John Ewer I

John Ewer of London was shown as co-owner with Walter Ewer of the Bog or Bogg and Bascobell estates in St Ann. He was almost certainly the John Ewer whose will was proved in 1792, and Walter Ewer his brother and partner (q.v. under Walter Ewer I).

1. Hendry (sic) Ure married Agnes Grahame, 29/03/1715 in Kilsyth, Stirlingshire, Scotland. They had seven children baptised in Kilsyth: Jean (1717), Margerat (sic, 1718), John (1720), Jean (1723), Agnes (1726), Barbara (1728) and Walter (1732). John and Walter both became slave-owners in St Ann, Jamaica, as did Margaret's son James Hay, John's children Walter II, Mary and John, and Barbara's son Alexander Kidston. John, lawful son to Henry Ure and Agnes Grahame in Wester Tagestown, baptised 17/07/1720, witnesses John Grahame in Tamrawer and James[?] Ure in Wester Tagestown.

2. John Ewer of Little Love Lane, Wood Street, was buried at Bunhill Fields cemetery, London, 12/11/1792 age 72 years. The will of John Ewer [the elder] of Little Love Lane Wood Street City of London proved 24/11/1792 is simple, leaving all his [unspecified] personal and real estate to his three children Walter [II], John and Mary. Administration of the will was granted in 1840 to Walter Ewer [III], his grandson, his son Walter II having died intestate. Walter III died 05/01/1863 of Portland Place leaving £30,000.

3. Possibly the John Ewers who was listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owner of 60 acres of land in St Ann.

4. Walter, John and Mary Ewers were co-owners of 242 enslaved people and 283 stock in St Ann, Jamaica in 1792.

1. GROS OPR Marriages 483 20 278 Kilsyth; GROS OPR Births 483 20 330 Kilsyth.

2. Findmypast.co.uk, England & Wales Non-Conformist Burials [database online]; PROB 11/1224/279.

3. 'A List of landholders in the Island of Jamaica together with the number of acres each person possessed taken from the quit rent books in the year 1754', TNA CO 142/31 transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Samples2/1754lead.htm.

4. 'A List of slaves and stock in the parish of St Ann taken the 28th March 1792 pursuant to order of the Honourable House of Assembly... transcribed from papers presented to the British Museum by Charles E. Long ref. Add. 12435' transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/mstann1792.htm.

We are grateful to Robert Hutcheon for his assistance with compiling this entry.