used as the hospital's headquarters.Lossing, Benson John, p.605, ''Pictorial History of the Civil War in the United States of America, Volume 3''
Retrieved Feb 6 2010 The house was restored in 1866 to Brigadier General George H. Steuart after the war, but he never lived there again, choosing to live at Mount Steuart, his family estate on the Chesapeake in

Anne Arundel County Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, wh ...

. The building was sold and became a school for boys, known as Steuart Hall, and in 1884 the mansion was demolished, to make way for the Grace Medical Center which stands there today.Rice, p.290 * Dodon, a farm and former

plantation in

, located near the South River about south west of

. It is still home to the eighth generation of Steuarts today, who continue to farm, and to breed and race horses. Parts of the original house still remain, though most was destroyed in a fire c1950.

Racing

George H. Steuart (1700–1785), founder of the Steuart family in Maryland, was an enthusiastic horse breeder, and he instigated the

Annapolis Subscription Plate Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about e ...

, the name given both to the first recorded formal horse race in colonial Maryland and to the silver trophy awarded to the winner of the race. It is the second oldest known horse racing trophy in America.History of Maryland Jockey Club
Retrieved Jan 21 2010 The race was held in 1743 and was won by Steuart's horse,

Dungannon Dungannon () is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second-largest town in the county (after Omagh) and had a population of 14,340 at the 2011 Census. The Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council had its headquarters in th ...

.Official History of the Maryland Jockey Club
Retrieved February 18, 2010

Modern Legacy

The unusual spelling of "Steuart" was widespread in the 18th century ("Steuart", "Stewart" and "Stuart" being essentially interchangeable), but has since mainly fallen into disuse. However, Steuart's numerous North American descendants have retained the archaic spelling. A silver replica of the original

was commissioned in 1955 by the

Maryland Jockey Club The Maryland Jockey Club is a sporting organization dedicated to horse racing, founded in Annapolis in 1743. The Jockey Club was founded more than 30 years before the start of the Revolutionary War and is chartered as the oldest sporting organizat ...

. The "Dungannon Bowl" is a perpetual trophy presented to the winner of annual

Dixie Stakes The Dinner Party Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid-May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the eighth-oldest graded stakes race in the United States and the oldest stakes race in Maryland and all ...

, the oldest stakes race run in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic states. A stone obelisk at Dodon marks the burial place of Richard Sprigg Steuart and a number of other family members. Brigadier General George H. Steuart and his father Major General George H. Steuart are both buried beneath a family obelisk at

Green Mount Cemetery Green Mount Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established on March 15, 1838, and dedicated on July 13, 1839, it is noted for the large number of historical figures interred in its grounds as well as many ...

, and The Steuart Hill area of Baltimore recalls the family's long association with the city.Steuart, William Calvert, Article in ''Sunday Sun Magazine'', "The Steuart Hill Area's Colorful Past", Baltimore, February 10, 1963

Notes

References

* Goldsborough, W. W., ''The Maryland Line in the Confederate Army'', Guggenheimer Weil & Co (1900), . * Hanson, George Adolphus, ''Old Kent: The Eastern Shore of Maryland: Notes Illustrative of the Most Ancient Records Of Kent County, Maryland'' (1876), unknown publisher. * Nelker, Gladys P., ''The Clan Steuart'', Genealogical Publishing (1970). * Papenfuse, Edward C. et al., ''Archives of Maryland, Historical List'', new series, Vol. 1. Annapolis, MD: Maryland State Archives (1990). * Quinan, John Russel, ''Medical Annals of Baltimore from 1608 to 1880'', Baltimore (1884) * Rice, Laura, ''Maryland History in Prints 1743-1900'', Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore (2002) * Richardson. Hester Dorey, ''Side-Lights on Maryland History: With Sketches of Early Maryland Families'' (1913). ASIN: B00146BDXW, , . * Steuart, George H., Letter to the ''

National Intelligencer The ''National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser'' was a newspaper published in Washington, D.C., from October 30, 1800 until 1870. It was the first newspaper published in the District, which was founded in 1790. It was originally a Tri ...

'' dated November 19, 1860, unpublished, Archive of the

Maryland Historical Society The Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC), formerly the Maryland Historical Society (MdHS), . founded on March 1, 1844, is the oldest cultural institution in the U.S. state of Maryland. The organization "collects, preserves, and inte ...

. * Steuart, William Calvert, Article in ''Sunday Sun Magazine'', "The Steuart Hill Area's Colorful Past", Baltimore, February 10, 1963. * White, Roger B, Article in ''The Maryland Gazette'', "Steuart, Only Anne Arundel Rebel General", November 13, 1969.

External links

* Richardson, Hester Dorsey (1913)
Side-lights on Maryland history: with sketches of early Maryland families. Vol. II
Williams and Wilkins. Retrieved Feb 21 2010
Official Dodon website and history of the estate
Retrieved Feb 21 2010
article on Dodon farm at www.hometownannapolis.com
Retrieved Feb 21 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Steuart Family Political families of the United States American families of Scottish ancestry Families from Maryland House of Stuart