Thomas Ewing's first residence in Londonderry, Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA is established by the yearly tax records for the county. He is the only "new" Ewing in Chester County around this date, which coincides with a notation in the family bible for son William's arrival in the country at about the age of seven (William born 1790, County Tyrone). The date also coincides with an obituary of William's brother, Thomas, born perhaps just a year or so earlier, also in County Tyrone (the descendants of the two brothers were unknown to one another prior to a DNA match which, with corroborating evidence, linked them neatly together as the sons of Thomas Sr). After immigrating to America in 1797, Thomas Sr. settled first in Londonderry, Chester County, Pennsylvania until about 1814 and is recorded in East Nottingham, also in Chester County, beginning 1817 through 1822. No record of him has been found thereafter, though it is possible he migrated to western Pennsylvania at that time, as both of his sons are found living in that part of the state around that time. In all records that have been found, Thomas's profession is given as cooper. The family adhered to the Presbyterian faith.
There are several unknown aspects of Thomas Ewing Sr.'s life. Although it is assumed he was born in County Tyrone, as were his sons, neither the statement in the William Ewing family bible, nor the obituary for Thomas Ewing Jr. mention where in Tyrone the family was from. If one assumes that Thomas Sr. married at the usual age of about 22 and began having children shortly thereafter, it places his marriage round about 1787 or 1788 and his own birth date at about 1765. While one can surmise Thomas Sr.'s date of birth, his date and place of death are currently unknown, as are the names of his wife and other children. Tax records revealed Thomas Sr. had at least two daughters, both younger than Thomas Jr. and William; if the 1820 census for Thomas Ewing in East Nottingham is for our subject, it is possible that he had at least two more sons born between 1805 and 1820 (1814 being likely the upper bound of his wife's child-bearing years, unless he remarried) and a total of five daughters born between say 1792 and 1820 (1814).
It is possible that Thomas Sr. had a brother, John, who was naturalized just a day after Thomas Ewing Sr., also in Chester County, and was a weaver by trade. He spent his life nearby to Thomas Sr., dying in 1835. Further records pertaining to John have not been examined to date.
Thomas Jr. married Rebecca Salter prior to 1816 and had the following children: William ~1815, Henry ~1816, John ~1822, Rebecca 1826, Mary ~1831, Samuel ~1833.
William married Sarah Mathews in 1816 and had the following children: Thomas W. 1818, John 1819, William 1821, Andrew Mathews 1823, Mary Jane 1825, Margaret 1827, David Walker 1829.
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| Date of Birth | 1st Jan 1764 (circa) | |
