Richard Ewen

We know nothing about Richard Ewen prior to his arrival in Maryland probably in 1649. A land warrant dated 17 May 1650 reads: "Richard Ewen demandeth One thousand Acres of Land For Transporting himself and nine persons into this province the last Yeart Vizt. Sophia his wife Eliza Davy, Richard Ewen Junr, John Ewen, Susanna Ewen, Ann Ewen, William Davies, John King and James Brown at his own Charges. He settled on the south side of the Patapsco River a little above the mouth near Baltimore. In 1752 he acquired 950 acres above the Severn River and 640 on the West River.

At the end of the English Civil War in 1649 ending with the execution of Charles I, the exile of his son and the creation of the Commonwealth under the rule of Oliver Cromwell the independent colony of Maryland under the absolute rule of the Catholic Lord Baltimore was left in a precarious position. Although Lord Baltimore guaranteed freedom of religion and even appointed William Stone, a protestant, as governor trouble arose when he required members of the Assembly to take an oath of fidelity to Baltimore as "Lord Proprietor". Ewen was listed as one of the six Parliamentary Commissioners that met on 16 Oct 1654 Ewen fought on the Puritan side in the Battle of Severn River in 1655. At a General Assembly meeting at Patuxent on 20 Oct 1654 Richard Ewen was a burgess from the County of Providence. At a Provincial Court held in Patuxent 26 June 1655 the Commissioner present were Capt. William Fuller, Mr. Richard Preston, Mr. Edward LLoyd, Capt. Richard Ewen, and Mr. John Hatch. He served on the Council of Maryland. In 1757 he served as one of the High Commissioners governing Maryland under Lord Protector Cromwell and as a judge on the Provincial Court. Given this association with known Puritans who also served in these roles we may assume that Ewen was probably a Puritan as well. In 1759 he was the Speaker of the Assembly. In July of 1758 he is referred to as Major Richard Ewen.

The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland Index Elizabeth p. 432, John 39 Richard 10, 13, 21, 26, 27, 28, 29, 37, 38, 39, 50, 83, Mrs., 502; Sophia 530