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."
This collection is open for research.
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.
49 Items
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.
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.
This collection has been divided into two series.
The University of Maryland Libraries purchased the John William Stewart Family papers from Carmen D. Valentino, a rare books and manuscripts dealer, in 2006.
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.
The materials have been placed in acid-free folders and stored in an acid-free box.
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives