Alexander Stewart: cabin boy, prisoner of Napoleon and Congregational minister

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...