Charles Bellinger Tate Stewart (February 6, 1806 – July 1, 1885) was an American-born pharmacist, doctor, and political leader in the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Mex ...

. He was born in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

, but moved to Texas in 1830. Stewart was a delegate from the Municipality of

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

to the

Convention of 1836 The Convention of 1836 was the meeting of elected delegates in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas in March 1836. The Texas Revolution had begun five months previously, and the interim government, known as the Consultation, had wavered over whether ...

where he signed the

Texas Declaration of Independence The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and was formal ...

from Mexico. He was a member of the committee that drafted the

Constitution of the Republic of Texas The Constitution of the Republic of Texas was the supreme law of Texas from 1836 to 1845. On March 2, 1836, Texas declared itself an independent republic because of a lack of support in the United States for the Texas Revolution. The declaration ...

. On March 8, 1836, two days after

The Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Anto ...

fell, Stewart absented himself from the Convention for a few days to get married. On March 11, 1836, he married Julia Shepperd in the Lake Creek Settlement. Stewart returned to the Convention on March 16, 1836 and signed the Constitution of the Republic of Texas on March 17, 1836. He moved to

Montgomery, Texas Montgomery is a city located in Montgomery County, Texas. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 1,948. History The town of Montgomery was founded in the middle of the Lake Creek Settlement by W. W. Shepperd in July 1837 on 20 ...

in 1837 and later attended the state constitutional convention of 1845. He represented Montgomery County in the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...

. Some have claimed that Stewart is either the designer of the flag or drew the image used by the Third Congress when enacting the legislation adopting the flag. "Accompanying the original Act ... is a drawing by Peter Krag of the national flag and seal ... although in the original President Lamar's approval and signature are at the top and upside down Charles A. Spain, Jr.
The Flags and Seals of Texas.
'"'' South Tex. Law Rev. 33(1992): 215-259. However, Stewart's drawing "looks suspiciously like a tracing of the Peter Krag art, including the upside down signature of President Lamar." On April 21, 2011, a bust of Dr. Charles B. Stewart was unveiled at the ceremony dedicating the Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park in Conroe, Montgomery County, Texas.

References

External links

Charles B. Stewart
in the

Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...

*
B. Stewart Bust'
1806 births 1885 deaths Members of the Texas House of Representatives 19th-century American politicians People from Montgomery, Texas Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence {{Texas-politician-stub