The McEwen surname has been variously spelled by different branches of the family even in the present generation. It is often spelled McCune, and a branch of the Scottish family using that spelling is living at the present time (1910) in county Antrim, north of Ireland. The McEwen or McEwan family is identical with the Ewing or Ewen family which was established in Scotland very early in Aberdeenshire and Edwinburghshire. It is very numerous in the United Kingdom and in America.

(I) Robert McEwen, immigrant ancestor, was born in Scotland in 1660, at Dundee. There is a tradition that he came with two brothers, George and John, but the records prove that he came alone. The tradition is very common in New England and is usually without foundation. John, Robert and George were children of Robert, however.
Robert McEwen was a Presbyterian, and for refusing to acknowledge the supremacy of the English sovereign in religion was fined, imprisoned and persecuted. Finally he was banished and with a hundred others sent to the plantations of Virginia. They sailed from Perth, Scotland, in 1685, but the vessel encountered rough weather and was driven to New York. The passengers were landed at Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Dec. 18, 1685, and they called the place Perth after the Scottish city. They had been poorly fed and overworked at the pumps of the leaky ship. The hardships had cost the lives of about half of their number.
McEwen remained at Perth Amboy for a time, then located at Stratford, Connecticut. He was a tailor by trade, and his account book, with details of work done and the charges, is still in the possession of descendants. He died Feb. 24, 1739-40, aged seventy-eight years.
He married, June 20, 1695, Sarah, daughter of Timothy Wilcoxson.
Children:
John, born Sept. 23, 1697.
Elizabeth, Nov. 7, 1699.
Robert, March 7, 1701-02.
George, 1703, mentioned below.
Sarah, Nov. 5, 1704.
Timothy, March 11, 1706-07; resided at Stratford.
Gershom, April 7, 1711.

(II) George, son of Robert McEwen, was born in Stratford, Conn., 1703, died Jan. 18, 1786, in his eighty-fourth year, according to his gravestone. He came from Stratford to New Milford, Conn., about 1742, and became a prominent citizen. He was a founder of the Protestant Episcopal church there in 1743 and a zealous supporter of that church.
He married, Dec. 25, 1739, Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Beardsley. She died Dec. 16, 1792, in her eighty-eighth year. They had several children, of whom John is mentioned below.

(III) John, son of George McEwen, was born about 1730. He married, April 30, 1754, Elizabeth Hall of Fairfield.
Children, born at New Milford:
George, March 13, 1755; mentioned below.
James, April 25, 1757.
William, Sept. 18, 1759.
John, Jan. 9, 1762.
Robert, April 24, 1764; removed to Hinesburg, Vermont.
Elizabeth, Feb. 18, 1768.

(IV) George (2), son of John McEwen, was born March 13, 1755, died in 1813. He removed to Shaftsbury, Vermont, before the revolution, and about 1781 located at Hinesburg, Chittenden county, Vermont. In the census of 1790 George "McCune" is reported as having four sons under sixteen and two females in his family. His brother Robert was also of Hinesburg and had two sons and two females in his family.
He married and had seven children, all of whom lived to maturity and married.

(V) Captain Carlton, son of George (2) McEwen, was born in Hinesburg, March 25, 1791. He married (first) Feb., 1816, Wealthy Calkins, born at Hinesburg in 1797, died May 10, 1826 in Lawrenceville, New York. He married (second) March 11, 1833, Phebe Millington, born in Fairfax, Vermont, Sept. 27, 1799, died in 1878 of paralysis.
He was educated in the public schools of his native town. He served in the state militia when a young man and took part in the battle of Plattsburgh in the war of 1812. He came from Vermont to St. Lawrence county in 1826 and bought land of D. Lynch Lawrence in what is now Lawrenceville, N.Y. He was a pioneer in this section. He cleared his farm and lived there the remainder of his days. His first purchase was four hundred and fifty acres. He was a very industrious, enterprising and prosperous farmer. He was a prominent member and deacon of the Free Will Baptist Church, and was succeeded as deacon by his son George.
In politics he was a Whig. He was strongly anti-slavery, however, and when the political parties of the country were reorganized he joined the new Republican party. He held many offices of trust and honor. For many years he was a member of the town board as justice of the peace or supervisor. He was at one time the candidate of the Abolitionists for the assembly. He was captain in the New York state militia and always known by the title of captain.
He died Feb. 2, 1866.
Children of first wife:
George, Wealthy R., child, died young; Narcissa.
Children of second wife:
Augustus E., born 1834, mentioned below.
Harriet E.
Robert H., grain dealer at North Lawrence, N.Y.

(VI) Augustus E., son of Captain Carlton McEwen, was born in Lawrencville, N.Y., Jan. 17, 1834, died Dec. 13, 1902. He was educated in the district schools of his native town, and has always followed farming there on the homestead, living in the house built by his father and owning the homestead.
He was a prominent Republican. He was elected supervisor in 1875 and served two years. He filled other offices of trust and responsibility.
He married Martha Witherell, of Hopkinton, N.Y., March 14, 1860. She was born in Orwell, Vermont, oct. 7, 1841, daughter of Joel Witherell, of Hopkinton, N.Y.
Children:
Jay, died Aug. 27, 1876 , aged thirteen years.
Guy C., lives at Potsdam.
Wright, lives at Lawrenceville.
Augustus, mentioned below.

(VII) Clyde Augustus, son of Augustus E. McEwen, was born at Lawrenceville, St. Lawrence county, N.Y., Aug. 15, 1880. He attended the public schools at Brasher Falls, the Stockholm high school and the Franklin Academy at Malone, N.Y.
He traveled extensively in the western states from 1904 to 1907. He owns the homestead at Lawrenceville.

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