The H. R. Stewart Book Collection (HIL-SPECST) focuses on materials about the life and career of General James Wolfe (1727-1759) who led the British campaign against the French forces at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759. Stewart (1896-1979) was a long-time collector of books, documents, maps, pictures, and letters relating to Wolfe.1 UNB Libraries first approached Stewart about his Wolfiana collection in 1955, following The Ottawa Journal newspaper article about his collecting.2 UNB correspondence and a dated inventory of books indicate the collection arrived at UNB in 1967 and a room was dedicated to Stewart in the new library that for many years housed the artworks from his collection.3 The 155 books and serials in this collection date from 1731 to 1979 and their bibliographic records for most of the book collection can be browsed in UNB WorldCat using a location search: b8:HIL-SPECST. Particularly noteworthy are several issues of 18th-century almanacs, magazines, and annual registers addressing events that shaped Wolfe’s life.
For archival materials related to this collection--6 letters written by Wolfe--contact archives@unb.ca and see the James Wolfe letter fonds, MG H 78.
- 1Hale, Kelly. “Ottawa Man Prizes Collection Recalling Life of General Wolfe,” The Ottawa Journal, Saturday, June 11, 1955, p. 37. Stewart H. R. Donor File. UNB Archives & Special Collections.
- 2A. G. Bailey to Robert Rogers. Letter. June 16, 1955. Stewart H. R. Donor File; Robert Rogers to H. R. Stewart. Letter. July 4, 1955. Stewart H. R. Donor File; Robert Rogers to H. R. Stewart. Letter. August 5, 1955. UA GR 80, Series 8, Case 37, File 1 (Rogers A. Robert – Correspondence). UNB A&SC.
- 3“List of Books in the Collection of Wolfe, Presented to the University of New Brunswick by H. R. Stewart, 1967.” Stewart H. R. Donor File; Colin B. Mackay to H. R. Stewart. Letter. May 3, 1966. Stewart H. R. Donor File; W. S. McNutt to H. R. Stewart. Letter. Dec. 29, 1966. Stewart H. R. Donor File. UNB A&SC.