McEwen Family

**Fast Facts**
Type of person	Family

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Bridget Theresa Blake died aged 28 yrs {in her 29th year} on 12 July 1868, wife of P Blake, eldest daughter of John and Ellen ?M Owen? The other 3 children buried here are Hellena ?Owen who died aged 9 mths on 20 Dec 1851, William ?Owen who died aged 8 yrs on 7 Feb 1852, and Mary Ann ?Owen who died aged 18 yrs on 25 Feb 1862 (1), this headstone has been moved to Willaston Cemetery from the original Gawler Cemetery at Pioneer Park.

Looking at the names on a transcript of the Pioneer Park Cemetery we find not “M Owen” but McEwen. Hellena McEwen died aged 9 mths in 1851; William McEwen died aged 8 yrs in 1853; and Mary Ann McEwen died aged 18 yrs in 1862 (2). The ‘P Blake’ Marriage Index at GenealogySA shows that Patrick Blake was married in 1861 to Bridget Teresa McEwin[sic] in the Barossa District (3). So it is not John M Owen and Ellen M Owen, but John McEwen and Ellen McEwen, and it is four deceased McEwen children buried here, Hellena McEwen, William McEwen and Mary Ann McEwen buried along with Bridget Teresa Brady nee McEwen.

According to the Inquest Report, Mrs John McEwen of Gawler River died on 14 Sept 1870, whilst she was depressed. Others mentioned in the report are her daughters Catherine Theresa Robinson or Robertson, and Ellen McEwen, husband John McEwen, a Mr Blake (son-in-law Patrick). Deceased aged 50-60, called Helen / Ellen. The full inquest report can be read in the South Australian Register, Saturday 17 September 1870 p7 (4).

From his obituary, John McEwen had clearly remarried: “Gawler, July 8. Mr John McEwen, farmer, of Gawler River, died this morning at the age of 91 years. The deceased arrived in the colony in 1840, and came to Gawler 52 years ago. He built the Prince Albert Hotel and occupied it for a number of years, and he was a member of the Gawler Council in 1861. Mr McEwen also engaged in farming at Gawler River, where he died. He leaves a widow and three sons.” Chronicle (Adelaide), Saturday 10 July 1897 p13 (5). Bridget’s death: “Deaths. Blake. On the 12th July, in the 29th year of her age, Bridget, the beloved wife of P Blake, Prince Albert Hotel, Gawler” The South Australian Advertiser, Tuesday 14 July 1868 p2 (6).

A search of the SA Births data on the website RootsWeb WorldConnect for South Australian people shows that a Mary McEwin[sic] was born on 17 Feb 1843 in Adelaide to parents John McEuen and Ellen Conlin (7), but I couldn’t find birth details on RootsWebfor Bridget, Hellena or William McEwen. On a website of Ancestry.com, we find a page called FamilyTreeMaker, who notes the details for Mary Ann McEwen who was born on 17 Feb 1843 to parents John McEwen and Ellen Condon[sic], and died aged 17[sic] yrs on 25 Jan[sic] 1862 in Gawler {My maths tells me she was definitely 18 years old when she died}.

Mary is buried in the Gawler Pioneer Cemetery (8). Still on that website, John McEwen married Ellen Condon, daughter of John Condon. The children of John McEwen and Ellen Condon were [1] Mary Ann McEwen born 17 Feb 1843 Adelaide, died 25 Jan 1862 Gawler; [2] William McEwen born 22 Mar 1846, died Abt 1854; [3] Catherine McEwen born 6 Oct 1848; [4] Heleana McEwen born 1850, died 20 Dec 1850; [5] Ellen McEwen born 14 Oct 1851 Gawler Town; [6] John McEwen born 7 Feb 1855 Gawler Town, died 6 Nov 1899 Gawler (9). These dates are a little rubbery, we know from the Pioneer Park records that Heleana died in 1851, not 1850.

John McEwen, son of John McEwen died aged 44 yrs on 6 Nov 1899, not 7 Nov: “Deaths: McEwen: On the 6th November, John McEwen jun, son of the late John McEwen, aged 44 years, leaving a widow and four children to mourn their loss” Bunyip, Friday 17 November 1899 p2 (10). Although I cannot confirm my suspicion, I think that William McEwen may have been born in 1845, not 1846, as it says he was nearly 7 yrs old when he died, not the 8 yrs old as stated.

McEwen Family

References

Memories of McEwen Family

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