Real Lives: Alexander Stewart
Historian feature
Alexander Stewart: cabin boy, prisoner of Napoleon and Congregational minister
Our series ‘Real Lives’ seeks to put the story of the ordinary person into our great historical narrative. If you have any people that you think might also fit this category and would like to write about them, please do contact: martin.hoare@history.org.uk
Alexander Stewart’s life combined hardship, resilience and moral conviction. After running away to sea at 14, he spent ten brutal years as a prisoner in Napoleonic France, enduring hunger, violence and repeated marches while educating himself. Captivity shaped his political ideals and hatred of tyranny. Returning to Britain, he became a Congregational minister in Barnet, promoting education and civic responsibility. His manuscript reveals faith struggles and engagement with reform, reflecting the moral and political change of early nineteenth-century Britain...
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