Like our own family, it takes a great deal of background work to have a Chief confirmed by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, in our case over a period of 12 years. Only through the process of the Lyon Court and acceptance by the Lord Lyon, can an individual rightly call themselves Chief. This process highlights the role of the Lord Lyon King of Arms in the confirmation process, and allows folks to engage in the authoritative information on Scottish clan governance and traditions.
Therefore if a claim is made and the individual has not been officially confirmed through the due diligence and process, they are not and cannot be recognised as such.
Our own Chief had proven genealogical evidence going back to the 1100’s, being the 4 x great grandson of the last chief, John Carruthers 12th of Holmains, 8th Baron. John died in 1809 leaving the Chiefship in dormancy until after 210 years, a Carruthers Chief from the Chiefly line of Holmains was confirmed by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. As such no Derbfine/Family Convention was required.
Sadly, this was not the case for the Clan MacEwen/McEwen.
The last chief of Clan Ewen was Swene MacEwen who died in 1493, and to date no direct ancestor has been found. As such if there is no genealogical evidence of a descendent of the last Chief, the next step was to hold a Derbfine or Family Convention/Gathering to choose, not a Chief, but a Commander to lead the clan.
To ensure proper protocol was followed, on 27 February 2012, the Lord Lyon announced his intention to appoint a Supervising Officer to oversee a Family Convention or Derbhfine “for those of the [MacEwen] name, with a view to the recognition of a Commander.” Accepting this, on 11 October 2012, the Lord Lyon announced the appointment of the Honourable Adam Bruce, Marchmont Herald of Arms as Supervising Officer for the McEwen Family Convention.
However, even before this could take place, a huge amount of work goes on in the background, as can be seen here, as 8 years had passed before the convention itself took place in 2020.
At the Convention, members of Clan McEwen elected a Commander following the direction and supervision of the Lord Lyon through the Marchmont Herald, the Hon. Adam Bruce.
An individual is proposed at the convention, which is always held in Scotland, as Commander, by the clan themselves. The Commander, if acceptable to the Lord Lyon, is chosen to lead the clan for a set period of time and again to the satisfaction of the Lord Lyon.
This term allows for any proven ancestor of the last chief, which would take precedence, to contest the Chiefship or for any other candidate to put themselves forward to challenge the role of the Commander. If this does not occur, and the Lord Lyon is satisfied, permission is given for a petition of a Letters Patent for the Chiefship to be placed before the Lord Lyon for his consideration.
According to the Warrant for Letters Patent issued by the Lord Lyon, as of the 16th of November 2024, a petition was made by the Clan Commander, Sir John Roderick Hugh McEwen of Marchmont and Bardrochat, 5th Baronet, requesting to be confirmed Chief of the Name and Arms of MacEwen. Accepting that only the Lord Lyon has the authority, through the auspices of the British Crown to give permission for any individual to bear the chiefly arms of a Scottish clan or family, this is the only process to be accepted and recognised as Chief. Therefore, as such this petition is of great historical importance to the McEwen name and to all those bearing it worldwide. It is this permission and confirmation by the Lord Lyon to bear those arms, which only a chief may hold, that recognises the bearer Chief of the named clan or family.
We are since advised that as of the 20th of March 2025, the Lord Lyon authorised the Lyon Clerk to prepare the Letters Patent granting the Petitioner the following arms (seen below). As such congratulation to Clan McEwan, who after 575 years, join the ranks of Scottish clans and families to have an officially recognised Chief. He will now retain a hereditary position on the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs.
These arms reflect the status of a Chief holding the hereditary chiefship and are visually augmented by the supporters granted, which befit his position in Scottish clan society. The McEwen supporters are two otters combatant on a compartment of pebble beach proper. The arms, which will become the Chiefly arms of McEwen and are recorded as such on the Public Register of all Arms and Bearings of Scotland, are those of Sir John Roderick Hugh McEwen of Marchmont and Bardrochat, as Chief of his clan.
Above the helm is the crest and motto of the Chief, being ‘a trunk of oak sprouting Proper’ and the motto ‘Reviresco‘ (I flourish again). The otters reflect the territorial designation of the patronymic name of Ewen of Otter, who came from Argyll in the 1200’s. MacEwen retained the lands of Otter until resigning its barony during the reign of James I in the 15th century, after which they were granted lands on the shores of Loch Fyne, the longest sea loch in Scotland. Their ancient stronghold was Kilfinnen Castle.
The modern Chief’s role is to promote, govern and lead his clan and one of the first duties of any new chief is to sign warrants and commissions and appoint officers of his council, a task that takes much deliberation, is well prepared, full of forethought and ensures that the role of Chief and the clan is fully supported for the benefit of all of that name.
To the left is Sir John, hard at work on the organisation structure of his clan, signing the appointment of his officers after hearing of his confirmation as Chief.
We look forward to his Inauguration in time.
The supporters of the McEwen arms, mirrors the arms of our own Chief, Peter Carruthers of Holmains, in as much as he was granted supporters to the Holmains arms of two fallow bucks rampant Proper on a compartment of heathland strewn with the clan/family plant of gorse in bloom. This occurred after his own confirmation as Chief, by the Lord Lyon in 2019.
The Carruthers Chief’s official Inauguration was held in Annan, Scotland in August 2024, underpinning his own official confirmation. Again the Chiefly arms of carruthersc , used by Holmains at least since the 1500’s. are registered on the Public Register of all Arms and Bearings of Scotland.
The event was a very public affair and was supervised by the Carruthers’ Sennachie, Dr George Carruthers, with the Chief’s Letters Patent presented to him on behalf of the Lord Lyon and the Crown, by Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw, 11th Baronet, Albany Herald Extraordinary. This took place on our ancestral homelands of Annandale, before nearly 200 Carruthers from the local area and including those who had travelled from all around the world. It was attended, as it happens, along with many other Chiefs, by Sir John McEwen himself, Commander of Clan McEwen at the time.
Ross M McEwen, LLM (Dist), FSA Scot, Armiger
One of the main activist behind finding and having a Clan Chief confirmed by the Lord Lyon, was Ross M McEwen. His effort is well known to both ourselves here at the Society and our own Sennachie Dr George Carruthers who having been there, fully appreciates the time and effort that Ross and others have put in to this great achievement. Ross is well versed in his chosen subjects of history and heraldry being not only heavily involved in Clan McEwen but is also a member of the Council of the Royal Stuart Society and a Committee member of the Heraldry Society of Scotland
He was born in the Scottish highland capital of Inverness in 1988 and lived in nearby Culloden for the first few years of his life until as a family they moved into the McEwen family home in the ‘Crown’ area of Inverness. This is a beautiful Victorian area in the centre of the town which was previously farmland owned by the Chief of Fraser of Lovat and the supposed location of MacBeth’s Castle.
Ross has embraced his heritage and supported Clan McEwen from an early age. His family line were / are known as the ‘An Darach’ line of McEwens, a junior line of the ‘McEwens of Blackhouse’, who were a farming family in Stirlingshire which interacted with numerous other McEwen family lines in that part of Scotland. Clan culture therefore formed such a large part of his upbringing and identity as both a Highlander and as a Scot, and he always encourages introducing that level of Scottish history to children from a young age and in a fun and accessible way.
Ross is well known as a friend of Carruthers and we were honoured that he agreed to be a keynote speaker at the Inauguration of our own chief. His talk was informative, humorous and greatly received by all in attendance, reflecting his indepth expertise on the matters concerned.
A hard-working enthusiast, with a sound legal and heraldic background, he is well sought after as one of the go to Scottish experts and speakers on both Clan MacEwen and Scottish heraldry.
A huge congratulations to all concerned.
