"About 1730 four or possibly five brothers came to, and settled in Nottingham township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. They were as is supposed the sons of one James Ewing of Inch County, Donnegal, an island in Lough Swilly, about ten miles west of Londonderry in Ireland. They were as is supposed; John, Henry, Samuel, Alexander and possibly Thomas. Alexander died in Nottingham township. His widow Ann, and his son John Ewing had letters of Administration on his estate granted the 23rd., of July, 1752.
"He is supposed to be the father of Alexander Ewing, who on April 20, 1771 secured conveyance of certain lands in Fawn township, York County, Pennsylvania. He died intestate, and there is a deed of the date Dec. 3, 1829 conveying the interest of six of his children to the seventh. His wife was then dead, as she does not sign the deed.
"The children were as follows, a. Elanor Ewing, b. Martha Strawbridge, c. James Ewing and Nancy his wife, d. Henry Ewing and Ann his wife, e. Thomas Ewing and Rebecca his wife, and f. John Ewing and Ann his wife, who deed to Alexander Ewing of Fawn.
"Thomas Ewing of Penna., was born June 12, 1782, and died Mar. 20th., 1859. Married in 1803, Rebecca Hartman of Maryland. She was born Aug. 12th., 1779 died Oct. 6th., 1854. They moved to Niagara County New York in 1803.
On the bottom of the above letter is the following notation with a handwritten date of Aug. 25_ 1927.
[Editor's note: The above letter has been attached to a number of pages of genealogy information for the children of Thomas and Rebecca Ewing. The second generation follows:]
*Alice Muir who resides at 49 Irwin St., Muskegon, Michigan is the last living member of this generation. Ill health and almost total blindness prevents her attendance at the re-unions, tho she is very much interested in the family. [Editor's note: The following information was typed on stationary for the:]
In the little history given he only speaks of our ancestors coming from Scotland. But I have heard my father (in his life time) and also others of the family say that the family originally emigrated from Scotland to Ireland and thence to America. I will give the little sketch just as he has it written and the remainder from the family Bibles.
"Early in the eighteenth century, Ewing my father's great grand father, in the sixtieth year of his age with his family, (the number unknown) came to this country from Ireland. His son, James Ewing, [Editor's note: James is in error, it should be Samuel, see letter that follows] married an American by the name of McMeekin [McMichael] in Chester Co., Penn., near the Maryland line. They reared a large family. The names of the children are as follows, -Daniel, John, Samuel, William and Thomas. The boys all immigrated to Kentucky except John. Daniel Ewing immigrated in 1779 to Perryville, Ky. William, Samuel and Thomas came together in the fall of 1788 landing at the falls of the Ohio, now Louisville, thence to Perryville where they located. Samuel Ewing brought with him his nephew John Ewing. He located on the Oil Creek, Perry Co. fifty miles below Louisville, where he died and left a large family and they scattered. Samuel Ewing lived and died near Perryville leaving two sons Samuel and Thomas. Samuel died a bachelor. Thomas Ewing married and moved to Driftwood Fork White river, Brownstown, Ind. where he left a family and they scattered.
"My father's uncle, Samuel Ewing, daughters were five in number. 1st Margaret married in or near Perryville, her own cousin, John McAfee, and emigrated in 1815 to Brownstown, Ind. where they both died. 2nd Elizabeth married in Perryville at her father's house, Jesse Durham and shortly afterward moved to Brownstown, Ind. He was one of the commissioners who located the state capitol of Indiana at Indianapolis and died leaving a family. The other three daughters he does not mention. My father's uncle, William Ewing, emigrated from Penn. to Perryville in 1788 and in 1790 married Margaret Gant. They moved in 1798 into the Green river country near the Grayson springs, where he lived until he was quite old and moved with his son William to Prairie, Ill. seventy five miles west of Vincennes, Ind. where he died in the eightieth year of his age. He left two of more married daughters in Kentucky. Polly married John Morgan who acted as sheriff of Grayson Co. for years. Nancy married William Wearthum. He represented the Co. of Grayson in the state legislature.
Thomas Ewing, my grandfather emigrated from Pennsylvania to Perryville, Ky. in 1788 in the twenty-first year of his age. On June 4th 1790 he married Margaret Tilford who lived five mile from Danville. In 1793 he moved to Washington Co. near Mackville where he lived until he died."
This Daniel Ewing, who immigrated to Perryville, Ky. in 1779 had rather a tragic death. He lived in Fort Harrison as Perryville was then called. They had a garden across Chaplin in the river bottom directly across from the fort. Daniel and another man were in the garden at work when the Indians surprised them. He ran for the fort but as he was climbing the bluff an Indian shot and killed him instantly. A man in the fort killed the Indian who did the shooting. The other man was a cripple and was captured and never heard of again. The place is still pointed out to relatives of the Ewing family with a great deal of interest. My father does not speak of this Daniel Ewing having any sisters but a relative of ours to who I have been writing says that his sister Mary married Thomas Crawford on Feb. 28, 1783, and they reached Fort Harrison a few days after Daniel was killed. It was his persuasion that brought them to Kentucky.
Beginning now with the old family Bible, I will give the history as best I can from that.
Thomas Ewing, my great grandfather was born March 4, 1767. Died July 23, 1836. His wife, Margaret Tilford was born June 16, 1766, and died Sept. 7 1823.
Following are the names of their children with their births and deaths as near as I can get them from the old Bible.
James Ewing (my grandfather) was born Apr. 23, 1791. Died Sept. 27, 1874.
Ann Ewing was born Aug 30, 1792. She married Thomas Head Nov. 29, 1814. Died Aug 5, 1822.
Samuel Ewing was born Nov. 21, 1794. Married Susan Lewis Dec. 20, 1821. Died April 18, 1855.
Polly and Betsey Ewing were born July 20, 1790. [Editor's note: The birth year of 1790 could be 1798. Based on the sequence of children, this birth follows 1794. The copy of the original information it appears as a zero but it is written like the bottom portion of an eight on the line.] Betsey died in infancy. Polly (or Mary) was married to John Riley Dec. 21, 1820. Died ---- 1885.
Peggy Ewing was born May 1, 1801. Died April 18, 1821
Patsy Ewing was born April 12, 1803. Married Wm Edmonson on December -- 1831. Date of death not given.
Rachel Ewing was born March 25, 1806. Married Newton Nourse. Dates of marriage and death not given.
Sallie T. Ewing was born Dec. 23, 1808. Date of death not given.
My grandfather, James Ewing was married to Sally Clark, March 6, 1823 in Washington Co. near Mackville, Ky. She was born Aug. 22 1801. She was reared and died in the same neighborhood. They both lived to a good old age as the dates indicate and were highly respected by all who knew them. My grandfather was a mill wright, distiller and extensive farmer. There were born to them seven children. Their names are as follows.
1. Daniel McMeekin Ewing, born May 12, 1825. He was married to Miss Lou Ann Riley Aug. 15, 1857. Three children were born to them, two daughters and one son. The son died when he reached manhood and the two daughters were living in Missouri when we last heard from them. Daniel died Sept. 14, 1864.
2. Elizabeth Ann Ewing, the eldest daughter was born Dec. 2, 1826. She died March -- 1901. She married her first cousin William Ewing Riley, son of J. C. and Mary Riley of whom I have spoken. Seven children were born to them. Four (Mrs. Mary Ewing Nourse, Miss Annie Riley, Jas. C. Riley and Mrs. John T. Allen) are now living in Los Angeles, Cal. and another sister Mrs. Geo. B. Frazee is living in Louisville. Lizzie D. died when quite a young girl and another daughter Mrs. Johnnie Riley Cammach died quite a young woman.
3. John T. Ewing was born May 2, 1829. He married Miss Amanda Thompson of Springfield, Ky. Jan. 2, 1855. They had four children, two sons and two daughters. The girls died when quite young. Stephen Parker grew to manhood and then died of typhoid fever. A strange coincidence is that these three died of the same disease. The only child left is Jas. T. Ewing now living in Pittsburgh, Penn. He married Jane D. Brown of Springfield, Mar. 25, 1885. John T. in his prime was quite a successful stock trader. He moved to Kansas and carried on an extensive ranch. He afterward moved back to Ky. He died this past Sept. 15, 1903 of pneumonia.
4. Jas. C. Ewing was born Dec. 28, 1831. He married Mattie E. Short of Washington Co. May 14, 1874. She only lived a short while dying Nov. 24, 1875. One son, Wm Benjamin, was born to them Nov. 17, 1875. He lives in Louisville. A few years later he married a widow, Mrs. Fannie Brown, who died Sept. 10, 1896. He only lived a short while after her death, departing this life April 19, 1897.
5. David Henry Ewing was born Jan. 22, 1833. On Feb. 17, 1859 he married Miss Arzilla Ann Weldon of Savannah, Mo. They lived in Missouri until 1863 when they were compelled to leave on account of the war. Seven children were born. James Milton Ewing the eldest child was born Nov. 27, 1859. He was married to Miss Lula Blair of Louisville, Oct. 28, 1897. The second son William Weldon Ewing was born Dec. 13, 1861, and only lived a few years, dying Sept. 8, 1865. Thomas Reed Ewing, the next son, was born Dec. 9, 1865. On June 5, 1895 he was married to Miss Bettie Button of this city. They have three children as follows:
      Ethel Button Ewing, born Apr. 20. 1896.
      Laura Virginia Ewing, born Feb. 22, 1898.
      Albert Button Ewing, born Nov. 8, 1899.
Charles Oscar Ewing, the fourth son, was born Feb. 15, 1868. On Oct. 26, 1892 he was married to Miss Lillian Anderson of this city. Three children have been born to them. Their names are as follows:
      Tilford Anderson Ewing, born Aug. 9, 1893.
      Helen Ewing was born July 27, 1894 & lived about ten days.
      Charles Oscar Ewing Jr. was born April 11, 1897.
The next child born to D. H. and Arzilla Ewing was Katie Elizabeth Jan. 11, 1870. On June 15, 1898 she was married to Wm Edward Beynroth of this city. One child, Lucille, was the result of this union. She was born Aug. 27, 1899, died Sept. 4, 1899.
Next was Mattie B. Ewing born Nov. 26, 1874.
John T. Ewing was born Oct. 13, 1880. He is still at home. Most of his life has been spent in school. After graduating from the Male High School in this city, he then attended Centre College, Danville, Ky., where he graduated in two years with honors. This is his third year in Louisville University of Medicine.
Going back to my father, D. H. Ewing, I will take up his business life. While in Missouri he had some very responsible positions. After coming to Kentucky he farmed for a number of years and finally got in to the dairy business. About twenty years ago he and his youngest brother, Benjamin, formed a partnership in the creamery business and established a store in Louisville. This partnership only lasted a year, Benjamin F. deciding to go to the country to farm. D. H. Ewing then took his three oldest sons into the partnership with him. The business has grown rapidly and it is now one of the largest creameries in the south. Since D. H. Ewing's death, his sons have continued the business under the name of D. H. Ewing's Sons. D. H. Ewing died April 6, 1899.
6. Margaret Ewing, daughter of Jas. and Sallie Ewing was born Oct. 23, 1836. Died quite young.
7. The youngest son of James and Sallie Ewing was Benjamin Franklin. He was born April 4, 1840. He has always been an extensive and very successful stock trader until the last few years. He now lives about eight miles from the city on a farm. On June 29, 1875 he married Miss Mary Adele Rudy of St. Matthews, Ky. Four children were born to them. They are as follows:
      John Henry Ewing, born May 27, 1876.
      Sallie Rudy Ewing, born Aug. 9, 1877.
      Samuel Rudy Ewing, born Sept. 11, 1879.
      Benjamin Franklin Ewing, Jr., born March 5, 1881.
They all live with their parents and the two older boys help to conduct the farm. Benjamin F. is now attending Central University at Danville, Ky. from which he expects to be graduated this June. He then expects to study law.
[Editor's note: The above document is not dated nor is it signed by the author. The family history must have been written the later part of 1903 or early 1904 based on the statement for the death of John T. Ewing in 1903. John G. Ewing responds to this family history.]
[Source: The above family history and the two letters that follows were furnished by Sam R. Ewing, Jr. , Louisville, KY. This family history may have been sent to John G. Ewing after he wrote his January 8, 1919 letter. We appreciate this information being furnished to the journal.]
My dear Sir:-
I would greatly appreciate it if you would let me know something of your Ewing forefathers in this country and of your kindred now living of the Ewing name with their whereabouts.
I am a grandson of Thomas Ewing of Ohio, being the eldest son of Judge Philemon Beecher Ewing, his eldest son-both of whom lived and died in Lancaster, Ohio. My distant grandsire, in the sixth generation, Thomas Ewing came to this land in 1718, and settled in Greenwich, New Jersey.
Trusting to hear from you, I remain,
E-L.
Ben. F. Ewing, Esq.,
Louisville, Ky.
My dear Mr. Ewing:-
Pardon my long delay in answering your interesting letter of the 3rd February, but I have been prevented by business matters pressing.
The Enclosed account of the descendants of your distant ancestor, John Ewing of Carnshanagh, Co Donegal, Ireland, will show you that I have been able from what I have gathered to correct your line of ascent and to go further back than you seemed able to do.
The first correction is in the name of the father of Thomas Ewing who was born March 4 1767 and removed to and settled in Washington Co Ky. His name was not James, but Samuel. The name of his wife has always been given-not McMeekin but McMichael. But there may have been an error in this last, as the name seems to occur of McMeekin in your line.
The father of this Samuel Ewing was John Ewing of Carnshanagh, who came to America in 1729.
You write of a John Ewing, nephew of Samuel Ewing and who was also therefore according to your statement nephew of Thomas Ewing your ancestor. You give him as the father of two sons Samuel, who died unwed, and Thomas who removed to Brownstown Indiana. These two were the sons of Samuel Ewing jr, the brother of your ancestor Thomas, and not of a John Ewing.
I will greatly appreciate it if you will give me an exact copy of all the record written in the bible of your grandfather James dealing with persons and matters prior to his father Thomas. The errors themselves often give interesting clues to real facts and persons.
If you are willing to try, with the sketch I have given you herewith, I would be glad to fill out the record of the descendants of John Ewing of Carnshanagh. You will notice that I have only given the record of those that bore the name of Ewing. The women of the name I have only given, where I could their marriages, births and deaths. It is so hard to follow out all descendants on "the distaff" side and the work grows so voluminous that I have never attempted it. In my own line, I have simply kept track of the descendants through women of my grandfather Thomas Ewing. This would make the task easier for you and I advise you follow it. But even following the men will be a long task. I have secured a great deal of interesting information as to many Ewing lines in this country and hope some day to put it all in print possibly, if not, in typewritten form and deposit copies in the Congressional Library at Washington, The New York Public Library and the Newberry Library at Chicago, since they all having very extensive collections of matters genealogical. In 1858 there was published a sketch of my branch of the Ewings. I should say printed-not published. I have a copy of it but it is very scarce. I have been besought by all three of the libraries to secure a copy for them. I have been able to correct and add to this record in many ways.
I would suggest that Mr. John W. Ewing of New Albany, Indiana, who is a lawyer, and who I believe was once located at Cannelton, Indiana, is in all probability one of your line and descended from John Ewing of Carnshanagh. Write him and find out. I wish you would find for me whether Mr. L. C. Ewing of your city of whom you write is of your branch.
So far as I know our lines do not come together. You run back to John Ewing of Carnshanagh in the parish of Fahan, co Donegal, Ireland who was born about 1650. I go back to Finlay Ewing of the same parish of Fahan, Co. Donegal, who was born about 1660. Whether they were of kin it is difficult to say. I have so far gotten no tract of Finlay's brothers or sisters or his ancestors. The family tradition that he came from county Dumbarton, is most credible, as he came from Scotland and the Ewings of Scotland did all hark back to "The Lennox"-the counties of Dumbarton, Stirling, with parts of Perth, Renfrew and Lanark. In Dumbarton prior to 1689 there are many Finlay Ewings found, though the name of Finlay Ewing does not appear in after times. The oldest will in this region was of Finlay Ewing of Ladystoun, parish of Bonhill, co Dumbarton in 1585.
I have wearied you enough. Trusting to hear from you, with kindest regards, I remain
ADDENDUM: In a three part article published by the REGISTER Kentucky State Historical Society about the "LIFE AND TIMES OF ROBERT B. McAFEE AND HIS FAMILY AND CONNECTIONS" written by himself gives us some information about the family of Malcolm McMichael. In the January 1927 issue Vol. 25 No. 73, on page 8, Robert B. McAfee names Margaret McMichael as a daughter of Malcolm McMichael and Margaret as the wife of Samuel Ewing.
Posted June 1999