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John William Stewart Family papers

 Collection 0308-MDHC
The John William Stewart Family papers span the years 1857 to 1906 with the bulk of material dating from 1857 to 1869 and consist primarily of correspondence written to John William Stewart from relatives and friends in Emmitsburg, Maryland and Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. They report on their health and that of family members and friends, engagements, marriages, prayer meetings, a trip on the Mississippi, and the Civil War. Included in one letter is an 1864 flyer entitled "Greeting to the Churches of the Presbytery of Baltimore from the Presbytery's Committee of Foreign Missions."

Dates

  • 1857-1906
  • Majority of material found within 1857-1869

Use and Access to Collection

This collection is open for research.

Duplication and Copyright Information

Photocopies of original materials may be provided for a fee and at the discretion of the curator. Please see our Duplication of Materials policy for more information. Queries regarding publication rights and copyright status of materials within this collection should be directed to the appropriate curator.

Extent

49 Items

Additional Description

Scope and Content of Collection

The John William Stewart Family papers span the years 1857 to 1906 with the bulk of material dating from 1857 to 1869 and consist primarily of correspondence written to John William Stewart from relatives and friends in Emmitsburg, Maryland and Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. They report on their health and that of family members and friends, engagements, marriages, prayer meetings, a trip on the Mississippi, and the Civil War. Included in one letter is an 1864 flyer entitled "Greeting to the Churches of the Presbytery of Baltimore from the Presbytery's Committee of Foreign Missions." Correspondents include his uncle, Alexander Stewart, and his wife, Rosa Stewart.

Family History

John William Stewart, the son of John Sheeler Stewart (b.1812) and Margaret Barbour Witherow (1818-1902), was born in Emmitsburg, Frederick County, Maryland on January 21, 1844. Stewart's father died before 1860 and his mother then married Robert Smith Grier (1790-1865), the minister of the Emmitsburg Presbyterian Church. Stewart graduated from Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania in 1864 and attended medical school in Philadelphia. His sister, Rose J. Stewart (b. 1841) married James C. Annan (1836-1894), an Emmitsburg merchant.

Stewart married Rosa B. McLean (b.1846) and the first years of their marriage were spent in Dayton, Ohio, where he was a physician. Their first child, Florence, was born there in 1869. Shortly thereafter, the Stewarts moved to Rock Island, Illinois where they raised seven more children. Throughout their adult lives, Stewart and Rosa remained in contact with their family and relatives in Maryland and Pennsylvania. John's uncle, Alexander Stewart (b.1810), practiced medicine in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania for more than thirty years. Rosa's parents and siblings also lived there. Stewart's sister and mother remained in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

In Rock Island, Stewart ceased practicing medicine and became a partner in the Stewart and Montgomery Hardware store which operated into the twentieth century. The Stewarts were members of the New Broadway Presbyterian Church in Rock Island. From 1878 to 1880 the pastor was the Rev. James Russell Miller who later became a prominent Presbyterian writer. As late as 1920 Stewart was living in Rock Island, Illinois with his daughter, Rosabel.

Arrangement

This collection has been divided into two series.
  1. Series 1: Family Correspondence
  2. Series 2: Business Correspondence

Custodial History and Acquisition Information

The University of Maryland Libraries purchased the John William Stewart Family papers from Carmen D. Valentino, a rare books and manuscripts dealer, in 2006.

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital copies of the letters in this collection are available at http://digital.lib.umd.edu/results.jsp?index1=dmKeyword&query1=john+william+stewart+family in the University of Maryland's Digital Collections.

Related Material

The following materials in the UMCP HBK Maryland Room collection contain information about Emmitsburg, Maryland, in the mid-nineteenth century.
  1. Emmitsburg: history and society, edited by Emile A. Nakhleh and Mary B. Nakhleh. (Emmitsburg, MD: Emmitsburg Chronicle, 1976) (UMCP HBK Maryland Room, Maryland Stacks F189.E5E44).
  2. Helman, James A. History of Emmitsburg, Maryland, with a Prelude of Historical Facts of Frederick County. (Frederick, MD: Citizen Press, 1906). (UMCP HBK Maryland Room, Maryland Stacks F189.E5H4)
  3. Williams, Thomas J.C. History of Frederick County, Maryland. (Baltimore: Regional Pub. Co., 1967). (UMCP HBK Maryland Room, Maryland Reference F187.F8W7 1967). Reprint of the original 1910 edition.
The following websites provide additional information about the people and places in this collection:
  1. John Motter Annan: http://www.emmitsburg.net/archive_list/articles/history/civil_war/coles_cavalrymen/soldiers_index.htm. Accessed October 2017.
  2. Rosa J. Stewart Annan: http://www.emmitsburg.net/archive_list/articles/people/williams_history/williams_history_j_stewart_annon.htm. Accessed October 2017.
  3. Margaret Barbour Witherow Stewart Grier: http://www.emmitsburg.net/archive_list/articles/people/fcd/withrow_family.htm. Accessed October 2017.
  4. Robert Smith Grier: http://www.emmitsburg.net/archive_list/articles/places/churches/presbyterian_church.htm. Accessed October 2017.
  5. Rock Island, IL Broadway Historic District: https://www.broadwaydistrict.org/. Accessed October 2017.

Processing Information

The materials have been placed in acid-free folders and stored in an acid-free box.

Topics

Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the John William Stewart Family papers
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Terry Ann Sayler.
Date
2006-12-01
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English

Library Details

Library Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives

http://www.lib.umd.edu/special
Contact:
University of Maryland Libraries
Hornbake Library
4130 Campus Drive
College Park Maryland 20742
301-405-9212

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