William Steuart (Mayor of Baltimore)

William Steuart
Lieutenant colonel William Steuart, Mayor of Baltimore from 1831-32.[1]
Mayor of Baltimore
In office
1831–1832
Preceded by Jacob Small
Succeeded by Jesse Hunt
Lieutenant colonel, United States Army
Personal details
Born c. 1754
Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
Died February 12, 1839[2]
Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
Relations George H. Steuart (father)
Richard Sprigg Steuart (nephew)
George H. Steuart (militia general) (nephew)
Residence Dodon
Religion Anglican

Lieutenant Colonel William Steuart (1754 – February 12, 1839) was a wealthy planter in colonial Maryland, and Mayor of Baltimore from 1831 to 1832. He inherited the estate of Dodon in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, from his father, planter and politician George H. Steuart.[3] He was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army during the War of 1812, and saw service during the Battle of Baltimore, where he commanded the 38th United States Infantry foot regiment.

Early life

Steuart was born in 1754 [4] in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, the fourth son [4] of the planter and politician George H. Steuart (1700–1784).[3] He was raised at Dodon, the family plantation on the South River, near Annapolis, Maryland.

Career

As a young man Steuart served as clerk to the two Judges of the Land Office, his father George H. Steuart and Benedict Swingate Calvert, who was the illegitimate son of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, the third Proprietor Governor of Maryland.[5][6] The Steuart family's interests were closely linked to those of the ruling Calvert family, and in 1770 there was a disagreement between the upper and lower houses in the Maryland Assembly over the size of fees to be collected by the Land Office. After collecting fees that were larger than those designated by the lower house, Steuart was jailed.[7] In response to this Governor Robert Eden prorogued the assembly, freed Steuart, and removed him from the assembly's jurisdiction.[5] The question of proprietarial fees was to cause considerable discontent among Marylanders during the years immediately preceding the American Revolution.[7]

Revolutionary War

Steuart's family was divided by the Revolution. His father George H. Steuart was a Loyalist politician who, as an ally of the ruling Calvert family, had benefited from substantial political patronage. In addition Steuart held estates in both Maryland and Scotland and, at the outbreak of war, forced to make a choice between loyalty to the Crown and backing the Revolution, he sailed to Scotland, saying that he "could not turn rebel in his old age", and pragmatically dividing his property between his sons.

William Steuart was sympathetic to the patriots during the Revolution. According to the memoirs of his nephew Richard Sprigg Steuart: "Uncle William was mild and conciliatory, rather Republican, but with too much respect for his father to say much".[8]

After the end of the war, Steuart inherited the family estate of Dodon, on the South River, near Annapolis, Maryland. He was a founder member of the Maryland Jockey Club, re-established after the war's end on Saturday, March 1, 1783, at Mr Mann's tavern in Annapolis. Club rules were set down including that the plate given by the club should be run on the first Tuesday of November, at Annapolis, that the prize money should be "sixty guineas", and that the annual subscription should be "three guineas".[9]

War of 1812

Steuart served as Lieutenant Colonel of the 38th United States Infantry foot regiment during the Battle of Baltimore

During the War of 1812 Steuart served in the United States Army as Lieutenant Colonel of the 38th United States Infantry foot regiment, commanding a force of around 600 men.[2][10] Steuart was present at the Battle of Baltimore,[1] during which the American forces prevailed against the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, with Steuart's regiment "occupying the exposed and shelterless position beyond the outer ditch."[2]

Politics and business

After the war of 1812, Steuart was elected as a delegate to the Maryland Assembly,[11] and later became Mayor of Baltimore from 1831 to 1832.[1] Steuart was Mayor of Baltimore for one term only, serving during the unexpired term of Mayor Jacob Small, who resigned his office on March 31, 1831 [2]

Steuart was a building contractor and he prepared the stone work for the Washington Monument (Baltimore). In addition he worked on the Court House erected in 1805 (since demolished), and other large buildings of the time.[2]

He also held a number of other civil offices in State and City government, in addition to being a member of the Vigilant Fire Company. He was appointed to the office of City Collector a few days before his death.[2]

Will and Legacy

Stone obelisk at Dodon marking the burial place of William Steuart and other members of his family.

William Steuart died unmarried, leaving a substantial estate in land and slaves which was apportioned among his surviving family members. His will left detailed instructions on which family members would inherit the substantial Steuart estates in Maryland. According to the memoirs of his nephew Richard Sprigg Steuart "The fifth of my grandfather's children was William, also a bachelor, [who] left a very large landed property and numerous slaves. He was our good old "Uncle Billy".[12]

He is buried at the family estate of Dodon on the South River, near Annapolis.[13]

See also

Notes

References

Preceded by
Jacob Small		 Mayor of Baltimore
1831–1832 		Succeeded by
Jesse Hunt

External links