Re: Robert Ewing (1718-1787) of Peaks of Otter

[Dustin Ewing]

Hey Fred,

THANK YOU for sending me this information, and knowledge of the Ewing Family. Along with the Knowledge of and about the Ewing family having a hand in the beginning of the settling of Covington KY. Covington has always had Ewing's running around it every since the founding of it. I New there had been for a long time, but I didn't know since the beginning & hand in the picking/purchasing & foundation of it. But I hate to ask but can you send me anymore of the family tree of the Ewing's of Covington & Newport Ky. Only if your able to or not. Thank you and very much appreciated.  Best Regards Dustin W. Ewing of Covington KY, Born Cincinnati OH. I now live in Frankfort KY. But I still have Close family members in Covington & Newport Ky. Also some in Southern Ohio, and Southern Indiana.

On Sat, Aug 8, 2026, 3:04 PM Fred Hutton <jfhu...@cox.net> wrote:

To all the Ewings everywhere:

 

My wife, Ginger Lynn (née Ewing) Hutton, is a 5th great granddaughter of Robert Ewing (1718-1787), who along with his brother, Charles Ewing (1715-1770), emigrated to America from County Londonderry, Ireland between 1735 and 1747, settling in Bedford, Virginia Colony, near Peaks of Otter.

 

Ginger’s 1st cousin 1x removed, Freda Merle (née Ewing) Taylor (1912-2007) did a great deal of research on the Ewing family before Ancestry.com and other genealogical website were available, which is what piqued my interest in furthering her research.  I have attached a pdf showing the relationship between Robert Ewing and Ginger (Robert, John, Robertus, Chatham, George Washington, Earl Robert, Sr, Earl Robert, Jr).

 

Also attached is a pdf showing the relationship between the late billionaire, Howard Hughes (1905-1976) and Ginger, her 7th cousin through Elizabeth M. Ewing (1779-1812), the granddaughter of the aforementioned Charles Ewing. Unfortunately, none of Mr. Hughes’ billions filtered down to his 7th cousin.

 

Elizabeth married Robert Montgomery Gano (1775-1815), the son of the Reverand John Gano (1727-1804), who along with Richard Gano, and Thomas Carneal purchased The Point, 150 acres of land on the west side of the Licking River at its confluence with the Ohio, from Thomas Kennedy for $50,000, and laid out the settlement of Covington, Kentucky in 1815.

 

I was born in Covington one hundred and forty years after it’s founding. From my interest in history, and in particular, the history of Northern Kentucky, I had read about the Gano family and the settlement of Covington, but I had no idea that I would one day marry a descendent of that distinguished family.

 

Ginger was born and raised in San Diego, California. I joined the U. S. Navy in 1974 and came to San Diego, leaving Covington behind forever. Ginger and I met at Maranatha Chapel in 1993, and were married on December 17, 1994. And the rest, as they say, is history.

 

(James) Fred Hutton

 

[Jean Carter Wilson]

Hey all, I don’t have much info on Covington other than to say probably “my” Robert Ewing (1760-1832) son of Robert of Otter, was at McAfee Station near Harrodsburg in 1779 along with his brother Baker, who of course was the first manager of the land office in Kentucky. (There’s a great article about the McAfees in the Kentucky Historical Society Vol. 42, No. 2 Winter 2006 - they married into one of the Samuel Ewing lines evidently.)

Also I’ve got a record showing a Robert Ewing serving under George Rogers Clark, which coincidentally I found in the SAR Archives at Louisville, and am working to figure out if it’s “my” Robert as opposed to his father. Seems to make sense that it would be but there are a lot of same-named people around. 

Speaking of Louisville anyone interested in Ewing in Kentucky would do well to visit the Filson Society, specifically the files I’m linking here. Yes the woman who compiled the info had a hilarious name but once we get the laughing out of the way, she was a fierce researcher and I’ve relied on her work many times in my own research. I’m a chapter registrar for the DAR these days so may be able to help folks with lines tied up in Revolutionary service.

[David Ewing]

My great great great grandfather, John Ewing married Margaret Townsley, came down the Ohio River in a flatboat from Pennsylvania, planning to settle in Ohio. But there was too much danger from the Indians when he got there and the family initially settled on the south bank of the Ohio in Kentucky, roughly across the river from what became Cincinnati. His son, my great great grandfather, also named John Ewing, was born there. The elder John Ewing ended up settling in Hamilton County, Ohio, for a time. He died and my 3 year old great great grandfather was sent back to Kentucky to live with some of his mother’s relatives. He ended up in Xenia, Greene County, Ohio, where he became a prominent citizen.

Based on the work of Margaret Ewing Fife, we thought for a long time that they were among the descendants of James Ewing of Inch, but Big-Y testing has proven this not to be true. There are three men in the Ewing surname Y-DNA project descended from John Ewing married Margaret Townsley, and they do not match other descendants of James Ewing of Inch. 

I wonder because of the proximity of some of the lines in this thread whether we may be closely related to them instead. It would be informative for others of the Ewing men in this thread to have Big-Y testing. Maybe DG Ewing would be willing to weigh in on what might be the most fruitful approach. 

I have attached a link to an article I published in the Ewing Family Journal some years ago about this family. I no longer have the phone number that is listed there. Now it is (505) 401-5053, though email is probably the better way to communicate. And I plan to be at the EFA Gathering in New Orleans this October. 

David Neal Ewing

Albuquerque 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lp9rq4qw69iud6z0t6mff/John-and-Prudence-Wright-Roberts-Ewing.pdf?rlkey=nl0jbtk2i9g71mdxj3yrr4bx0&st=9vcq4jc2&dl=0

I’m also attaching a doc by the late great Alicia Ewing Towster which I looked at when I wrote a couple of articles about the Ewings who went to Nashville about ten years ago. Alicia had great research on the children of Robert Ewing, most of whom came to Nashville where I still live. Let me know if I can help anyone with specific questions. - cousin Jean Wilson, Nashville TN