Progress of Chiefship

MacEwen was once a leading Dalriadic Clan and had their first Chief in about 1200.  
The last Chief of the Names was Swene – IX of Otter (1429-c1460). Since then, until
the 1950s, the Clan was Broken or Leaderless and always looking forward to better
times and back to its time of glory as one of the leading Clans in the West of
Scotland.

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While there have been efforts to secure us a Chief since at least the 1950s, it became especially clear at The Gathering in Edinburgh, 2009, that Clans without Chiefs were firmly in the second rank. We all determined then that a Chief of the McEwen Clan had to be found.

 

 

​On 27th February 2012, the Lord Lyon published the following notice on the website of Lyon Court about the appointment of a chief to the clan:

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NOTICE OF INTENT – FAMILY CONVENTION – CLAN EWEN​

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It has been proposed by the Clan Ewen Society, the Ewing Family Association and various individuals of the name that a Family Convention for those of the name, broadly defined, should be convened with a view to the recognition of a Commander. In accordance with the Guidelines already posted regarding the holding of a Derbhfine or Family Convention the Lord Lyon intends to appoint a Supervising Officer in the near future.

David Sellar
Lyon

27th February 2012

In October 2012 the Clan Ewen Society submitted a request for a Family Convention or Derbhfine to the Lyon Court.

On 11th October 2012

the Lord Lyon published the following notice on the website of Lyon Court about the appointment of a chief to the clan.

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MACEWAN/EWING FAMILY CONVENTION APPOINTMENT OF SUPERVISING OFFICER

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The Lord Lyon King of Arms has appointed the Honourable Adam Bruce, Marchmont Herald of Arms, to be the Supervising Officer for the MacEwan/Ewing Family Convention. It is for the Supervising Officer to agree the procedure for the Family Convention with the interested parties, including a reasonable fee for acting.

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In June 2014 following the AGM of Clan Ewen Society

Sir John R.H. McEwen was commissioned as the commander of Clan MacEwen for a period of 5 years by the Lord Lyon.

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On the 1st of June 2019

Following the guidance from the Lord Lyon, The Clan Ewen Society hosted a Family Gathering at Kilfinan Argyll, the historic home of Clan MacEwen, to confirm Clan MacEwen's position that Sir John R.H. McEwen is our selection for Chief of the Name.  The Meeting was attended by the Honorable Adam Bruce, Marchmont Herald to the Lyon Court and a request to extend the Commandership to allow time for Sir John R. H. McEwen to apply for undifferenced arms and be appointed Chief of the Name.

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On the 3rd of June 2019, the Clan and Sir John R. H. McEwen received consent from the Lyon Court to extend the Commandership.

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The next steps will be to apply to the Lyon Court for a set of undifferenced arms to be matriculated where by Sir John R.H. McEwen will then be considered Chief of the Name.  This is a lengthy process and we will keep the clan updated on the progress.​

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On the 5th of January 2022, the Clan and Sir John received additional guidance from the Marchmont Herald , the Honorable Adam Bruce

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On the 8th June 2024 in the presence of Marchmont Herald of Arms as Supervising Officer, and representatives present from the Clans Grant, MacFarlane, Lamont and Buchanan, the 2024 Clan MacEwen Family Convention, made up of 161 MacEwens from all around the world, meeting in the MacEwen’s Ancestral Homeland at Otter Ferry on the Cowal Peninsula, voted unanimously to nominate Sir John Roderick Hugh McEwen of Marchmont and Bardrochat, Chief of the Name and Arms of MacEwen, for the approval of The Lord Lyon. A large contingent of clans folk attended the family convention. A truly memorable and remarkable event and the biggest gathering of Clan members in recorded history! A mark of how widely dispersed we have become as a clan the international family convention included Clan members from Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Germany, Scotland and other parts of the UK. From this point the matter was in the hands of the Lord Lyon to ratify the Clan’s decision and issue a warrant for the newly established and designed Undifferenced Arms of the Chief of MacEwen.

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On 20 March 2025, following the submissions from the 08 June 2024 Family Convention at Otter Ferry, a Warrant was signed by His Majesty’s Lord Lyon King of Arms recognising Sir John Roderick Hugh McEwen of Marchmont & Bardrochat, Baronet, as the 10th Chief of the Name and Arms of MacEwen. Meaning… CLAN MACEWEN HAS A CHIEF!! Our first in approximately 575 years.