Sir Robert Stewart (died c.1670) was a Scottish soldier who twice served as

Governor of Londonderry The Governor of Londonderry and Culmore was a British military appointment. The Governor was the officer who commanded the garrison and fortifications of the city of Derry and of Culmore fort. The Governor was paid by The Honourable The Irish So ...

Biography

Robert probably was the fourth son of

Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney and Lord of Zetland (Shetland) (spring of 1533 – 4 February 1593) was a recognised illegitimate son of James V, King of Scotland, and his mistress Eupheme Elphinstone. Robert Stewart was half-brother to M ...

and his wife Jean Kennedy. Although details of his origins in Scotland are unclear, he accompanied

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) *James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) *James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu *James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...

to England in 1603 and in 1609 was deputed to escort 800 troublesome followers of the fugitive

Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone Hugh O'Neill (Irish: ''Aodh Mór Ó Néill''; literally ''Hugh The Great O'Neill''; – 20 July 1616), was an Irish Gaelic lord, Earl of Tyrone (known as the Great Earl) and was later created ''The Ó Néill Mór'', Chief of the Name. O'Nei ...

to Sweden. It is doubtful whether the task was satisfactorily executed as he was detained in

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

later that year, accompanied by three ships of Irishmen. He was nevertheless given permission to enter the service of

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus (9 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">N.S_19_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/now ...

. He remained abroad until c. 1617 after which he was given a grants of land in counties Leitrim, Cavan, and Fermanagh. He again left for the continent this time to fight in the service of

Sigismund III of Poland Sigismund III Vasa ( pl, Zygmunt III Waza, lt, Žygimantas Vaza; 20 June 1566 – 30 April 1632 N.S.) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587 to 1632 and, as Sigismund, King of Sweden and Grand Duke of Finland from 1592 t ...

and in 1637 was given permission to recruit soldiers in Ireland to fight for the Swedish crown. In 1638, he was appointed governor of

Culmore Culmore () is a village and townland in Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is at the mouth of the River Foyle. In the 2011 Census it had a population of 3,465 people. It is situated within Derry and Strabane district. History ...

Castle on Lough Foyle, which commanded the seaward approaches to the city of Londonderry and was elected in February, 1639 to represent the city in the Irish parliament. After the outbreak of the

Irish Rebellion of 1641 The Irish Rebellion of 1641 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1641) was an uprising by Irish Catholics in the Kingdom of Ireland, who wanted an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and to partially or fully reverse the plantatio ...

he was commissioned by

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

to raise a regiment in Ireland, with which he managed to relieve Captain Audley Mervyn at Augher. They were unsuccessful in preventing

Sir Phelim O'Neill Sir Phelim Roe O'Neill of Kinard ( Irish: ''Sir Féilim Rua Ó Néill na Ceann Ard''; 1604–1653) was an Irish politician and soldier who started the Irish rebellion in Ulster on 23 October 1641. He joined the Irish Catholic Confederat ...

from capturing Strabane but managed to secure the Barony of Raphoe which helped to guarantee the safety of Londonderry. Lack of support from England or Dublin meant that Stewart was forced to exhaust his own resources, and in the following spring his men were reduced to great extremities. Nevertheless, he and Sir William Stewart defeated Sir Phelim O'Neill at Glenmaquin, near Raphoe on 16 June 1642. In 1643 Stewart was briefly made

in addition to Culmore. He continued on the offensive and in a skirmish near Clones on 13 June 1642 overpowered

Owen Roe O'Neill Owen Roe O'Neill (Irish: ''Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill;'' – 1649) was a Gaelic Irish soldier and one of the most famous of the O'Neill dynasty of Ulster. O'Neill left Ireland at a young age and spent most of his life as a mercenary in the Spanish ...

. After the collapse of the Royalist cause in Ireland Stewart returned to Scotland but at the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

was given a company of foot and reappointed Governor of Londonderry as a reward for his services. He was replaced as Governor of Londonderry in 1661 by Colonel John Gorges, but allowed to retain the governorship of Culmore until his death in about 1670.

References

* ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Robert, Sir Date of birth uncertain 1670s deaths Scottish soldiers Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Londonderry constituencies Irish MPs 1639–1649