Harriet Starr Stewart
Harriet Starr Stewart | |
|---|---|
 Stewart c. 1885 | |
| Born | 3 April 1862 Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, British North America (now Canada) |
| Died | 1 November 1931 (aged 69) Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
Resting place | Sackville Rural Cemetery |
| Education | Mount Allison College, BA 1882, MA 1885 |
| Occupations | |
Harriet Starr Stewart (3 April 1862 — 1 November 1931) was a Canadian Methodist philanthropist and editor, known for being the first woman in Canada and the British Empire to earn a Bachelor of Arts.[1][2]
Early life and education
Stewart was born on 3 April 1862 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia to Rev Charles Stewart (1827–1910), a Methodist Clergyman, and Harriet Augusta Stewart (née Starr: 1822–1893).[1][3] Stewart was the third of four siblings.[3]
In 1870, Stewart's father became a professor of theology at Mount Allison College and the family moved to Sackville, New Brunswick.[1] Stewart attended public school in Sackville before enrolling at Mount Allison College in 1878.[1] In 1882, Stewart graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, making her the first women in Canada and the British Empire to do so.[1][2] Stewart earned her degree seven years after Grace Annie Lockhart, the first woman in the British Empire and in Canada to earn a Bachelor of Science.[1][2] Unlike Lockhart, Stewart was allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony and to do so wearing academic dress.[2]
Continuing her studies, Stewart was the first women at Mount Allison College to be awarded a Master of Arts in 1885.[1]
Career
Stewart was a charter member of Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU).[1] A member of the Women's Missionary Society of the Methodist Church, Stewart served on the society's Dominion Board and was the editor of the society's publication The Palm Branch.[1]
Following the death of her sister-in-law in 1917, Stewart moved to Regina in order to help raise her younger brother's children.[1] In Regina, Stewart continued her work with Women's Missionary Society and served as the president of the auxiliary, vice-president of the Saskatchewan branch, and representative to the Dominion Board.[1]
Personal life
On 1 November 1931, Stewart died in Regina aged 69.[1] Stewart was buried at Sackville Rural Cemetery.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Belliveau, Renée. "Allisonian Firsts: Harriet Starr Stewart". Mount Allison University Libraries. Sackville, New Brunswick: Mount Allison University. Archived from the original on 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Gwiazda, Emily (22 September 2025). "Grace Annie Lockhart". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Family No.9 [Charles Stewart, Harriet A. Stewart, Lavinia M. Stewart, William H. Stewart, Harriet S. Stewart and Charles D. Stewart]". Census of Canada, 1881; New Brunswick; Westmorland; Sackville. Ottawa, Ontario: Library and Archives Canada: 9. 1881.