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EWART,
the surname of one of the oldest families in Galloway, formerly
proprietors of the estate of Mullock, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright.
The family came originally from Roxburghshire, where the name is said to
have been pronounced and spelled ‘Ewit.’ It may be, however, that it is
only the surname Stewart curtailed of its two initial letters. On some of
the old Ewart monuments in an ancient churchyard just outside
Kirkcudbright, the name is Latinized Havertus, and some connexion
has even been traced between the names of Ewart and Howard. Andrew Ewart,
the first of the family mentioned in the records of Kirkcudbright, was
treasurer of that burgh in 1583. His son and successor, John, a merchant
and bailie of Kirkcudbright, by purchase became proprietor of the estate
of Mullock in 1611, at that time of considerable extent; but it was
portioned off into lots from time to time, and ultimately sold in 1816 to
John Halliday, Esq. A large part of the old Ewart estate passed into the
hands of the earl of Selkirk. John, 1st of Mullock, was
succeeded by his eldest son, also named John, who was chief magistrate of
Kirkcudbright in 1630, and commissioner of the burgh for settlement of
exchequer dues. His eldest son was “John Ewart, Esq. of Mullock, chief
magistrate of Kirkcudbright,” 1649, and “commissioner for the collection
of imposts raised for maintaining public tranquility, and restoring crown
prerogatives by order of Charles II.’s first parliament.” This laird of
Mullock was also a merchant in Kirkcudbright. The records say that “he had
a great trade with Holland;” and “undertook to furnish sufficient arms for
defence of Kirkcudbright, 1644.” He had two sons. John, the elder,
succeeded his father. He represented Kirkcudbright in King William’s first
parliament, and up to his death in 1697. He married Marian, daughter of
John Brown, Esq. of Carsluith, of an old and wealthy family, and was
succeeded by his eldest son, the Rev. Andrew Ewart, who was the first
parish clergyman of Kells, in Galloway, and married Agnes, 2d daughter of
John Grierson of Capenoch in Holywood, son of James Grierson of Capenoch
(of the Lag family.) The Rev. Andrew Ewart died 8th Dec. 1758,
aged 75, leaving two sons, James and John. James, the elder son, succeeded
to the estate, and held various public offices in Dumfries. He was twice
married, and had 7 sons and 2 daughters. His first son died 26th
Nov. 1777; the second was killed by a fall from his horse in 1768; and the
third, Archibald, a merchant at Barcelona, succeeded his father, and died
there a bachelor. His brother John succeeded him. This gentleman was twice
married, 1st, to Miss Patterson of Inverary, grand-daughter of
The MacIver Campbell of Asknish, Argyleshire, by whom he had three sons
and one daughter. The eldest son, James A. Ewart, 93d Highlanders, married
Miss Eliza Russell of Limerick, with issue; the 2d, Walter, an officer 36th
regiment, was killed at Salamanca, unmarried; the 3d son, Archibald, Hon.
East India Company’s service, married Miss Lunielli, and had a son,
Archibald John, in 16th regiment, India, having issue,
Margaret, married to James Pollock, Esq., of Glasgow, with issue. By his
second wife he had a son and five daughters. The son, John, died. The
eldest daughter married Colonel Walker, issue, a son, John Walker, M.D.,
London; the 2d daughter married Captain Flint, and had fourteen children;
the 3d, Agnes, married Mr. Sandford, barrister-at-law, London; the 4th,
Katherine, married Dr. Boyd, M.D., with issue; and the 5th,
Jemima, Gen. Carthew, India, with issue. John’s daughters, 1st,
Agnes, married the Rev. Andrew Yorstoun of Closeburne, no issue; 2,
Katherine, married Thomas Yorstoun, chamberlain to the last duke of
Queensberry, issue, nine children. John sold Mullock, at least what
remained of it, in 1816. John, 2d son of said Rev. Andrew Ewart of Kells,
was minister of the parish of Troqueer. He m. Mary. daughter of Joseph
Corrie, Esq. of Carlinwark and Kelton, Kirkcudbrighshire, issue, 7 sons
and 6 daughters.
The eldest son,
Joseph Ewart, was envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of
Great Britain to the court of Prussia, and married the Countess
Wartensleben, daughter of the prime minister of Prussia, issue, a son and
two daughters. The elder daughter, Elizabeth, married Mr. Birt of
Hallgrove, Surrey, and the younger, Mary, Mr. Shaw, M.P., banker, London,
issue, a son, Benjamin. The envoy’s son, J.F. Ewart, a general in the
British army, married Lavinia Isabella, daughter of Admiral Sir Charles
Brisbane, K.C.B., issue, five sons and a daughter, 1st,
Frederick, captain R.N.; 2d, William, a clergyman of the Church of England
in Dorsetshire; 3. John Alexander, C.B., aide-de-camp to the queen; in
1859 colonel in the army, and lieutenant-colonel 78th
Highlanders; lost an arm in India whilst serving with the 93d Highlanders.
He married Frances, eldest daughter of Spencer Stone, Esq. of Callingwood,
Staffordshire, issue, a daughter, Frances Lavinia. 4. Charles, a major
royal engineers, m. his cousin, Emily, daughter of Rev. Peter Ewart; 5th,
Douglas, died young. The daughter, Lavinia Lisette, m. the Rev. D. Butler
of the Church of England, issue, 2 sons and 3 daughters.
The second son,
William Ewart, merchant, Liverpool, married Miss Margaret Jaques, issue, 4
sons and 3 daughters. The eldest daughter, Margaret, married William Gott,
Esq., Leeds, with issue. The 2d died young. The 3d, Charlotte Mary,
married William Rutson, Esq. of Newby-Wiske, Yorkshire, issue, 4 sons and
2 daughters. Sons: 1st, John, (deceased,) married the only
daughter of Colonel Cheney of Gadderly, Leicestershire, issue, a son. 2d,
William Ewart of Broadleas, Devizes, represented Bletchingley, Liverpool,
Wigan, and became M.P. for the Dumfries district of burghs, married his
cousin, Mary Ann, daughter of George A. Lee, Esq., merchant, Manchester,
with issue, a son, William Lee, and 5 daughters. 3d Joseph Christopher
Ewart, M.P. for Liverpool. 4th, Rev. Peter Ewart, married Miss
Salisbury, issue, 2 sons. William Salisbury, captain grenadier guards, and
Henry Peter, lieutenant 2d life guards, and 3 daughters.
The third son,
John, died at Bath. The fourth, Peter, a merchant in Manchester, married
Mary Ann Kerr, of Edinburgh; issue, 5 sons and 2 daughters. His eldest
son, John, a colonel in 1st Bengal native infantry, was, with
his wife and youngest child, murdered at Cawnpore in 1857. Three other
sons of Rev. John Ewart died young.
Of the
daughters, Agnes married 1st, Mr. Carson, 2d, Mr. Porter,
merchant, St. Petersburg; 2. Mary, married George A. Lee, Esq., merchant,
Manchester, issue, a son and three daughters; 3 . Jane, married Colonel
Hamilton; 4. Marion, married John Gilchrist, Esq., M.D., Dumfries, one of
the chief founders and promoters of the Dumfries and Galloway royal
infirmary, issue, two daughters; 5. Grace, died young. A daughter of Mrs.
Gilchrist m. John Clark, M.D., issue, a son, John G. Clark, Esq. of
Speddoch, Dumfries-shire, and a daughter, Mary, m. William Maxwell of
Carruchan, claimant of the title of earl of Nithsdale. |
