Clan MacEwen Leadership
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Clan Leadership
Clan MacEwen Commander
Sir John R.H McEwen, 5th Baronet of Marchmont and Bardrochat
The Commander of our Clan is Sir John McEwen, an actor and writer, small-holder and husband, father of four and resident of Berwickshire in which county he was born in 1965. He is the 5th Baronet of Marchmont and Bardrochat. His grandfather Jock, a poet and politician, was appointed to the baronetcy in 1953, in recognition of his service to Scottish public life. He was succeeded in 1962 by his elder son Jamie, a painter, who died in 1971. John’s father Robin, a lawyer and illustrator, then became the 3rd Baronet. In 1980 Robin died and his elder son James, a cartoonist and musician, succeeded. The 4th baronet died young in 1983 and John succeeded aged seventeen. Educated at Ampleforth, University College London and the University of Glasgow, John has worked extensively as a journalist but recently rediscovered a passion for the theatre. In the last four years he has acted in numerous plays, directed several more and written and produced, and acted in, three full-length shows. He is Chairman of his local theatrical troupe, the Duns Players. He is married to Rachel, a science teacher, and his children are Susanna (born 2002), Georgia (2004), Joseph (2008) and Robin (2013). They live in the ancient village of Polwarth where visiting Clansfolk are always welcome.
Piper To The Commander
Achim Fuchs
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Achim is a founding member of the Spessart Highlander Pipe Band located in Aschaffenburg Germany. He has been playing and teaching bagpipes for over 20 years and brings dedication to the clan and highland culture
Seanachie to the Commander
Ross McEwen | OLJ BA(Hons) LL.M(Dist) FSA Scot
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Born and raised in Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, Ross began his professional career in 2010 at the University of the West of Scotland as one of Scotland’s youngest university lecturers, and has since held governance roles within National Government, Local Government, and the National Health Service.
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A keen lover of history, genealogy and possessing a particular passion for heraldry, in addition to various civic and community roles Ross sits on the Council of the Royal Stuart Society, the Committee of the Heraldry Society of Scotland, is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and in 2021 was the first Scottish MacEwen in over a century to be granted Arms by the Lord Lyon.
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As the fifth generation of his family to show an active interest in Clan MacEwen, Ross was proud to be appointed as the Clan MacEwen Society’s 9th Vice-Chair in 2019, liaising and working with Clans and Scottish cultural organisations around the world to progress Clan MacEwen’s good standing, and to contribute positively to the future health and prosperity of the Scottish Clan and heraldic community. Ross lives 10 miles south of Scotland’s Capital City of Edinburgh with wife Victoria.
Australian Commissioner
Chris McEwan
clan.macewen.australian.branch@gmail.com
A fifth generation Scottish Australian, Chris was born and raised in the Northwest of Sydney in NSW, Australia. Professionally, he is an Outdoor Educator and Guide now living in the Blue Mountains in NSW and loves having the opportunity to introduce the next generation to the wonders, joys, and challenges of a life spent in the outdoors. Personally he enjoys spending as much time as he can climbing the orange sandstone cliffs of the Blue Mountains, paddling any white water he can find, and when he is able to escape to the coast, surfing and sailing.
From a young age he was introduced to historical and current Clan culture from his father and this, in time, turned into a passion for Scottish, Gaelic, and in particular McEwan history. Also a keen linguist, Chris has devoted a significant amount of time learning, and continuing to learn the Cowal Dialect of Scottish Gaelic with the intention of reviving the language in his own family where it has lay dormant since their arrival in Australia in the 1860s. With a growing clan of three young boys and his wife, Marilee, Chris is proud to report that in the last Australian Census it was recorded that there were 5 more Gaelic speakers in the Blue Mountains.
Leaning into his love of history Chris also went through the process of petitioning the Lord Lyon King of Arms for his own Coat of Arms which was graciously granted in 2022. As far as we are aware this is the only Grant of Arms to an Australian MacEwan ever recorded. By all accounts since their arrival in Australia Chris’ family has maintained connections to the Scottish Australian Community and expressions of Highland culture and Chris is proud to be continuing that family tradition by being made the first ever Australian Commissioner for the Clan in 2019 and representing the Clan at as many Highland games and Celtic Festivals
as possible.
