John Ewen

Who was John Ewen?

John Ewen, is credited with the authorship of the well-known Scotch song, ‘0 weel may the boatie row'.

Ewen was born in Montrose in 1741 of poor parents, and received only a very slender education. Having saved a few pounds he went in 1762 to Aberdeen, where he opened a small hardware shop. This appears to have prospered, but the chief rise in his fortunes was owing to his marriage in 1766 to Janet Middleton, one of two daughters of a yarn and stocking maker in Aberdeen. Through her, who died shortly after giving birth to a daughter, he became possessed of one half of his father-in-law's property. Ewen died on 21 Oct 1821, leaving, after the payment of various sums to the public charities of Aberdeen, about 14,000l to found a hospital in Montrose, similar to Gordon's Hospital, Aberdeen, for the maintenance and education of boys.