Ancestors of William Alexander Ewing
Generation One --
James Ewing (birth unknown, but circa 1675, died 1740)
Great-great grandfather of William Alexander Ewing
There is not a lot of information about the early generations of the family, but records show that a settlement of Ewings existed in Hopewell Township, New Jersey, around or shortly after the year 1700, just 80 years after the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts. One of the residents in the Hopewell settlement was a James Ewing who was shown in one document as a "weaver." It is not known when he came to the colonies (presumably from Scotland or Northern Ireland) but he purchased 200 acres of land in 1722. He stayed in New Jersey until his children were mostly grown, then joined the progression as the colonies began to expand westward, selling his New Jersey land in 1727. His "mark" on the deed is witnessed by his son, Thomas. Pennsylvania mortgage records indicate that James Ewing of Hopewell, New Jersey, purchased 300 acres of land in Nether Providence Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, on May 7, 1727. At that time, central Pennsylvania was the "frontier."
After arriving at his new home west of Philadelphia, James and his son-in-law, Robert McClelan, founded and built the third Presbyterian church in the state -- the Middleton Presbyterian Church.
His name, as well as those of his two sons, William and Thomas, appear in Chester County tax records (once they began keeping records) under various spellings from 1729 through 1739.
James Ewing had his will written on December 14, 1739, which was proven on November 28, 1740. The executors were Robert McClelan and William Lindsay, "my sons-in-laws," he stated. This document was also signed with his "mark." In this will, he names his wife, Margaret (her maiden name is unknown), as well as his children and some of his grandchildren. His Pennsylvania land was divided between his wife and his married daughters and his personal effects and money went to his wife and the grandchildren. Not much went to his two sons, William and Thomas, as they were already well established.
Information in the will and the land transactions provide us with the following list of children for James and Margaret Ewing (location of the births are unknown and the dates are estimated):
Elizabeth Ewing, born circa 1704, became the second wife of Robert McClelan. Robert, evidently successful, is indicated to have owned land when he lived in New Jersey. Then, when he and Elizabeth moved to Pennsylvania with James Ewing, he bought other land and helped James to found Middleton Presbyterian Church. Elizabeth and Robert had seven children. After Robert died in 1741, Elizabeth married Henry Caldwell. Elizabeth died in 1764.
Thomas Ewing, born circa 1706-07 (since he witnessed the deed in 1727, he would have been at least 21 at that time). Most of what we know about his life comes from land records, court records and wills. He is shown as owner of 100 acres in Hopewell, New Jersey, prior to 1727, probably with a wife although nothing is known about her. Thomas appears to have stayed in New Jersey when his father and the others moved to Pennsylvania. He Joined them there about 1730 and appears to be a single man at that time (something must have happened to his wife?). Thomas must have been very successful or well-connected because he purchased land in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, around 1734. In 1736, '37 and '39 he purchased several hundred more acres. He had married, in late 1735, Susanna Patterson, the widow of a wealthy Indian trader who had been a neighbor to Thomas's first land purchase in Lancaster County. Thomas and Susanna had four sons: one who would become a Brigadier General in the Revolutionary Army, two that died young, and another who would become a Lieutenant-Coronel in the in the Revolutionary Army. Thomas died in 1741, barely a year after the death of his father.
William Ewing, born circa 1708-09. This is the second generation of William Alexander Ewing's ancestry in America. Much more about his life will appear later in this writing.
Margaret Ewing, born circa 1711-12, married William Lindsay about 1728 and they eventually acquired all of the land originally owned by her father, James Ewing. Margaret and William Lindsay had eight children.
Jane Ewing, born circa 1713-14, married Hugh Miller some time after 1739. If they had children, we have no records. Hugh died prior to 1760 and Jane moved to Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, where her brother, William, then lived.
Rebecca Ewing, born circa 1715-16, married John Calhoun (spelled Cohoon in some records) around 1733. They had four children.
Generation Two --
William Ewing (born circa 1708, died circa 1770)
Great grandfather of William Alexander Ewing
William Ewing is shown along with his father, James Ewing, in Nether Province Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, in 1730, apparently single and over age 21. He married Jane (or Jean) Robertson prior to 1734 when he was shown in Bethel township. He is listed as a "weaver" like his father had been in New Jersey. Tax records for 1735 and 1737 show William Ewing living in Nantmeal Township, Chester County, where he purchased 304 acres along Conestoga Road adjoining his brother-in-law, Matthew Robertson. In 1749 he purchased an additional 24 acres adjacent to his property. William and Jane farmed their land in Chester County while their children were born. The family grew to at least five children. By 1750, settlement was moving further into Pennsylvania, west of the Susquehanna River. William Ewing purchased 397 acres of land, complete with a saw and grist mill on the Little Conewago Creek in Newberry Township, York County. This land had been patented and then sold a few years earlier by John Connolly, third husband of William's former sister-in-law, Susanna (Patterson, Ewing, Connolly). John Connolly had died in 1747 and documents show that Susanna loaned William Ewing the money to re-purchase the land in 1750. It is not certain when William actually moved to his land in York County. Court records of Chester County show William involved in a legal dispute there in 1750, but he is shown as Constable of the township of Newberry, York County, for the years 1752 through 1754. He purchased an additional 200 acres adjoining his York County property in 1755. When he sold some of his York County land in 1758, his wife, Jane, was not represented in the transaction, indicating that she may have died prior to that date. William sold the last of his York County land in 1761. About that time, he was already shown on the tax rolls of the next county to the north.
William Ewing purchased land on the Yellow Breeches Creek in West Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, close to other family members in 1761. A year later, he deeded this land, called "Plainfield," to his two oldest sons, James and John, with the provision that he would remain on the land as long as he lived, and that the sons would pay him 20 pounds (British money) per year as long as he lived. Included in the deal was all his equipment, farm implements and household goods. He died about 1770.
Children of William Ewing and Jane Robertson (all believed to have been born in Chester County, Pennsylvania) were:
James Ewing, born circa 1736, received half of his father's land, "Plainfield," in Cumberland County in the transaction of 1762. About that same time he married Jane (or Jean) Leeper, daughter of Allen and Elizabeth Leeper. The Leepers lived close to the Ewings in Cumberland County and many other marriages occurred between the two families. When James Ewing died without a will in 1789, his heirs sold his half of "Plainfield" to his brother, John. The seven children of James and Jane Ewing were: William Allen David (known as David), Elizabeth, Thomas, Rebecca, Ann, James and Charles. Many of these children, along with some of the Leeper family and others from Cumberland County, moved to Georgia to establish a new community when that territory was opened to settlement. From there some of them moved to Tennessee and then other descendants moved to Texas.
John Ewing, second son of William Ewing, was born in 1739. (This is the ancestor of Margaret Ewing Fife, author of the book that was used for most of this early family history.) He married Catherine Shell about 1760 and they had one son, John, Jr. Catherine died shortly thereafter and John married a second time, to Sarah (last name unknown) about 1764. Their children were: Jane, William, Martha, Mathew, Mary, James, Rebecca, Thomas and David. Some of these children later went to Georgia along with their cousins and others to settle new territory. In 1790, John purchased the other half of his father's estate, "Plainfield," from the heirs of his brother, James, thus giving him total ownership. He also purchased land adjacent to the estate from neighbors. He sold his Pennsylvania land in the early 1800s and moved to Ohio, where some of his family had settled. John died in Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1806.
Elizabeth Ewing, third child of William and Jane Ewing, was born circa 1741 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. She married James Naylor about 1759. The Naylors had nine children: William, Ralph, James, John, Thomas, Ewing, Jean, Mary and the last one (name unknown) was born shortly after James Naylor died in 1779. Elizabeth continued to run their plantation for a few years after James died, but eventually moved to Ohio, where it is believed she is buried.
Thomas Ewing, born in 1743, was the fourth child of William and Jane Ewing. He married Marianne Leeper and their children were: John, Rebecca, Jane and Mary. Thomas is shown in records as the owner of a tanning yard in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, from 1768 to 1785. In 1787 he purchased 459 acres of land in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, from the government under a special agreement. Some believe that he may have worked for the Army during the Revolution, but that has not been verified. He later purchased land in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, and sold it after holding it for a few years. In 1810 he received land from the government in Hamilton County, Ohio, where he lived until his death about1823.
William Ewing, born July 13, 1748, was the youngest known child of William and Jane (Robertson) Ewing. This is the next generation in the ancestry of William Alexander Ewing. More information follows.
Generation Three --
William Ewing (born July 13, 1748, died September 3, 1831)
Grandfather of William Alexander Ewing
This William Ewing, the second one in this line of ancestry (as you can see, there are numerous other William Ewings within this family branch), was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the youngest son of William and Jane (Robertson) Ewing. On October 8, 1772, this William Ewing married Jane (or Jean, the names are interchangeable in old records) McBride, the daughter of Alexander and Ann (Dixon) McBride. He is shown in Cumberland County records as the owner of 50 acres in 1778, and four years later is listed as a "cooper," or one who makes or repairs casks and barrels. That same year, he is shown to purchase an additional 55 acres of land that adjoins his original acreage. In 1788 he acquired another 100 acres in West Pennsboro Township, north of South Mountain. Then, in 1791, William purchased 30 acres of his father's estate, "Plainfield," from his brother, John. On this 30 acres be built a stone house. Although he remained in Cumberland County, William later acquired land further north and west in Toboyne Township, which became part of Perry County when it was carved from Cumberland in 1820. He also acquired three small 5-acre lots in Newton Township, which adjoined his home township of West Pennsboro.
The children of William and Jane/Jean (McBride) Ewing were:
Nancy Ewing, born August 4, 1773. She married James Morrison and they had one son, who they named (of course) William.
Thomas Ewing, born April 8, 1775, who died at a young age.
Mary Ewing, born May 5, 1776, also died at a young age.
Robert Ewing, born May 29, 1778. He left home with a surveying party when he was only 16 years old. When they were in Chillicothe, Ohio, Robert left the survey party, buying some land there. He later sold the land and moved to Fleming County, Kentucky. In 1806 he married Nancy Metcalf, daughter of Elie and Sallie (Pickett) Metcalf in Nicholas County, Kentucky. Robert and Nancy had twelve children, all born in Fleming County, Kentucky. They were: Eliza, Alf, James, William, George, Robert Jr., John, Jane, Elie, Sabine, Horace and Marie. Some of these children stayed in Kentucky, while others moved on to Missouri and other parts west. Robert Jr., gave land for a railroad station called "Ewing, Kentucky." Because of his gift, the town that grew there was named Ewing and still stands today.
William Ewing (yes, another one), was born August 16, 1780, in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and served in the War of 1812. He died in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, July 16, 1853, but in his lifetime had 16 children with two wives. He married first in 1802, Joanna Thurston, daughter of David and Esther Thurston. William and Joanna had 14 children: Phoebe, David, Alexander, Ralph, William, Jane, Nancy, James, John, Rebecca, Joanna, Esther, Samuel, and Josiah. Joanna died in 1838 and William married second, Phoebe Post Kingsley in 1841. William and Phoebe had two sons: Ranson and George. Many of William's children stayed in Pennsylvania, but a few settled in Ohio, Iowa and California.
Alexander Ewing, born November 22, 1782, also served in the War of 1812. About 1811, he married Mary Battles, daughter of Beriah and Mary (Jones) Battles. Shortly after their marriage, Alexander and Mary moved to Crawford County, Ohio, where their first three children were born. They later moved to Mahoning County, Ohio, where the rest of their children were born. In 1857 they moved to Pricetown, Ohio, where Alexander died on December 21, 1857. The children of Alexander and Mary were: William (surprise!), John, Beriah, Benjamin, Ralph and George.
Elizabeth "Betsy" Ewing was born December 25, 1787, and lived her entire life in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. She married John Nelson in 1815 and they had five children (names unknown). After Elizabeth died in 1829, John moved to Richland County, Ohio.
Ralph Ewing was the eighth child of William and Jean/Jane (McBride) Ewing and became the father of William Alexander Ewing (the main William featured in this website). Ralph was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, March 2, 1788. He and is younger brother, James, were named in their father's will (dated 1824 and filed for probate in 1831) as the recipients of William Ewing's land in Perry County, Pennsylvania. Much more information on Ralph can be found on the next page of this website.
James Ewing, born October 5, 1790, farmed his father's land in Perry County, Pennsylvania, along with his brother, Ralph. When James died in 1849, his will named as executors his brother Ralph and a nephew, William A. Morrison, who was Justice of the Peace at the time. In his sad will, James asked that his children be put out to such persons and places as the executors thought best, so they could be instructed in labor and education, except for David, who was to be sent to the orphan's asylum at Harrisburg (the other children were not specifically named).
John Nailor Ewing was born January 25, 1793. His middle name was probably in honor of his aunt Elizabeth's family (she married a Naylor and spellings vary a lot in old records). In 1832 John married Anne (last name unknown) and moved to Schuyler County, Illinois, where he died in 1863. Only two children are known to have been born into John and Anne's family: Elizabeth and John.
George Ewing, born May 1, 1795, married Eleanor Patterson in 1831. George and his brother, John, were named in their father's will to receive William's estate in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, including the land where he lived and the three 5-acre parcels in Newton Township. George died in Cumberland County in 1849, just three months before his brother, James, died in Perry County. The children of George and Eleanor were: George, James, Isabella, Sara Ann, Tabitha and William.
Jane/Jennie Ewing was the youngest child of William and Jean/Jane (McBride) Ewing, their twelveth. Born September 11, 1797, she died unmarried in 1854.