The Descendants of Robert Ewing
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1. Robert Ewing {74} was born between 1646 to 1655 estimation based on him being between the age of 22 and 31 years old when his first child was born. We do not really know if there were more children than what are listed below. Some sources have indicated that he was born in Scotland. However, we do not have anything to support where he was born. Based on some research done in Ireland, we have learned that the Ewing and Porter families were related before the dates Margaret, Elizabeth, and Alexander were born. Robert apparently died in Ireland since no record has been found that would put him in America. The name of his wife has never been found.
Known children of Robert are:
2. i. Margaret Ewing {76}, christened 26 Mar 1678. See chapter 4.
3. ii. Elizabeth Ewing {77}, christened 17 Nov 1678 in Ulster, Ireland.
4. iii. Alexander Ewing {66}, christened 18 Jan 1779/80, born about 1676/7. See chapter 6.
Very little information is known about the family of Robert Ewing {74}. Marguerite and Vernon Brown in their book, Ewing - McCulloch - Buchanan Genealogy present this family and they indicate that Robert is a brother to William Ewing {78}, who is discussed in Chapter 5 of this book, and they are both sons of a William Ewing of Stirling who was born in the early 1600's in Scotland. However, the Browns did not give any references or sources for their indication that Robert was a son of William Ewing of Stirling, or for him being a brother to William.
It is possible that these two men, Robert and William Ewing, were combined as a family based on a statement made on page 164 in Clan Ewing of Scotland, "Nathaniel married Rachel Porter, a cousin, sister to James Porter who came to America with his cousin Ewings." If they were indeed cousins, it could have been on the Porter side of the family as well as the Ewing side. Or, it could be through another family name for the mothers or grandmothers. However, research for a William Ewing family in Scotland in 1991 by a professional researcher for Clan Ewing in America, a family organization, does not support the claim made by the Browns. The researcher could not find any William Ewing that was a father of a William, Robert, and James Ewing. The researcher was given the names of what was believed at that time to be three brothers. More discussion about William Ewing is in a later chapter.
Good source documents were found in Ireland before 1922 by J. W. Kernohan who had been contacted by Elbert William R. Ewing the author of Clan Ewing in Scotland. A short time after Elbert Ewing received the information some of the original records in Ireland were destroyed by a fire. The Church records that were obtained by Elbert W. R. Ewing for births, deaths, baptisms, and marriages allow us to put the family of Robert Ewing together and that is possibly the same source that the Browns used. As given earlier in this book, the baptism records for Burt Congregation, near Londonderry, gives us the following information:
Baptisms
1678, March 26, Margaret daughter to Robert Ewing
1678, November 17, Elizabeth daughter to Robert Ewing (Elaught Begg) that is Elagh Beg
1679/80 January 18, Alexander son to Robert Ewing (Elaught Beg)
In some correspondence received about this family, the writer indicated that Margaret and Elizabeth were twins. Looking at the dates of their baptisms it just does not appear to be reasonable to think that Margaret and Elizabeth are twins. In another letter, the person was asking about Irish twins. The writer indicated that Irish twins is the identification of two children born to the same mother in less than a year's time. That is certainly a possibility based on the baptism records above. With that thought in mind, Margaret and Elizabeth may be closer in age than what we would normally think since the most common period between the birth of two children is two years give or take a month or two.
Based on the baptism records, we believe Margaret and Elizabeth are older than Alexander. From the Bible record presented in Chapter 6, Alexander's birth is calculated to be in the year 1676/77. He could have been born in 1676 and most likely was. It was recorded he was 61 years old when he died on 7 May 1738 based on the Bible record presented in a later chapter. May 7 is just over a month after the new year began based on the old calendar. The percentages would favor Alexander being 62 during the remainder of the year, 1738.
With Alexander being christened in Jan 1779/80, he must have been at least three years old. If we apply the same three years to Margaret, we could suggest she was born in 1674. If Robert was twenty-six years old when she was born, he would have been born about 1648. He could have been thirty years old or older or he could have been younger than twenty-six years.
Information that will conclusively identify all of the members of a family in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Ireland and Scotland will most likely not be found. We have to do the best that we can with the information that can be located. Based on the sizes of families at that time, we would suspect that additional children were born to Robert Ewing {74} and his unknown wife. Also, we could suspect that one or more children might have died at birth or they lived only a few years.
One thing that should be kept in mind when the above information is analyzed, the names used by the Ewings were used over and over again in each generation. The fact that the same names were used over and over makes it a little difficult to separate some of the people in a county by the same name and get them into the correct generation. This is probably a good time to look at how many of the families from Scotland named their children.
the first son is named after the father's father
the second son is named after the mother's father
the third son is named after the father
the fourth son is named after the father's oldest brother
the first daughter is named after the mother's mother
the second daughter is named after the father's mother
the third daughter is named after the mother
the fourth daughter is named after the mother's oldest sister
Additional children are named after the brother or sisters of the father and mother based on the child being a boy or a girl. The fifth son would be named after the father's second oldest brother. When there are five sons in a family and the five brothers married and used the practice of naming their children as indicated above, it is easy to see how the same name is repeated several times in the same generation.
Working with the earliest families, we generally do not have the birth date for the children. Also, the death date is not known in many cases. And, we do not know exactly how many children are born in a family. Therefore, we have to leave some slack for one or more children to have been a stillborn baby or a child dying before reaching maturity.
Another child for Robert Ewing might be Elinor Ewing born in 1672 and died in 1765 at the age of 93 years in America. In a cemetery record for Old Chestnut Level Cemetery, a tombstone was found that recorded:
wife Elinor Ewing 1672 -1765 age 93
The above information is in a document titled "Some Ewing tombstone inscriptions and obituaries" copied by Mrs. Stauffer. The location of the cemetery was given as Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Robert Ewing, the father of Elizabeth and Alexander above, is identified as being from the community of Elaghbeg (sic), as shown on current maps of Ireland. Elaghbeg is a short distance (maybe 8 to 10 kilometers or 5 to 6 miles) northwest from Londonderry. However, when Margaret's baptism was recorded the community where Robert lived is not indicated. I have not questioned the fact that Margaret does not belong to this family, but, I do leave the door open for additional evidence to prove differently.
Each line of the square on the map is believed to be one kilometer. Therefore, each square is a square kilometer. Elaghbeg is shown on the left edge of the map on the facing page between lines marked 22 and 23.
Mrs. Margaret Ewing Fife has researched many of the early Ewing families that were in America before 1750. Sometimes, in research, a person finds information but they are not able to prove where the information, or that piece of the puzzle, fits in the overall picture of a family or families. In correspondence, Mrs. Fife has stated that she believes that Elinor Ewing is a daughter of Robert Ewing.
Let's consider the fact that Alexander Ewing who was baptized January 18, 1679/80 is the oldest son and his father named his children according to the procedure outlined above. What would the name of the father of Robert Ewing {74} be? Alexander would be the correct name. From the church records given on page ? information from the Derry Cathedral is recorded, we find:
Robert, son of Alexander Ewing, was born 1654
If Robert Ewing {74}, the subject of this chapter, is the son born in 1654, he would have to be married by the time he was eighteen or nineteen years old in order to have four children baptized by January 18, 1679/80. And, if Elinor is considered to be a child, then it would most likely rule out Alexander as being the father of Robert Ewing {74}.
About all we can do at this time with the information that is available is to speculate and it is not too good to speculate or suggest something is possible because someone will take the information and treat it as fact without giving the source or reasoning.
“The old pre-reformation churches, i.e. Roman Catholic, were taken over by the Established Church (the Church of Ireland or Anglican Church). All denominations could be buried in the graveyards and although each church was episcopal, the very numbers of the Scottish Presbyterians and ministers meant many services were virtually Presbyterian. Penal laws at the time were against Presbyterian and Roman Catholic, though not all were applied. Interestingly, while Roman Catholic’s could be married by a priest, Presbyterian marriages were often more difficult and had to take place in a Church of Ireland church, or the marriage was illegal, until 1845. There were also conversions on both sides.
“In 1641, the Roman Catholic church was the mainstay of organizing a rebellion which was meant to drive out or kill the English, but allow the Scots to remain. However, religious influence was strong and a massacre of thousands of Protestants, both English and Scots was the result. The Scottish army sent over to quell the rebellion actually started the first regular Presbytery and meeting. Unfortunately, although your areas of interest have very early Presbyterian congregations, no records were kept at first and many have been destroyed since. However, for centuries afterwards, it was still advantageous for Presbyterians to be baptised into the Established Church and married there, to maintain rights of inheritance. And often this is the only place we find them recorded. Presbyterians were, at a latter period sometimes baptised at home, but where they were following Established Church rules, as here, it would have been in the church. In this period of time, baptism would have been quite soon after birth, due to high rates of infant mortality.”(Deirdre Speer, “Report Ewing”, Part 1, p. 3)
In a number of cases, we have found information that say four, five, or six Ewing boys are brothers. And, that might be the case but no additional information was given. In the records of the family organization Clan Ewing in America, a number of Ewings that immigrated to America before 1740 have been identified. And, it appears that some additional people will be added to that list. No doubt, in Ireland and/or Scotland there was a family that had four, five, or six brothers and with some luck and additional finds of information, we will be able to establish the relationship of more families in America.
From the Hearth Money Rolls 1665, County Donegal. (Ibid., Appendix10, Part 2, p. 17.)
Name Townland Parish Barony No.
Finlay Ewing Ardraman Fahan Innishowen 1
William Ewing Carignie Templemore Innishowen 1
Humphrey Ewing Ballinakilly Templemore Innishowen 1
Robert Ewing Grean Templemore Innishowen 1
Thomas Ewing Balmoney Templemore Innishowen 1
Alexander Ewing Letterkenny Conwal Kilmacreenan 2
Robert Ewing Letterkenny Conwal Kilmacreenan 1
Robert Ewing Carnemoghan Conwal Kilmacreenan 1
William Ewing Balleyrehan Conwal Kilmacreenan 1
Humphrey Ewing Creighaduff Taghboine Raphoe 1(1663)
John Ewing Gortree Taghboine Raphoe 1(1663)
Alexander Ewing Culmcatryan Taghboine Raphoe 1(1663)
“The Hearth Money Rolls are quite a detailed evaluation of the heads of households and these were done to facilitate the collection of tax on hearths.” (Ibid., Part 2, page 1.)
In America, it appears, that we generally think of the immigrant being born in Scotland and then moving to Ireland before going to America. As pointed out by the researcher in Ireland and implied by Elbert W. R. Ewing in his book, a family may have been in Ireland for two or three generations before emigrating to America. From research, we know that a Ewing family was in Ireland by early 17th century and America by 1709, “John Ewings, Baltimore County, Maryland”. (Maryland Calendar of Wills, Volume 3 - 1703-1713, p. 145.)
“We are much interested next to get a glance at the conditions which surround those of our ancestors who for a generation or more lived in Ireland. (Elbert William R. Ewing, Clan Ewing of Scotland, (Ballston, Virginia: Cobden Publishing Co., 1922), p. 123.)
“As civilians and in the military ranks several of the ancestors of the American Ewings participated in this defense of Londonderry. . . Tradition, however, is corroborated by an old poem written shortly after that battle by a native of Ireland in which we find this stanza:
Hindman fired on Antrim’s men,
When they with wild Maguire,
Took flight and off thro’ Dermott’s glen
Thought proper to retire;
Dalton, Baker’s right-hand man,
With Evans, Mills and Ewing,
And Bacon of Magilligan,
The foe were off pursuing.
“In Douglas’s Derriana, or Hampton’s Siege of Londonderry is yet older poem, “Londeriadoes,” section five of which has the following lines:
James Roe Cunningham and Master Brooks
Gave great supplies, as are seen by their books.
Ewin and Wilson, merchants, gave the same,
And forty merchants which I cannot name.
Horace Kennedy went into Scotland,
And moved the Council some relief to send.
“Londonderry was but the beginning of the war, short but sharp and bloody, which terminated in the triumph of the Protestant cause at the battle of the Boyne on July 1, 1690. . . A conspicuous instance was Finlay Ewing, closely related to the ancestor of the Virginia and Maryland families. Finlay was presented with a sword for his distinguished bravery in that epochal battle. It is said that he was an officer of artillery. There are creditable traditions that others of the family were by his side. This Finlay, it is said, was a son of James Ewing, who was born in Glasgow about 1650, and who is said to have married a Jane Porter.” (Ibid., pp. 129-130.)
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Go to Chapter 4, Margaret Ewing
Go to Chapter 6, Alexander Ewing