Richard Ewen (abt. 1609 - bef. 1669)

Born about 6 Jul 1609 in England

Husband of Sophia (Scarborough) Burgess — married before 1630 in Anne Arundel, Maryland

Descendants

Died before 16 Apr 1669 before about age 59 in Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland

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Richard Ewen migrated from England to Maryland.

Origin

Richard Ewen was likely born in England about 1610. His parents and birthplace are currently unproven.

Ewen-34 and UNKNOWN-60122 were removed as his parents as there was no documentation given.

Arrival

He may have emigrated first to the colony of Virginia like many of the early settlers of Anne Arundel County, but more research is needed. He was definitely in Maryland by 1649 when he filed a claim for land for bringing himself and the following people into the colony: Sophia, his wife, Eliz. Davy, Richard Ewen, Jr., John Ewen, Susanna Ewen, Ann Ewen, William Davies, John King, & James Brown.^[1] He may have gone to Virginia and returned to the colony because he claimed land again in 1659 for transporting: himself, Sophia, his wife, & Elizabeth & David, his children and states he is of Anne Arundel County.^[2]

Public Record

Richard Ewen appears in the early colonial records several times:

1654 - listed as attending the General Assembly at Patuxant when the Puritan faction living in Anne Arundel County took control of the government during the period of the English Civil War. (see note below)^[3]

1657 - Capt. Richard Ewen was appointed to question and fine disturbers of the peace.^[4] Later the same year, he was a major commanding his own company from the South River to Herring Creek.^[5]

1659 - Richard Ewen is named the speaker of the General Assembly^[6] He is also called a major at this time.

1661 - Richard Ewen is elected the sheriff of Anne Arundel Co.^[7]

Land Records

Richard Ewen made the following claims for land in Anne Arundel County under Lord Baltimore's rules for plantation.

1659 - 600 acs. AA assigned to John Esson.^[8]

1659 - 350 acs. Dakes Cove AA.^[9]

1664 - 90 acs. Ewen's Additon ^[10]

1666 - 400 acs. Ewen upon Ewenton ^[11]

1671 - 150 acs. The Barren Neck ^[12]

Marriage & Children

No information on Sophia, the wife of Richard, has been found. She was the mother of at least seven children, four are mentioned in his first land claim and two more are mentioned in the second.

1. Richard Ewen, Jr. b. abt. 1635
2. John Ewen b. abt. 1637
3. Susanna Ewen b. abt. 1638 m. James Billingsley
4. Ann Ewen b. abt 1640
5. Elizabeth Ewen b. abt 1644 m. Richard Talbott & William Richardson
6. David Ewen b. abt 1645
7. Sophia b. abt 1647

Death

The date of Richard's death is unknown. No record of a "will or inventory or administration of his estate, or direct conveyance of any part of it during his life time (except gift of a right to 50 acres to his son-in-law in 1659) has been found."^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ Maryland Land Patents, Liber AB&H, folio 40.
2. ↑ Maryland Land Patents, Liber 4, folio 113.
3. ↑ Archives of Maryland, Vol. 1, pg. 339.
4. ↑ Archives of Maryland, Vol. 1, pg. 362.
5. ↑ Archives of Maryland, Vol. 3, pg. 349.
6. ↑ Archives of Maryland, Vol. 1, pg. 383.
7. ↑ Archives of Maryland, Vol. 5, pg. 517.
8. ↑ Maryland Land Patents, Liber AB&H, folio 278.
9. ↑ Maryland Land Patents, Liber AB&H, folio 277.
10. ↑ Maryland Land Patents, Liber 5 ,folio 624.
11. ↑ Maryland Land Patents, Liber 10, folio 378.
12. ↑ Maryland Land Patents, Liber 4, folio 479.
13. ↑ Descendants of Richard and Elizabeth (Ewen) Talbott of Poplar Knowle, West River, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Compiled by Ida Morrison (Murphy) Shirk. Baltimore, MD: the author (1927). p. 12.

• Shirk, Ida Morrison (Murphy). Descendants of Richard and Elizabeth (Ewen) Talbott of Poplar Knowle West River Anne Arundel County Maryland. Baltimore, Maryland, 1927,
• Note: Will of Susannah Billingsley. Bequest: brother Richard Ewen, brother John Ewen, brother-in-law Edmond Billingsley, husband James Billingsley (dec'd), Walter Caree, sister Ann Ewen, brother Richard Ewen, sister Elisabeth Talbott chattel at plantation of my father-in-law Capt. Burges, sister Suffia, Edward Parrish. (Testamentary Proceedings Liber 1D/179)
• Note: In 1717 part of the tract called Ewen on Ewenton was sold by Richard Galloway to John Watkins.(AA land Liber IB 2/462) Did Richard marry one of the daughters?

Puritan Takeover of Maryland Government

Upon the receipt of this petition from the Puritans of Maryland, of whom Ed. Lloyd appears in the light of a leader, to the Commisioners of settlement who were then in Virginia, Mr. Bennett and Col. Claiborne returned to Providence, and on the 20th July, 1654, they compelled Gov. Stone, under a threat of using arms for the enforcement of their commands, to lay down his office and to submit " to such government as shall be selected by the Comnaissioners in the name and under the authority of his highness, the Lord Proprietor." They then, on the 23rd of the same month in the name of Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector, appointed a board of commissioners to administer the government, and of this board Mr. Edward Lloyd was a member. This board of Commissioners was composed of these gentlemen, most of whom were Puritans and all of them, presumably, were commonwealth men or Cromwellians: Capt. William Fuller, Richard Preston, William Durand, Edward Lloyd, Capt. John Smith, Leonard Strong, John Lawson, John Hatch, Richard Wells, and Richard Ewen. (Cited in Edward Lloyd the Puritan. Talbot County Free Library. http://www.tcfl.org/mdroom/worthies/lloyd/puritan.html. Accessed December 4, 2015.)

Again in 1655 Gov. Stone, by direction of Lord Baltimore, whose temerity is inexplicable, attempted by force of arms to reestablish the government of the Proprietary, and was defeated in a battle with the Puritans fought near Providence. Mr. Lloyd's name does not appear in any extant records of this affair. Capt. Fuller wa's in command of the Providence -forces and probably held the official position formerly occupied by Mr Lloyd. Again in 1656 Mr. Josias Fendall was appointed Governor by Lord Baltimore, who, when he attempted to exercise jurisdiction, was arrested by the Puritans and carried before the Provincial Court composed of the Conunissioners of Parliament, namely Capt. William Fuller, Mr. Edward Lloyd, Mr. Richard Wells, Capt. Richard Ewen, Mr. Thomas Marsh, and Mr. Thomas Meares, where he was charged with actions dangerous to the public peace. But in this year, the matter in dispute between the Lord Proprietary and the inhabitants at Providence, having been deferred to the Commissioners of Trade, was decided in Lord Baltimore's favor. On the 20th of March, 1658, Capt. William Fuller, Richard Preston, Edward Lloyd, Thomas Meares, Philip Thomas and Samuel Withers, as envoys of the government at Providence, yielded submission to Governor Fendall, and his councillors, the representatives of the Lord Proprietary; and so this contest ended. It will be perceived that no attempt has been made to give a full account of the Puritan dominance in Maryland. This has been left to the general history of the province; but the remark is ventured that the story of this period has been very imperfectly told, and is worthy of a more thorough and impartial study than has yet been bestowed upon it. (Cited in Edward Lloyd the Puritan. Talbot County Free Library. http://www.tcfl.org/mdroom/worthies/lloyd/puritan.html. Accessed December 4, 2015.)

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Ewen-39 created through the import of Lea and Randol and Ely and Si.ged on May 31, 2011 by Maude Randol. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Maude and others.
• WikiTree profile Ewen-59 created through the import of Alexander Family Tree.ged on Jul 16, 2012 by Rod Alexander. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Rod and others.
• WikiTree profile Ewen-38 created through the import of Paula's family 5-28-2011.GED on May 29, 2011 by Paula Marksman. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Paula and others.
• WikiTree profile Ewen-69 created through the import of McClanahan-20121014.ged on Oct 15, 2012 by Anonymous McClanahan. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Anonymous and others.