Background
He was the seventh and youngest son of Sir James Steuart of Kirkfield and Coltness, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, by his first wife Anne Hope.
He was the seventh and youngest son of Sir James Steuart of Kirkfield and Coltness, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, by his first wife Anne Hope.
He was a younger brother of Sir James Steuart of Goodtrees (1635–1713), the Lord Advocate 1692–1709. A merchant at Leith, he purchased the estate of Allanbank in Berwickshire and was created a Baronet of Nova Scotia on 15 August 1687, with remainder to his heirs male whatsoever. From 1698 to 1702 he represented North Berwick in the Parliament of Scotland.