Thomas David Steuart was born in Edinburgh on 3 Aug 1782 and baptised at St Giles on 20 Aug. He was the 3rd son of David Steuart, a merchant and banker, and Lord Provost in 1778. His mother was Anne, daughter of Robert Fordyce of Broadford. He was a cadet in 1798 and arrived in India on 14 Dec 1799. With the rank of cornet, on 15 June 1800, he was posted to the 1st BNC, fighting in the Second Maharatta War of 1803-5. He was at Delhi, Laswarri and Deig. He was promoted to lieutenant on 11 Mar 1805 and went to Nepal for the War of 1814, and the Third Maharatta war of 1817-18. On 1 Sep 1818 he was promoted to captain and appointed as Persian Interpreter to Major-General Rufane Shaw Donkin. In 1820 he was appointed Acting Assistant Adjutant General under Sir John Malcolm and Assistant Adjutant General on 15 Feb 1821.
He was promoted to major on 13 May 1825 and transferred to the newly raised 2nd Extra Light Cavalry Regiment which was re-numbered 10th BLC in 1825. He commanded the regiment at Bhurtpore in Dec 1825 to Jan 1826. When Lt-Col Fitzgerald died on 3 May 1829 he took over as Commandant of the 10th. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on that day, 3 May 1829. He was given command of the 1st BLC on 24 Nov 1834 and commanded the Meywar Field Force in march 1836. He died at Nimach on 10 Oct 1836. Captain Steuart was married to Mary Pinkerton in Glasgow on 1 Sep 1823.
