Friday, March 22, 2019
Revised 2019 Steele Brothers of Georgia Genealogy And Time Line
The Steele Brothers of Georgia
Genealogy
and Time Line Revised March 19, 2019
1850 -1939
Walter Simon Steele, father of the Steele Brothers, Henry County, GA and owner of a cotton gin and country store,
Luella Henry County, GA where the Steele Brothers were born.
1823 -1864 Robert
Roy Steele, born in
Charleston, SC, arrived in Henry Co GA with his mother, Martha Smith Steele, about
1835, He owned his own farm, died due to illness as a Civil War Soldier.
1797 - 1838 William George Steele, born in Fairfield County SC, was a successful
lumber merchant in Charleston, SC. He built
a 4,000 sq ft historic mansion at 89 Beaufain St, Charleston, South Carolina.
1761 – 1826 James Steele, born in Newton, Northern Ireland,
immigrated with his family at age 8 to Charleston, SC in 1794 under the Bounty
Act of SC aboard the Brigantine Ship Chichester. Died 1826
1720 – 1794 Robert Joseph Steele, born in Newton, Northern Ireland,
immigrated with his family to Charleston SC in 1794 as head of household under
the Bounty Act of SC aboard the Brigantine Ship Chichester. He was awarded money, tools and 350 acres of
land in Fairfield County, SC to immigrate and help establish new settlements at
least 100 miles inland from Charleston. He died in 1794.
1694 – 1722 William Steele, born in Newton, Northern Ireland, had
one son, Robert Joseph Steele.
1670 – 1729 Sir Richard William Steele was born in Dublin, Ireland. Both of his parents died when he and his 2
brothers were very young. Richard was
adopted by his Uncle Henry Gascoigne who made certain Richard got an extensive education. Richard
became a very famous writer, poet, and politician and published the first
magazine in Britain. He was knighted in 1715 when he
returned to Parliament. His life and work has been extensively
published.
1638 – 1709 Richard Steele was born in Yorkshire, England, a lawyer.
He and his wife died early and left 3 young sons, including Sir Richard Steele
who was adopted by his Uncle.
1610 – 1680 William Steele, a lawyer, was born in the moated house
Giddy Hall at Sandbach, Cheshire, England. He was well educated and admitted to
Gray’s Inn and educated at Cambridge. He
was a Member of Parliament, Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer and held many
positions of honor. In 1655 he was appointed Lord
Chancellor of Ireland and Keeper of the
Great Seal of Ireland, meaning he was sent to Ireland to
organize a British Colony. This is when
the Steele Family moved from England to Ireland and became English/Irish.
1580 – 1645 Richard Steele, William Steele’s father was born at
Beeston Castle in Sandbach, Cheshire England.
The family vacated the Castle when it was taken in a battle with the
Scottish Army in 1643 when his brother was shot. The family moved to Giddy Hall in Sandbach,
Cheshire England.
1540 -1607 Thomas Steele, parents of Richard Steele, born in
Sandbach, Cheshire, England. He was a
Yeoman and lived in Weston, Chester Co. His son, Capt. Thomas Steele, was Governor of
Beeston Castle, was shot to death in 1643 for surrendering it to the Royalist
during the war of 3 Kingdoms when the Scottish Army attach the area.
1520 – 1595 John Steele ,
father of Thomas Steele, as born in England and died in Fairsted, in the
Braintree District of Essex England, a community
of farming hamlets. Many Steele’s of
Georgia were farmers.
The Steele Brothers of Georgia Genealogy
The surname
Steele is a name whose history begins in 1066 with the Norman Conquest of England.
This Norman name was used for a person who was strong or reliable. The surname
Steele is a metaphor likening the constitution of its bearer to the hard metal
of the same name. Originally, the
surname Steele was first found in Cheshire, England where they held a family seat from
very early times where they were Lords of the manor of Giddy Hall near
Sandbach, and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy,
their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings
in 1066 A.D. They were conjectural descended from Bigot de Loges, a Norman
noble who attended King William at the Battle of Hastings.
The Domesday Book shows
a place named Steel, in the
Hodnet hundred, held by Roger de Courseulles.
The Parents of the 6 Steele Brothers of
Georgia
1850 Walter
Simeon Steele was
born in Henry County, GA. He married Lucy
Ellender “Ellen” Butler. They are
the parents of The Six Steele Brothers
of Georgia and 3 girls. Walter
Simeon Steele operated a cotton gin and country store in Luella, Henry County,
GA.
Walter and
Ellen Steele’s 9 children: Dora Eddie born 1871; Robert Butler born 1874;
Minnie Annie born 1877; Claudie born
1880; Wallace born 1882; Walter Grady born 1888; Henry Keller born 1892; Morton Charlie born 1894; Tom Mitchell born 1897
1823 Robert
Roy Steele , 1823- 1864, Walter Simon Steele’s father,
was born in Charleston, SC and died on
February 4, 1864 in Henry County, GA from an illness he received as a Civil War
soldier. In 1848 he married Mary Ann Eddelman 1832 - 1939. When Robert fell ill, Mary Ann drove her
wagon to SC to bring him home to Henry County, GA. where he made a death bed
Will to bequeathing everything to his wife.
Robert and
Mary Ann Steele’s’ 4 children:
Walter Simeon 1796 – 1832; Josephine
“Joanna” 1853; George Hill 1858; Sarah “Bobbie” 1863; Sarah Steele 1864
1797 William George Steele Robert Roy Steele’s father, was born on Oct
12, 1796 in Fairfield County, SC. Died May 17, 1839. 1st marriage - In 1816 married
Martha Smith 1800 - 1863 in Fairfield County, SC.
In 1815 William
Steele purchased a large lot for $1,500 from Dr Samuel Wilson
, part of the
Mazyck Lands. William Steele built a 3
story 4,000 square foot regency style Charleston single plan mansion at 89
Beaufain Street where their children were born. The house is still standing and
is on the National Historic Register, known as The William Steele House. William imported marble and slate from Europe
and had hand carved mortised woodwork and 6 carved marble fireplace facades for
the house. After William’s death in 1939, the house
deteriorated. In early 2000 the house was purchased and a 7 year restoration was done.
It recently sold for about $2.3 million.
 |
| 89 Beaufain Street Charleston, SC |
William and Martha Steele’s children:
Henry Smith
Steele 1821 -1858 married Elizabeth Ann Pair , sisters
William G
Steele, Jr 1822 – 1890 married Julia Ann Pair, sisters
Robert Roy Steele 1823 – 1864, Direct
Ancestor, Civil War
Soldier, M. Mary Ann Eddleman
Martha Jane
Steele born 1829- 1896 d. in Alabama
E. Cornelia
Steele 1832 -
2nd
Marriage – About 1835 William married Eliza R Steele who died January 1844. William and Eliza Steele had one son, Edward
C Steele, who died about 1856.
Around 1835,
Martha and William’s life took a bad turn.
Records indicate they separated, he remarried and Martha Steele and her
children moved to Henry County, GA
near Martha’s relatives. Martha and her Sons, Robert and
Henry Steele, purchased 303 acres of farm land Lot # 62, in the 7th
District, Mount Carmel area of Henry County, GA including a house, household
goods, animals and tools. Martha Steele’s move to Henry County, GA was
the beginning of The Steele’s of Georgia. The Steele families still reside in the
Mount Carmel area of Henry County, GA.
The burial site of William G Steele has not
been found but the historic Old Bethel United Methodist Church then at 57 Pitt Street,
near William’s sawdust pit, is thought to be the burial site. William paid for the burial of his slave,
Abraham, at this church. It was founded
in 1797 and slaves were allowed to attend church but sit in the balcony. In 1852 the black community wanted their own
church, so this building was moved across the street to 222 Calhoun St. The New
Bethel Church was constructed on the old site at 57 Pitt Street. When the church needed more parking spaces,
they decided to pave over the old cemetery.
First, efforts were made to identify the broken and deteriorated grave
stones, before scattering hem about and propping them along the fence. Many grave markers had deteriorated into the
soil and burial records were lost. A
monument was placed to honor the souls resting under and around the asphalt. It is believed this is William George Steele’s
final resting place.
1761 James Steele William
G Steele’s father was born in Newton, Northern Ireland. At age 8, he arrived in Charleston, SC with
his family aboard the Brigantine Ship Chichester on January 5, 1768. His father immigrated under the Bounty Act of
SC and was awarded 350 acres to establish a homestead in Fairfield County,
SC. At his father’s death, James
inherited his 350 acres of land which he sold.
James married Elizabeth Ann Carr 1760 – 1824 and they had 7 children. James died July 17, 1826 in Fairfield County,
SC
The children
of James and Elizabeth Ann Steele: Robert Steele 1789 – 1862 moved to Alabama
and Louisiana; Jane Steele 1789 – 1806; Sarah Steele 1790 – 1847; Ann Steele
1792 –; Henry Steele 1795 – 1806 – moved to Alabama; William Steele 1797 -1839 ** moved to Charleston, SC; John
Steele 1798 -1857 moved to Bibb County, AL; Margaret Steele 1802 -1850; James P
Steele 1803 -1880 moved to Bibb County, AL; Elizabeth Steele 1807 – 1907
The Steele Family
Arrived in Charleston, SC on January 5, 1768
Aboard the Brigantine
Ship Chichester
1720 Robert Joseph Steele, James Steele’s father, was born in
Newton Enniskillen, County Fermanagh,
Northern Ireland. He married Margaret Ingrid Hubbard 1722 –
1768. The 4 children of Robert “Steil”
and Margaret Ingrid Hubbard: Nellie
Steele 1755 – 1756; James ”Steil”
Steele 1761 – 1826 ** Ancestor; Henry Steele 1764 – 1781; Elizabeth Steele 1765 - 1766
1768 – January 5 Robert
Joseph Steele age 48 arrived in Charleston, SC aboard the Brigantine
Ship Chichester that had sailed from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He and his family immigrated under the Bounty Act of South Carolina for which
he was awarded money, farm tools and 350 acres in Fairfield County, SC just
north of Columbia, SC to create a homestead.
He died there Jan 5, 1794. The
Bounty Act was a SC plan to persuade English speaking Protestants to immigrate
to the New World and establish settlements 100 miles or more west of Charleston
on newly opened lands. They preferred the
strong hard working English,
Irish and Scots who desired their own land and were willing to defend
themselves from the Native American Indians of the back country.
1693 William
Steele (1693 – 1722) Robert Joseph Steele’s Parents. William was
born in Newton, Roscommon, Northern Ireland. William married Eleanor Daril 1695 – 1794.
William and Eleanor both died in 1722.They had one son: Robert Joseph Steele born in Ireland (1719
– 1794) *** Direct Ancestor
1671 - Sir Richard Steele was William Steele’s Father
was
a Very Famous Writer, Poet and
Politician
c.1712, National Portrait Gallery, London
 |
| Sir Richard Steele |
He was born March 12, 1671 in St
Bridgets, Dublin, Ireland and died 9-1-1729 at Carmarthenshire, Wales. He had an English father and Irish mother.
At age 5, in 1709, he was devastated by the
death of his father, Richard Steele, a lawyer and mother
Elina Symes in 1710. Richard was
sent to live with his uncle Henry Gascoigne, a member of the Protestant gentry
and Lady Katherine Mildma. His Uncle
Henry made sure that young Richard Steele received a high standard of
education.
1705 - 1st marriage
- Margaret Stretch,
1665 – 1706, an elderly and propertied widow. She left Sir Richard her inherited Estate in
Barbados, which he sold, and an annual income of 850 £. Richard and Margaret had one child,
Elizabeth, who married 3rd Baron John Trevor. At Margaret’s funeral Richard met his future
wife Mary Scurlock.
|
|
Children of Sir Richard and Mary Scurlock
-
William Steele 1693 – 1722 (Direct Ancestor **)
Andrew Steele 1706- was a Captain in
the Revolutionary War in Kentucky
Pvt Samuel Steele Sr 1709–1790
BIRTH 1709 • Augusta, Virginia, United States
DEATH 16 FEB 1790 • Waynesboro, Augusta, Virginia, United States Pvt Samuel
Steele 1709, died in Waynesboro, Augusta, VA. He and his sons James and Samuel served in
Revolutionary War with the Rockbridge Co VA Militia 1778 – 1779,
Buried Old
Providence ARP Church
cemetery
 |
| Honoring the soldiers of the Revolutionary war and The War of 1812. There are 7 Steele solders listed who are thought to be descendants of Sir Richard Steele |
Martha Steele 1711-1730
Robert Steele 1717- 1800
Elizabeth Steele 3-26-1709 Born at St Bridges, Dublin, Ireland -
daughter by Mary Scurlock
Sir Richard
Steele’s children were born at different locations due to his travels and being
known to love a good time which cause stress in his marriage. Some of his
children’s names are not known, but during his retirement at his Wales estate
he mentions his beautiful young daughters whom he was schooling and teaching.
Sir Richard Steele’s education and career was extensive: Beginning
at Charterhouse School where he met his writing partner Addison; Christ Church
in Oxford; Merton College at Oxford; joined the Life Guards of the Household
Cavalry; 1697 commissioned Captain of the 34th Foot in 2 years and
left the Army 1705. Sir Richard Steele
became a well published author, writer, poet, dramatist, essayist, and publisher
of the first true magazine in Britain. He published the first
weekly magazine in England, “The
Spectator”, “The Tatler” and “The
Guardian” and others.
“Sir Richard appears to be similar to
America’s Mark Twain who also wrote political satire.” Refer to the Biography of Sir Richard Steele at the end of this document.
His gathering of political news and gossip
itinerary to the pubs of Scotland, Ireland and England frequently kept him
absent from home which caused a stormy marriage. He wrote over 400 love letters to “Prue”
Mary on a daily basis which she kept and cherished. The letters are preserved in the British Museum
and are celebrated as the first full written account of a loving
relationship.
Mary had a townhouse on Bury Street, St James
and a house in Carmarthen, Wales. Sir
Richard bought a house for her at Hampton Court. Mary sometimes drove her own chariot pulled
by four horses. Sir Richard and Mary had
many servants in their households.
He was Knighted as Sir Richard Steele in
February 1715 when he re-entered
Parliament representing Borough Bridge in Yorkshire.
Sir Richard was
in London when he began to suffer from gout and failing health. Mary’s health too was failing while staying
in Hampton Court. Mary died the day
after Christmas 1718 and is buried at Westminster Abbey in the Poet’s
Corner.
After Mary’s
death, Sir Richard traveled to Scotland where he was entertained by the local
people and he studied the Presbyterian religion. He came back to London where he wrote a
comedy play “Conscious Lovers” thought
to be about his gay friends, and he built the Drury Lane Theatre for the
performance.
Sir Richard
retired to Carmarthen, Wales to the home he received from Mary. He delighted in schooling and entertaining
his 2 young daughters. After 3 years of
retirement he died on Sept 1, 1729 at age 58 and is buried in the chancel of St
Peter’s Church in Caermarthen, Wales.
A more appropriate burial would have been at Westminster Abby next to
his beloved Mary, but Dr. Hoadley, a very close friend of Sir Richard and
Bishop of Bangor, Wales became the Executor of Sir Richard’s estate and
Guardian of Sir Richard’s children. He
decided that Sir Richard’s burial to be at the 13th Century St
Peter’s Church in the Scurlock family vault.
Note: Sir Richard Steele’s biography is published
at the end of this document. His
writings are widely publicized in internet encyclopedias and many publications.
 |
| Sir Richard' House - Langunnor, Wales |
Sir Richard's House at Langunnor near Carmarthen Wales where he died in 1729.
It became the Bush Hotel, the principal Inn of the town at that time.
 |
| St Peter's Church Carmarthen, Wales |
St Peter's Church, Carmarthen Wales
Sir Richard Steele's Burial Place. The church was built in the 13th Century.
 |
| The Sir Richard Steele Pub 97 Haverstock Hill - London |
1638 Richard
Steele 1638 – 8-25-1709 (Direct
Ancestor**
and Elina Symes 1653 – 1710 Sir Richard Steele’s Parents
Richard Steele, a lawyer, born in Yorkshire, England, Baptized
5-2-1639 in Yorkshire Carlton juxta Saith and died at Hatten Garden, London,
England. At age 32 in 1670 he married Elina Symes 1650 – 1710 in Dublin, Ireland.
He died Aug 25, 1709 at age 71 at Hatten Garden, London and is buried at
St Andrew, Holborn, London, England.
Richard and Elina Steele died within one year of each other and left 3
young sons who were born in Newton, Northern Ireland.
They were:
1718 Richard Thomas Steele; 1719 Robert Joseph; Sir Richard Steele (1671 – 1729 Direct
Ancestor ** adopted by his Uncle Henry Gascoigne and Lady Katherine Mildma.
1610 William
Steele (1610 – 1680) *** Direct Ancestor
Richard Steele’s (1638) Parents
William Steele was born in the moated house Giddy Hall at Sandbach,
Cheshire, England on August 19, 1610 and married Elizabeth Godfrey (1613 –
1729) on March 15, 1638 at Elmsted,
Kent, England.
William was baptized
August 19, 1610 at Sandbach, Cheshire, England.
William was moved by his father to Finchley in Middlesex, where he
resided in 1631, the year he was admitted to Gray’s Inn a professional
association for barristers and judges in London. He was educated at Caius College at the University
of Cambridge.
 |
| Gray's Inn - London |
known as
Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court of professional associations for
barristers and judges in London. To be called to the Bar and practice as a
barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these
Inns. The Inn is both a professional
body and a provider of office and chambers for many barristers. It is ruled by
a governing council called "Pension", made up of the Masters of the
Bench and led by the Treasurer, who is elected to serve a one-year term. The
Inn is known for its gardens, or Walks, which have existed since at least 1597.
William Steele –
The Lord Chancellor of Ireland William
Steele’s
Professional Accomplishments
June 23, 1637 he was called to the Bar
1639 -
returned as Member of Parliament,
appointed a member of the Committee for Martial Law
Aug 17, 1644 -1649 appointed by Parliament for the
execution of martial law presiding over
many cases
Aug 25, 1649, Recorder
of London, England and took part in many trials and made Sergeant-at-law
Feb 9, 1653 Lord
Chief Baron of the Exchequer
June 1644 - William, being a lawyer of distinction,
leased for 7 years or purchased the Bidston Estate in Cheshire from the Earl of
Derby, a free holder and owner of Newton’s Tenement.
1655 – Made Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer
May 28, 1655 - appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland
and Keeper of the Great Seal of Ireland
This is when The Steele
Family migrated to Ireland
After the fall
of Richard Cromwell, William Steele was one of 5 Commissioners appointed in 1659 to
govern Ireland.
At the end of
the year he returned to England but refused a committee of safety position due
to poor health. It is said he
retired to Holland Ireland for a short time, but returned to England.
He died Sept
or Oct 1680 – at Hatten Garden,
Middlesex, England. His
Will dated Sept 17 and proved Oct 19, 1680 in London. He left his 2nd wife Mary 4000£, jewels,
furniture, and house in Hatton Garden.
His sons William and Benjamin Steele were included in hiss estate in Sandbach described on March
28, 1663 as having 5 cottages, 4 gardens, 4 orchards, 140 acres of land, 50
acres meadow, 160 acres pasture and 40 acres of moor and are now part of the
Crewe Estate. William Steele, Esq. was
donor to Sandbach Grammar School and articles to the church donated by Laurence
Steele, his brother.
1st Marriage – to Elizabeth
Godfrey March 15, 1638
Elmstead Co, Kent, daughter of Richard Godfrey
of Wyle County, Kent
The one child of William
Steele and Elizabeth Godfrey -
- Richard Steele – 1638 – 1709 born in
Yorkshire, England (***Direct Ancestor)
and father of Sir Richard Steele
2nd Marriage – to Mary
Mellish, widow of Michael Harvey Mellish - she
had 3 sons: Richard, William and
Benjamin.
Children of
William and Mary Steele:
- William
Steele 1680
- Benjamin
Steele died Sept 23, 1705 at Hatton
Garden, London intestate - married Mary who died Sept 27, 1705, buried at St Andrews, Holborn, 10- 1, 170.
One child Mary Steel, m. married John Johnson and she died 7-19- 1757.
- Elizabeth
Steele, buried at St Michan’s in Dublin, Ireland on March 15, 1657
-These children were born in Ireland but dates of birth were not
found: - Ephraim Steele - James Steele - John Steele - Joseph Steele - Ninian Steele - Thomas Steele -
William Steele - Samuel Steele
1580 -Richard
Steele (1580 – 1645 William Steele’s
(1610) parents.
Richard Steele
of Sandbach, Cheshire England was born at Beeston Castle. He was baptized on July 23, 1581 at Redmarley
D’Abitot, Worcestershire, England, an area near the Cotswold Hills with red
clay and a prominent Parish.
1st Marriage -On Feb 10, 1601 Richard Steele married Cicely Shaw (1581 – 1618).
Children of Richard Steele and Cicely
Shaw and/or Ann Smith
- William Steele - Lord
Chancellor of Ireland b. Aug 19, 1610 -1680, *** Direct Ancestor
- Lawrence
Steele Baptized July 12, 1616. Clerk of
the Irish House of Commons 1662 – 1697.
His daughter Mary Steele d 1673, married George Boddington (1646 –
1719), a director of the Bank of England
- Dorothy Steele
Baptized Aug 30, 1618
2nd Marriage – Ann, Smith, a widow, – Will dated Feb
15, 1649.
-Anna Steele 1603
– 1603
-Isabella Steele
Baptized Oct 14, 1604 - d. Sept 11, 1608
-Alice Steele
Baptized Oct 11, 1607
The family vacated the Castle when it was
taken over in a battle with the Scottish Army on Dec 13, 1643 when his brother
Thomas was shot. He then lived in a
house with a moat called Giddy Hall in Sandbach and in 1631 he was
living at Finchley, Co Middlesex.
Richard died June 2, 1645 in Sandbach, Cheshire, England, at age 85.
1540 Thomas Steele (1540 – died 5-28-1607) England - Parents of Richard Steele (1580) was born in Sandbach, Cheshire,
England. He married Alice Latham
1536-1561 in 1557
He died May 28,
1607 in England. He was a Yeoman and
lived in Weston, Chester County.
1565 – His Mother was Alice Steele (1536 – 1607) who died in Sandbach,
Cheshire, England
Children
of Thomas and Alice Steele
Richard
Steele 1580 – 1645) of Sandbach,
Cheshire, England *** Direct Ancestor
George
Steele (1561 – 1567)
 |
| Beeston Castle |
Captain Thomas Steele was the Governor of
Beeston Castle and was
shot to death on January 29, 1643 for surrendering it to the Royalist during
the War of three Kingdoms when the Scottish Army swept into the area but were
defeated. Beeston Castle sits on an
isolated sandstone rock, 366 feet high, was built as a fortress. In 1228 it became a garrison between Henry
III and his barons with 328 people. The
Steele family lived in Giddy Hall a
“moated house” in Sandbach located near Manchester and Liverpool.
Gidea Hall in Romford c. 1930 pictured before demolition in 1930.
 |
| "Giddy" Gidea Hall |
It is now the site of the Gidea Park Lawn Tennis Club. Gidea Hall is reported to be the ancestral manor home “Giddy” of the Steele’s of Sandbach. Giddy Manor had a moat and the birthplace of William Steele (1610-1680), son of Richard Steele of Sandbach (1560-1645), and whose grandson was Sir Richard Steele (1672–1729) the famous writer.
 |
| 7th Century Saxon Crosses Commemorating Christianity |
1520
John Steele 1520 – 1595 and Mary Brorcith 1520 – The parents of Thomas Steele (1540)
John Steele and Mary Brorcith had one son: Thomas 1540 – 1607 (**Direct Ancestor)
John Steele was born in England in 1520 and died at age 75 January 10,
1595 in Fairsted, Essex, England in the Braintree
district of Essex northeast of London and a community of farming hamlets, maybe the true origin of why so many future
Steele generations becoming excellent
farmers.
h g
Sir Richard Steele Biography
Sir Richard Steele was Baptized 12 March 1672 – 1
September 1729– 1 September 1729) was an Irish writer,
playwright, and politician, remembered as co-founder, with his friend Joseph
Addison, of the magazine The Tatler
Steele
was born in Dublin, Ireland
in March 1672 to Richard Steele, an attorney, and Elinor Symes (née Sheyles);
his sister Katherine was born the previous year. Steele was largely raised by
his uncle and aunt, Henry Gascoigne and Lady Katherine Mildmay. A member
of the Protestant gentry, he was educated at Charterhouse School, where he first met
Addison. After starting at Christ Church, Oxford, he went on to Merton College, Oxford, then joined
the Life Guards of the Household
Cavalry in order to support King William's wars
against France. He was commissioned in 1697, and rose to the rank of
captain within two years.[2]Steele
left the army in 1705, perhaps due to the death of the 34th Foot's commanding
officer, Lord Lucas, which limited his
opportunities of promotion.
In
1706 Steele was appointed to a position in the household of Prince George of Denmark, consort of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. He also
gained the favor of Robert Harley, Earl
of Oxford.
In
politics Steele became a Whig Member of Parliament in 1713,
for Stockbridge.[3] He
was soon expelled for issuing a pamphlet in favor of the Hanoverian succession. When George I of Great Britain came to
the throne in the following year, Steele was knighted and given responsibility
for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London. He
returned to parliament in 1715, for Boroughbridge.
While
at Drury Lane, Steele wrote and directed the sentimental comedy The Conscious Lovers, which was an
immediate hit. However, he fell out with Addison and with the administration
over the Peerage Bill (1719), and in 1724 he retired to his second wife's
homeland of Wales,
where he spent the remainder of his life.
Steele was a member of the Kit-Kat
Club. Both Steele and Addison became closely associated with Child's
Coffee-house in St Paul's Churchyard.
Steele
remained in Carmarthen after his wife Mary's death, and was buried there,
at St Peter's Church. During restoration
of the church in 2000, his skull was discovered in a lead casket, having
previously been accidentally disinterred during the 1870s.
Works: Steele's first published work, The
Christian Hero (1701), attempted to point out the differences between
perceived and actual masculinity. Written while Steele served in the army, it
expressed his idea of a pamphlet of moral instruction. The Christian
Hero was ultimately ridiculed for what some thought was hypocrisy
because Steele did not necessarily follow his own preaching. He was
criticized for publishing a booklet about morals when he himself enjoyed
drinking, occasional dueling, and debauchery around town.
Publications: Of the 271 essays published in The
Tatler, Joseph Addison (left) wrote 42, Richard Steele (right) wrote
roughly 188, and the rest were collaborations between the two writers.
The
Tatler, Steele's first journal, first came out on 12 April 1709, and
appeared three times a week: on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Steele
wrote this periodical under the pseudonym Isaac
Bickerstaff and gave Bickerstaff an entire, fully developed
personality.
Steele
described his motive in writing The Tatler as "to expose
the false arts of life, to pull off the disguises of cunning, vanity, and
affectation, and to recommend a general simplicity in our dress, our discourse,
and our behavior". Steele founded the magazine, and although he and
Addison collaborated, Steele wrote the majority of the essays; Steele wrote
roughly 188 of the 271 totals and Addison 42, with 36 representing the pair's
collaborative works. While Addison contributed to The Tatler, it is
widely regarded as Steele's work.
The
Tatler was
closed down to avoid the complications of running a Whig publication that had
come under Tory attack .Addison and Steele then founded The Spectator in 1711 and also
the Guardian in 1713.
Family
In
1705, Steele married a widow, Margaret Stretch, who died in the following year.
At her funeral he met his second wife, Mary
Scurlock, whom he nicknamed "Prue" and married in 1707. In the
course of their courtship and marriage, he wrote over 400 letters to her. Mary
died in 1718, at a time when she was considering separation. Their daughter,
Elizabeth (Steele's only surviving legitimate child), married John Trevor, 3rd Baron
Trevor. Steele had an illegitimate child, Elizabeth Ousley, whom he later
adopted.
In
literature: Steele plays a minor role
in the novel The History of Henry Esmond by William Makepeace Thackeray. It is during his time with the Life Guards,
where he is mostly referred to as Dick the Scholar and makes mention of his
friend "Joe Addison". Thackeray depicts Steele in glowing terms as a
warm, generous, talented mentor who befriends the title character in his youth
and his friends despite their political differences.
By J. Steele Posted 3/22/2019
Resources:
Ancestry.com
Google Research
FamilySearch.org
State of Georgia Archives
Nash Farm Battlefield Museum, Hampton, GA
State of South Carolina Archives
Charleston, SC Library History Room
South Carolina Historical Society, Charleston
Fairfield County, SC
History Museum
Henry County History Museum, McDonough, GA
“First Families of Henry County Georgia”
by
Joseph Henry Hightower Moore Copyright 1993
Personal Tour of Ireland and Northern Ireland
Charleston County, SC Property Deed Records
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