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{{Short description|MP for Glasgow (1775–1853)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Ewing, James, of Strathleven
| honorific_suffix =
| image = James_Ewing_b1775.jpg
| alt = James Ewing portrait at the University of Glasgow
| constituency_MP = [[Glasgow (UK Parliament constituency)|Glasgow]]
| parliament = United Kingdom
| majority =
| predecessor = New constituency
| successor = [[Colin Dunlop (politician)|Colin Dunlop]]<br />[[James Oswald (merchant)|James Oswald]]
| term_start = 1832
| term_end = 1835
| office2 = [[Lord Provost of Glasgow]]
| constituency2 =
| parliament2 =
| majority2 =
| term_start2 = 1832
| term_end2 = 1833
| predecessor2 = [[Robert Dalglish (Lord Provost)|Robert Dalglish]]
| successor2 = [[Robert Grahame]]
| birth_date = 5 or 7 December 1775
| birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland
| death_date = 29 November 1853
| death_place =
| spouse = Jane Tucker Crawford
| party =
| relations =
| children =
| alma_mater = [[University of Glasgow|Old College]]
| occupation =
| profession =
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| website =
| footnotes =
| rank =
| branch =
}}

[[File:James Ewing of Strathleven by James Fillans.png|thumb|James Ewing of Strathleven by James Fillans]]
'''James Ewing of Strathleven''' MP [[FRSE]] LLD (1775–1853) was [[Lord Provost of Glasgow]] (1832–1833), and MP for [[Glasgow (UK Parliament constituency)|Glasgow]] (1832–1835), a plantation owner, slave-holder and West Indies merchant.

== Family and early life ==
Ewing was born in Glasgow on 5<ref name=":0">{{Cite ODNB|title=Ewing, James (1775–1853), West India merchant, slave owner, and civic leader|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-53100|access-date=2020-10-07|year=2016|language=en|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/53100|last1=Mullen|first1=Stephen}}</ref> or 7<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=James Ewing: Summary of Individual {{!}} Legacies of British Slave-ownership|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/21020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110134840/https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/21020|archive-date=2020-11-10|access-date=2020-10-07|website=www.ucl.ac.uk}}</ref> December 1775, son of [[West Indies]] merchant and bankruptcy specialist Walter Ewing and his wife Margaret, née Fisher.<ref name=":0" /> Walter Ewing assumed the additional surname Maclae on inheriting the Cathkin estate from his uncle Walter Maclae in 1790. After Walter Ewing Maclae's death in 1814, James Ewing's older brother, a slave holder and plantation owner in Jamaica, was known as Humphrey Ewing Maclae.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Humphrey Ewing Maclae: Summary of Individual {{!}} Legacies of British Slave-ownership|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/12095|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130053259/https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/12095|archive-date=2020-11-30|access-date=2020-10-07|website=www.ucl.ac.uk}}</ref> Ewing's cousin through his mother was prominent abolitionist [[Ralph Wardlaw|Rev. Ralph Wardlaw]].<ref name=":0" />

Ewing was educated at the high school in Glasgow and was apparently an 'exceptional student'. After matriculating at Old College (now the [[University of Glasgow]]) at the age of eleven, he studied Latin, Greek and philosophy.<ref name=":0" />

== West India and East India connections ==
During the 1790s Ewing went into business with his father, but around 1803 established the West India trading firm James Ewing & Co with partner William Mathieson.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Details of Commercial Legacy {{!}} Legacies of British Slave-ownership|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/commercial/view/-1379785946|access-date=2020-10-07|website=www.ucl.ac.uk|archive-date=2015-07-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722050838/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/commercial/view/-1379785946|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=William Mathieson: Summary of Individual {{!}} Legacies of British Slave-ownership|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/42850|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810170705/https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/42850|archive-date=2020-08-10|access-date=2020-10-07|website=www.ucl.ac.uk}}</ref> Ewing was instrumental in the 1807 establishment of the pro-slavery lobbying group the Glasgow West India Association. He served as secretary, chairman and director of the Association at various times.<ref name=":0" /> Ewing was a plantation owner and slave holder in Jamaica, receiving considerable compensation under the [[Slave Compensation Act 1837]] in both his position as slave holder as well as an assignee and creditor of other plantation owners.<ref name=":1" /> He was also a shipping agent to the West Indies during the 1820s.<ref name=":0" />

Ewing was the author of pamphlets criticising the monopoly of the [[East India Company]], and in addition to his West Indian interests became an East India merchant.<ref name=":0" />

== Glasgow life ==
Ewing was involved in the creation of the Glasgow Savings Bank, the Glasgow Bank, and the opening of the [[Glasgow Necropolis]]. He wrote a number of reports about city institutions, including a report in 1818 to the hospital directors on the management of the city's poor. Following this he advocated for the building of a new prison.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:Castle House Museum - geograph.org.uk - 838074.jpg|thumb|[[Castle House, Dunoon]], built for Ewing]]
Ewing was twice elected Dean of Guild of the Merchants' House, was Lord Provost of Glasgow (1831–1833), and was elected MP for Glasgow in 1832, which led to his denouncement in the ''Reformer's Gazette'' as an "absolute proprietor of numerous 'gangs' … of Slaves in the Colonies". He lost the seat in 1835.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=James Ewing of Strathleven (1775-1853) — Friends of Glasgow Necropolis|url=https://www.glasgownecropolis.org/profiles/james-ewing-of-strathleven/|access-date=2020-10-08|website=www.glasgownecropolis.org|archive-date=2020-09-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922201342/https://www.glasgownecropolis.org/profiles/james-ewing-of-strathleven/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Honours ==
Ewing was awarded an honorary LLD by the University of Glasgow in 1826.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=University of Glasgow :: Story :: Biography of James Ewing|url=https://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/biography/?id=WH0228&type=P|access-date=2020-10-08|website=www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk|archive-date=2016-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304131548/http://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/biography/?id=WH0228&type=P|url-status=live}}</ref> In March 1829, he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]].<ref name=":2" />

==Artistic recognition==

He was portrayed by [[John Graham Gilbert]] RSA.<ref>Illustrated Catalogue of the Exhibition of Portraits in the New Galleries of Art in Corporation Buildings</ref> The location of the portrait is not known.

== Property ==
Ewing lived in Crawford mansion on Queen Street in Glasgow for many years. The house was famous for its rookery, and Ewing consequently became known as Craw Ewing.<ref>{{Cite web|title=TheGlasgowStory: James Ewing|url=https://www.theglasgowstory.com/image/?inum=TGSA05220&t=2|access-date=2020-10-08|website=www.theglasgowstory.com|archive-date=2020-10-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013185025/https://www.theglasgowstory.com/image/?inum=TGSA05220&t=2|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1824 Ewing built [[Castle House, Dunoon|Castle House]] in [[Dunoon]], which he subsequently sold.<ref name=":0" /> In 1830 Ewing purchased the Levenside estate in Glasgow for £100,000, renamed it Strathleven, and subsequently built [[Strathleven House]] there.<ref>{{cite web|date=April 1997|title=Strathleven House Conservation Plan|url=http://www.shbt.org.uk/files/1413/3882/8675/strathleven-house-conservation-plan-shbt-april-1997.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107011409/http://www.shbt.org.uk/files/1413/3882/8675/strathleven-house-conservation-plan-shbt-april-1997.pdf|archive-date=7 January 2014|access-date=28 August 2013|publisher=Scottish Historic Buildings Trust}}</ref>
[[File:Strathleven House - geograph.org.uk - 1058768.jpg|thumb|Strathleven House]]

== Marriage ==
In 1836 Ewing married Jane Tucker Crawford (1812/3–1896). Jane was the daughter of James Crawford of Broadfield, Renfrew, who was also a Scottish merchant.<ref name=":0" />

== Death and legacy ==
Ewing died at home in Glasgow on 29 November 1853, and was buried in the Necropolis.<ref name=":0" />

In 1827, Ewing had presented the University of Glasgow with £100 to establish the Ewing Gold Medal which is still awarded annually for historical essays, alternately in Medieval and Modern History.<ref>{{Cite web|title=University of Glasgow :: Story :: Prizes: Ewing Prizes|url=https://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/award/?id=346|access-date=2020-10-08|website=www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk|archive-date=2021-01-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116061745/https://universitystory.gla.ac.uk/award/?id=346|url-status=live}}</ref>

The ONDB regards Ewing as "among the most financially successful of the city's élite nineteenth-century sugar/slavery aristocracy". His bequests included £17,500 to the [[Free Church of Scotland (1843–1900)|Free Church of Scotland]], £10,000 to the [[Glasgow Royal Infirmary|Royal Infirmary]], and £31,000 to the Merchants House to support the dependents of 'decayed Glasgow merchants'. A part of this latter bequest was used to establish a bursary in his name at the University of Glasgow. As Ewing died without issue, his wife inherited a life interest in the estate of Strathleven, after which it passed to his nephew [[Humphrey Crum-Ewing|Humphrey Ewing Crum]] (1802–1887), who assumed the name of Ewing. Ownership of Ewing's properties in Jamaica remained within the family in Scotland.<ref name=":0" />

*

== Not MP for Wareham ==
Ewing is often confused with [[James Ewing (MP)|James Ewing]] (1784–1852), East India Company official and MP for [[Wareham (UK Parliament constituency)|Wareham]].

== Writing ==

* Memoir of James Ewing Esq., of Strathleven, formerly Lord Provost of Glasgow, and M.P. for that city, LL. D. of the University of Glasgow: with a series of letters written while on a tour in Italy, Switzerland, by Macintosh Mackay, Published by James Maclehose, 1866, Glasgow
* View of the history, constitution, & funds of the Guildry, and Merchants House of Glasgow, by James Ewing, published 1817 by an unknown publisher.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
**
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-new|constituency
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Glasgow (UK Parliament constituency)|Glasgow]]
| years = [[1832 United Kingdom general election|1832]] – [[1835 United Kingdom general election|1835]]
| with = [[James Oswald (merchant)|James Oswald]]
}}
{{s-aft
| after = [[Colin Dunlop (politician)|Colin Dunlop]]
| after2 = [[James Oswald (merchant)|James Oswald]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ewing, James}}
[[Category:1775 births]]
[[Category:1853 deaths]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Glasgow constituencies]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1832–1835]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Scottish slave owners]]
[[Category:Lord provosts of Glasgow]]
[[Category:Whig (British political party) MPs for Scottish constituencies]]

James Ewing of Strathleven - Revision history

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