Robert Strother Stewart

Robert Strother Stewart (16 May 1878 – 15 November 1954) was an English lawyer, colonial judge and Liberal Party politician.

Family and education Stewart was the son of the Reverend Robert Stewart MA, a Presbyterian minister from Newcastle upon Tyne. He was educated privately and then attended the University of Durham where he was a member of both Hatfield and Armstrong colleges. He gained MA, B.Litt and Bachelor of Civil Law degrees. He was a Gladstone Prizeman of the University and President of the Union. He later qualified as a barrister, was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1919 and practised on the North-Eastern Circuit. In 1945 he became one of the Chairmen of the Pensions Appeal Tribunals under the Pensions Tribunals Act, 1943. The Tribunals considered claims for pensions by members of the armed services and war-injured civilians and their families.

Colonial service From the mid-1920s Stewart took up appointments in the Colonial Legal Service. He was a magistrate, Judge of Petty Civil Court and Coroner of the County of Victoria in Trinidad from 1927–1929. and held the post until 1942. Stewart also served as a Member of the West African Court of Appeal and was Acting Chief Justice of Gold Coast Colony on various occasions.

Volunteer soldier In 1913, Stewart received a commission in the Tynemouth Royal Garrison Artillery, Territorial Force. He was Assistant to the Competent Military Authority, Tyne Garrison from 1919–20, earning a mention for valuable services. He achieved the rank of Major in the Royal Artillery, serving in the Reserve from 1921–1928.

Politics Local politics Stewart was elected as a member of the Newcastle Board of Guardians in 1909 and served until 1912. In that year he was elected to Newcastle City Council and later became a member of the Education Committee. He stayed on the council until 1924. He was one of those candidates who was awarded the Coalition Coupon but repudiated it. He stated that while he had supported the coalition government during the war, he did not want to commit himself to supporting it on every issue after the war. This did him little good, for whereas the Coalition won a great victory in 1918, Stewart made no real impression at Workington. The seat was won for Labour by the secretary of the Cumberland Miners' Association, Thomas Cape. The Unionist Lt Col D J Mason was second, Stewart finished third with an Independent candidate at the bottom of the poll.

In 1923, Stewart fought Stockton again. Watson having stood down, Stewart now faced a Conservative candidate, Harold Macmillan, the future Prime Minister, with Riley again representing Labour. In a close three-way fight Stewart just beat Macmillan by a majority of 73 votes, with Riley only about 1,000 votes behind. This pattern was repeated in Stockton. Macmillan recounted in his memoirs how moderate Liberals and some Conservatives who had voted Liberal in 1923 on the ground that Stewart was the most likely candidate to keep Labour out, were now coming over to him and how, as the days progressed, it became more and more clear it was a straight fight between him and Labour. Macmillan took the seat with 42% of the poll and a majority of 3,215 over Riley. Stewart came bottom of the poll with 25% of the votes.

Stewart did not stand for re-election to the House of Commons again.

Other interests Stewart listed his recreations as music, acting and stamp collecting but he clearly had a penchant for football too. He was a director of Newcastle United F.C. from 1915–1927.

Death Stewart died at his home in Archbold Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne on 15 November 1954 aged 76 years.