Hugh Stewart

Hugh Stewart, (1 September 1884 – 21 September 1934) was an academic, soldier and historian whose work had a major impact in both England and New Zealand.

Born in Scotland, Stewart worked in Russia teaching English after completing his education. He then taught classical studies at the University of Liverpool in England and then at Canterbury College in Christchurch, New Zealand. During the First World War, he volunteered for service abroad with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He participated in several engagements at Gallipoli and on the Western Front, and was decorated for bravery and leadership. He ended the war as a lieutenant colonel commanding a battalion of the Canterbury Infantry Regiment, having also led briefly the 2nd Infantry Brigade.

After the war, Stewart wrote a history of the New Zealand Division, which was published in 1921 and was its main reference work for several decades. He resumed his teaching career at Canterbury College but in 1926 returned to England, as a professor of Latin at the University of Leeds. In 1929, he became the principal of University College of Nottingham. He died suddenly in 1934 while in transit to England after a holiday in New Zealand.

Early life and teaching career Stewart was born on 1 September 1884 in Premnay, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, to John Stewart, a Presbyterian minister and Margaret Mackintosh. He was educated at the local public school in Premnay. An excellent student, he earned a scholarship to Fettes College at Edinburgh. In 1903, he attended the University of Edinburgh and then transferred to Trinity College, Cambridge, from which he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1907, majoring in Classical Studies. During his tertiary education he also served in the Territorial Force as a lieutenant in the 6th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool).

Stewart spent the next two years working in Russia as a tutor, teaching English. He learned Russian and wrote a book describing his experiences and the country, Provincial Russia. Returning to England, he took up an appointment as Assistant Lecturer in Classics at the University of Liverpool. In 1912, he accepted a professorship teaching classics at Canterbury College, in Christchurch, New Zealand. At the college, later to become the University of Canterbury, he acquired a reputation for his energy and wit. In his leisure time, he often went climbing in the Southern Alps.

Postwar life Stewart was commissioned by the New Zealand Government to write a history of the New Zealand Division and its service on the Western Front as part of the Official History of New Zealand's Effort in the Great War. He began work on the first draft in January 1919, while still in England. He returned to New Zealand in December that year and resumed his pre-war teaching position at Canterbury College, while continuing work on his history. The final result, titled The New Zealand Division 1916 – 1919: A Popular History Based on Official Records, was published in 1921 and was the primary reference for New Zealand's contribution to the campaign on the Western Front for several decades. Prior to its publication, Stewart's wife died shortly after giving birth to a son. He was survived by his third wife and his three children.