Robert Ewart (abt. 1725 - 1781)

Born about 1725 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Adams) Ewart — married about 1753 in Tryon County, North Carolina Colony

Descendants

Died 16 Dec 1781 at about age 56 in Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Rhitt Garrett [send private message]

Biography

Robert Ewart, Jr. was the son of Robert Ewart, Sr. and Catherine his wife, early residents of Anson / Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Robert Sr. is said to have come from Scotland. Robert Jr. married Margaret Adams, and lived in Tryon / Lincoln County, North Carolina, near the Catawba River. County boundaries were still fluid when his family arrived and you could live in different counties without moving. Anson County was split to form Mecklenburg, and Tryon became Lincoln.^[1]

Robert Ewart, Jr. was a strong early advocate for the colonies' independence from England. He fought for American Independence as a representative of the Salisbury District on the North Carolina Committee for Safety and as a soldier in company with his son-in-laws and neighbors at King's Mountain, South Carolina.^[2]

With the departure of royal Governor Martin and the breakdown of royal government on 8 Apr. 1775, the Provincial Congress of North Carolina took over governing. The colony was divided into districts, which were made up of indivdual counties. The Salisbury District encompassed Rowan, Mecklenburg and Tryon. Rowan and Tryon counties ran almost infinitely to the west until 1776 when NC's western boundaries began to form. The Committees of Safety "performed such duties as spreading Whig propaganda, making military preparations, enforcing price ceilings on strategic items, seizing and selling imported goods, reshipping slaves and other imports, punishing violators of the Continental Association with boycotts, and regulating public morals."^[3] Most government functions were conducted on the county level at this time, but the District Committee members were the members that coordinated on the (soon-to-be) state level. In the minutes of the Provincial Congress of North Carolina for 9 Sep 1775, it is "Resolved, That the Committees of Safety for the several districts in this Province be composed of the following persons, to wit,... For the district of Salisbury—John Crawford, James Auld, Hezekiah Alexander, Benjamin Patten, John Brevard, Griffith Rutherford, William Hill, John Hamlin, Charles Galloway, William Dent, Robert Ewart and Maxwell Chambers".^[4]

Hunter in his Sketches of Western North Carolina, Historical and Biographical^[2], says, "At the battle of King's Mountain Robert Ewart, James Ewart (son), Robert Knox (dau. Mary's husband), Joseph Jack (dau. Margaret's husband), Thomas Bell (dau. Rachel's husband), Jonathan Price (dau. Elizabeth's future husband), Abram Forney (neighbor), Peter Forney (neighbor), and other brave spirits, were in the (NC Militia) company commanded by Colonel James Johnston (dau. Margaret's husband), and performed a conspicuous part in achieving the glorious victory on that occasion." (Comments in parenthesis added for clarification).

In this battle at King's Mountain, Col. Johnston led the rear guard. This rear guard consisted of about 90 local militia men, mostly from Mecklenburg and Lincoln counties, under his command. He was called into the battle within the first 20 minutes of battle. He and his fellow militia colonels had a complete victory over the British and Tory forces^[5].

Private Robert Ewart served with Lincoln County Regiment, North Carolina Militia during the American Revolution.

Robert Ewart performed Patriotic Service in North Carolina in the American Revolution.

Robert Ewart is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A037988.

Service Record: Ewart, Robert, Lincoln County Regiment, 1780, 10/7/1780, a known Private, unit unknown. Kings Mountain (SC).^[6]

Robert Ewart, Jr. passed away 17 Dec 1781, shortly after Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown ending the American Revolution. His wife survived him until 1805.

Spouse and Children

Spouse: Margaret Adams (1730–1805)

1. Margaret Ewart (1753–) m. Joseph Jack
2. Jane Ewart (1755–1795) m. Col. James Johnston
3. Mary Ewart (1756–1833) m. Robert Knox
4. Rachel Ewart (1759–1839) m. Thomas Bell
5. James Ewart (1761–1781)
6. Elizabeth Betsy Ewart (1765–) m. Jonathan Price
7. Sarah Ewart (1766–1801) m. Thomas Hill

Hunter, C. L., Sketches of Western North Carolina, Historical and Biographical^[2]

"Several years previous to the Revolution Colonel Johnston married Jane Ewart, eldest daughter of Robert Ewart, a most worthy lady of Scotch-Irish descent."..."The marriage connections of other members of the Ewart family were as follows: Margaret married Joseph Jack; Mary married Robert Knox; Rachel married Thomas Bell; Betsy married Jonathan Price; Sallie married Thomas Hill".

Notes

• Minutes of the Provincial Congress of North Carolina^[4]

Saturday, September 9th, 1775.

Resolved, That the Committees of Safety for the several districts in this Province be composed of the following persons, to wit,...

For the district of Salisbury—John Crawford, James Auld, Hezekiah Alexander, Benjamin Patten, John Brevard, Griffith Rutherford, William Hill, John Hamlin, Charles Galloway, William Dent, Robert Ewart and Maxwell Chambers.

• Robert Ewart Will^[7] (top of page missing) 1781, Lincoln Co., NC

(bequests to)

-Margrt my well beloved wife

-my eldest daughter Margaret Jack

-my second daughter Jane John

-third daughter Mary Knox

-fourth daughter Rachel Bell

-fifth daughter Elizabeth

-sixth daughter Sarah

Robert Knox and James Johnston - executors

Alexander Baldridge, John Baldridge, William Jackson -witnesses

• Robert Ewart - Land Grant, Tryon Co., NC^[8]

Issued: 21 Jul 1774

Book: 22 pg: 330

Grant no.: 50

Entered: 19 May 1772

Entry no.: 676

Other Identifiers:

File no.: 764

MARS: 12.14.116.760

Robert Ewart 70 Acres Tryon On the West side of the Catawba River joining his own line and Phillip Alstons land - Beginning at a white oak corner to Alston and Edwards running thence with said Alston's line No. 55 W. 266 poles to a stake in his own line thence with said line So. 85 E. 105 poles to a stake his other corner thence with said line So. 7 E. 100 poles to a white oak his corner thence with his other line to the beginning. (Near Dutchman's Creek, NW of present Charlotte, NC, abt 3 -4 miles south of Cowan's Ford. Land grant descriptions are vague, but describe this land as next to Phillip Alston's. Phillip Alston's is next to James Rutledge's which is described as on Dutchman's Creek. Col. James Johnston's - the son in law -Oak Grove Plantation is slightly north on the Catawba River.)

Sources

1. ↑ (webpage) North Carolina County Formation Maps - Interactive Link, Space:Formation of North Carolina Counties
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Hunter, C.L., Sketches of Western North Carolina, Historical And Biographical. Regional, 1877.
3. ↑ (web page) Smith, Carmen Miner, Committees of Safety, 2006, NCPedia.org, Link
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Minutes of the Provincial Congress of North Carolina, August 20, 1775 - September 10, 1775; Volume 10, Pages 215Link
5. ↑ James Johnston (Colonel) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [1]
6. ↑ #Lewis
7. ↑ North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, Lincoln, North Carolina, NC State Archives, Jones St., Raleigh, North Carolina. Lincoln Co., NC Boxed Estate Records - Ewart, Robert. Copies of original accessed at Ancestry.com[2]
8. ↑ North Carolina Land Grants, Original records at State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh NC. Accessed online at NCLandGrants,com[http://www.nclandgrants.com Search on MARS # 12.14.116.760]

• J.D. Lewis Revolutionary War Database, Private Robert Ewart
• Sketches of western North Carolina, historical and biographical Author; C. L. Hunter. Publisher; Raleigh : The Raleigh News Steam Job Print 1877. Page 246.

Acknowledgements

• Note: This is an Orphan profile which I am adopting 12/2016, so that it has a janitor. All information will be accepted and retained. Garrett-4589
• WikiTree profile Ewart-52 created through the import of HAYER.GED on May 29, 2011 by Larry Hayer. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Larry and others.