Four volumes containing the unpublished handwritten memoirs of Lieutenant Colonel William Burton Stewart, circa 1916-1936, along with three volumes of typescript copies of the memoirs, and two family photograph albums, circa 1898-1919.

The memoirs cover Stewart’s life from his birth in Glasgow in 1872, his schooling at Loretto, Edinburgh, education at Brasenose, Oxford, and subsequent travels with Malcolm Pilkington. The friends travelled widely, including India, China, Japan and North America, before Stewart returned to Scotland. Also covered is Stewart’s service during the South African War, and his political career, before joining the contracting firm of Norton Griffiths and Co., and moving to Canada, where he lived for several years prior to 1914.

At the outbreak of the First World War Stewart went to France with the Lothians and Border Horse. He was invalided back to the UK for an operation, during which time he commenced writing his memoirs. Once recovered, Stewart returned to France, where he remained until the Armistice. Volume two covers the First World War in detail. Thereafter, the memoirs describe post-war life, commenting on events such as the General Strike, 1926, and Stewart’s business and personal life, including his continued interest in travel.

There is also a typescript copy of the first three volumes of Stewart’s autograph memoirs, ending in 1933, and a small file of miscellaneous papers removed from one of the volumes.

The first photograph album begins around 1898, and includes numerous family photographs, as well as some images from Stewart’s service in South Africa. The first half of the album also includes photographs of entertainers dressed in period costume, mostly of the 18th century. The second album has a substantial number of images relating to Stewart’s First World War service, along with earlier family photographs, and some printed ephemera.