Thomas Steel was born Nov. 9, 1809, at Inverkeithing, Fifeshire, Scotland, and was educated in the public schools of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and London. He studied medicine in both London and Glasgow, and received his M.D. from the University of Glasgow in 1833.
In 1834, Steel sailed for New York as a ship's doctor, intending to set up practice in the New World. He found the opportunity for a lucrative medical practice was very slight wherever he traveled in Canada and the United States; and he finally returned to England, disheartened at his failure. During the next few years he made two long voyages as a ship's doctor--trips which took him to India, and once caused him to live for six months in China.
In 1843, Dr. Steel set out from England once more for the United States, sailing this time with a socialistic group intending to take up government land in Wisconsin. He settled in Waukesha County, where he became a struggling farmer as well as a struggling physician. In 1845 he married Miss Catherine Freeman of Milwaukee, whose family had also crossed the Atlantic with him. During the years when he was establishing a homestead for himself, Steel also bought a farm in behalf of his father; and in 1854, just before James Steel's death, he and Thomas' sister, Lilias, arrived in Wisconsin. By 1880 both farms had evidently been disposed of, and the Thomas Steel family had taken up residence in Genesee, a mile east of the homestead farm, where the doctor practiced.
The Steels had eight children, the oldest of whom, James, died of yellow fever when serving as a Cadet Engineer with the U.S. Navy in Cuba in 1870. In 1880, the two youngest, Alfred and Andrew, were in school in Beloit and Milwaukee. Three of the children, Annie, Lilias, and John, became teachers.
Dr. Steel referred to himself as a free thinker in religion, a liberal in thought, and a “radical” in politics. He took up Spiritualism in 1853, and supported the Free Democrats, or Free Soilers, in the election of 1852. He served as a Justice of the Peace and a Clerk of the School Board, but never became a political officeholder.
A review of the Thomas Steel Papers affords an opportunity to sketch the genealogy of the families involved. This is given here as an aid to persons making use of the papers.
- John Steel
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- Robert Steel
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- James Steel
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- Andrew Steel
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- James Steel (b. 1782) m. (1806) Elizabeth Thomson (d. 1841)
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- Thomas Steel (d. 1909) m. (1845) Catherine Freeman
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- James (b. 1846) (d. 1870)
- Annie (b. 1848)
- Lilias (b. 1851)
- Thomas (b. 1853)
- Catherine
- John
- Alfred
- Andrew
- Andrew (d. 1832)
- John (d. 1826)
- Lilias (Lilly) m. (1861) James Alfred Freeman
