Thomas Ewyn (died 1569) was a Scottish goldsmith working in Edinburgh.
His brother may have been the chaplain and scribe, Robert Ewyn.
Thomas Ewyn was Deacon of the Goldsmiths. Ewyn was involved in planning the civic celebrations in Edinburgh for the return of
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
to Scotland in 1561. Ewyn, speaking on behalf of the Deacons of the Crafts, discussed finances for the event at a meeting of the burgh council on 27 August 1561.
On 24 September 1561, Ewyn presented candidates for election to the council, including his fellow goldsmith
Michael Gilbert
Michael Francis Gilbert (17 July 1912 – 8 February 2006) was an English solicitor and author of crime fiction.
Early life and education
Gilbert was born on 17 July 1912 in Billinghay, Lincolnshire, England to Bernard Samuel Gilbert, a writ ...
, a skinner Michael Turnet, the mason Thomas Jackson, blacksmith Nicol Purves, and the carpenter
David Schang
David Schang was a Scottish carpenter and fortune-teller working in 16th-century Edinburgh.
Members of the Schang family were "wrights" or carpenters in Perth and Edinburgh, and the surname Schang frequently appears in the minutes of the Craft inc ...
. The council argued with Ewyn that there should be 12 candidates for the two places allotted to the Crafts.
On 8 October 1561 Queen Mary disputed the election of the council. Ewyn wanted it put on record that he had voted for
Thomas McCalzean
Thomas McCalzean, Lord Cliftonhall (pronounced and sometimes spelled McCalyeane, Macalzean or Macallyean) (c. 1520 – 1581) was a 16th-century Scottish judge, rising to be a Senator of the College of Justice and a local politician who was brie ...
as
Provost of Edinburgh
The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is the convener of the City of Edinburgh local authority, who is elected by City_of_Edinburgh_Council, the city council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the e ...
, on account of his ability and qualifications, and would otherwise have according to the queen's direction, if she had preferred a candidate. McCalzean was made Provost.
[James David Marwick, ''Extracts from the Records of Edinburgh, 1557-1561'' (Edinburgh, 1875), pp. 126, 302.]
Thomas Ewyn died on 10 May 1569. His will mentions that he had loaned goldsmith's files and a quantity of
salammoniac
Salammoniac, also sal ammoniac or salmiac, is a rare naturally occurring mineral composed of ammonium chloride, NH4Cl. It forms colorless, white, or yellow-brown crystals in the isometric-hexoctahedral class. It has very poor cleavage and is ...
, used to refine gold and silver, to another goldsmith, Alexander Gilbert.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ewyn, Thomas
1569 deaths
Scottish goldsmiths
Businesspeople from Edinburgh