A message from Commander of Clan MacEwen, Sir John R.H McEwen Bt.
“If all goes according to plan, in June 2024 Clan MacEwen will have a Chief, for the first time since the 15th century.
As Commander of the Clan I am required to seek out anyone who claims descent from our last Chief, Swene MacEwen. (Swene was long considered to have died in the 1490s but his last certain communication – when he was in dire straits – was in 1433; his death probably occurred not long after that.)
While it is surely unlikely that anyone will come forward with proof of descent, it is possible that someone considers him or herself a more suitable candidate for Chief than, well, than me.
If this someone exists, please will they make themselves known to the Clan MacEwen Society as soon as possible so that we can get everything sorted before June 2024 which should witness one of the greatest days in the history of our wonderful, worldwide, talent-packed and in every way remarkable Clan,
Clan MacEwen, “The Clan That Plants Trees”. REVIRESCO!”
Carruthers input.
The chief, Carruthers of Holmains, the clan and family of Carruthers and it’s official Society: Clan Carruthers Society (International), send their heartfelt best wishes and support to Clan MacEwen in their endeavour to have a Chief of the Name and Arms of MacEwen confirmed by the Lord Lyon.
Our route was slightly different from Clan MacEwen, as we had proven and ongoing genealogy of the chiefly line dating back to beyond 1320 on our side. This lead us to the senior living descendant of our last chief.
Clan MacEwen having no living descendants, held a derbfine/ gathering to choose a Commander. However, our clan and family, still had to walk a 12 year path, before a petition to the Lord Lyon was made.
Thankfully this process, after fair and lengthy analysis and two court hearings, culminated in our chief, Peter Carruthers of Holmains being confirmed in 2019.
Peter is the 4 x great grandson of our last chief, John Carruthers, 12th of Holmains and 8th Baron who died in 1809, causing the Chiefship to become dormant. As such we appreciate just how stressful, arduous and time consuming the route to official clan status requires.
However, the respectability and recognition that having an officially recognised chief gives us after 210 years of dormancy, is not only reflected in clan law and culture here in Scotland, but also wherever it is celebrated throughout the world and as such, it is well worth the effort. Carruthers, through the auspices of our chief, is now fully recognised as a Noble Incorporation in Scot’s Law, with all that this entails.
Clan MacEwen has, like ourselves and many before us, worked hard to follow the only real path to the recognition and legal confirmation of a chief, this being through the auspices of the Lord Lyon. We therefore wholeheartedly commend them for both their patience and tenacity and we wish them great success.
Promptus et Fidelis
