Sir John Roderick Hugh McEwen of Marchmont & Bardrochat is first clan chief in 575 years
Clan MacEwen Society has announced that the Lord Lyon King of Arms has signed a warrant recognizing Sir John Roderick Hugh McEwen of Marchmont & Bardrochat, 5th Baronet, as the new Chief of the Name and Arms of MacEwen.
Wishing to re-establish its Chief, the Clan MacEwan Society had approached actor and writer Sir John to be nominated as Commander. Thanks to the work of acclaimed genealogist Hugh Peskett, Sir John was appointed Commander in 2014 for an initial period of five years. In 2019 the appointment was ratified by the Clan. No other individual has challenged his claim for the past ten years.
Therefore, the Society held a MacEwen Family Convention on June 8, 2024, in Otter Ferry, Argyll, where 161 members of the international Clan MacEwen (136 present in person, 25 online) affirmed their support for Sir John to Petition the Crown to commence a new chiefly line, and the creation of a new chiefly coat of arms for the name MacEwen. The petition to the Lord Lyon included over 100 pages of evidence, historical precedent and legal arguments, evidence of the clan’s organization and international activity, as well as pictures, interviews and other media concerning the search for a descendent of the ancient chiefs and a call for global participation and engagement.
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Mar 24, 2025