Thomas Ewyn (died 1569) was a Scottish goldsmith and Deacon of the Goldsmiths in Edinburgh.
Career Thomas Ewyn was Deacon of the Goldsmiths.Extracts from the records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, 2 (Edinburgh, 1871), p. 217. He copied and wrote some of the craft statutes into a minute book. The original is lost, but a later copy survives. One of the craft records originally included by Ewyn has a list of materials used by goldsmiths in the 16th century, giving some idea of their use of technology and technique, "hanmilling of all cuilouris [enamel] to be sett under the staines of ringis, subleim argiston, antemonium sublimatum, tent, sandesier, haloume [alum], caperowes [copperas], salpeiter [saltpetre], verdegris, aqua fortus [acid], symound [solder], winstaine, brounstaine [brimstone], saigbanis, croithes, quicksilver, hormalaye."Jean Munro & Henry Steuart Fotheringham, Edinburgh Goldsmith's Minutes: 1525–1700 (Edinburgh: SRS, 2006), pp. 214–215, C30.
In May 1555, there were discussions in Parliament and the Convention of Royal Burghs about the role of Craft Deacons in burgh councils.Pamela E. Ritchie, Mary of Guise (Tuckwell, 2002), pp. 131–132. This was controversial,Michael Lynch, Edinburgh and the Reformation (John Donald, 2003), p. 71: Michael Lynch, "The Crown and the Burgh", The Early Modern Town in Scotland (Croom Helm, 1987) pp. 60–61.Mary Verschuur, "Merchants and Craftsmen in Sixteenth-Century Perth", The Early Modern Town in Scotland (Croom Helm, 1987) pp. 46–47. and Ewyn made a protest to Edinburgh's council on behalf of the Craft Deacons.James David Marwick, Extracts from the Records of Edinburgh, 1528-1557 (Edinburgh, 1871), p. 217Records of the Convention of Royal Burghs, 2 (Edinburgh, 1870), p. 486. Mary of Guise, Regent of Scotland, organised an arbitration to be held in January. There was some difficulty choosing the commissioners for the crafts, and at first a skinner Thomas Reidpath was picked.Extracts from the records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, 2 (Edinburgh, 1871), pp. 233–234. According to the minutes of the craft of Hammermen, an arbitration involved a cutler Edward Young, a tailor Archibald Denror or Dewar, and a baker David Kinloch speaking for the crafts. The resolution was marked by a public ceremony in January 1556 and the Mercat Cross was draped with tapestry "right honest and pleasant to all the craftsmen".John Smith, The Hammermen of Edinburgh and their altar in St. Giles church (Edinburgh, 1906), pp. 160–161. Archibald Dewar worked for Regent Arran, and seems to have been Mary of Guise's personal tailor.Marguerite Wood, "Domestic Affairs of the Burgh, 1554-1589", Book of the Old Edinburgh Club, 15 (Edinburgh, 1927), p. 28: James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, 10 (Edinburgh: HMSO, 1913), p. 207.
Ewyn was involved in planning the civic celebrations in Edinburgh for the return of Mary, Queen of Scots 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.James David Marwick, Extracts from the Records of Edinburgh, 1557-1561 (Edinburgh, 1875), pp. 120–121.
On 24 September 1561, Ewyn presented candidates for election to the council, including his fellow goldsmith Michael Gilbert, a skinner Michael Turnet, the mason Thomas Jackson, blacksmith Nicol Purves, and the carpenter David Schang. The council argued with Ewyn that there should be 12 candidates for the two places allotted to the Crafts. Ewyn produced documents including an Act of Parliament of James III and a grant made by Mary of Guise which he contended showed how the Crafts should be involved in the council elections.James David Marwick, Extracts from the Records of Edinburgh, 1557-1561 (Edinburgh, 1875), pp. 122–125.
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 as Provost of Edinburgh, 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.
Robert Ewyn His brother was the chaplain and scribe, Robert Ewyn, who was clerk for the Edinburgh incorporation of Masons and Wrights and other building crafts.Michael Pearce, "A French Furniture Maker and the 'Courtly Style' in Sixteenth-Century Scotland", Regional Furniture vol. XXXII (2018), p. 127. In 1548, Ewyn produced a manuscript copy of a key Scottish legal text, the Regiam Maiestatem, now kept at the University of St Andrews.Margaret Connolly & Rachel Hart, "Writing the Law in Late Medieval and Early Modern Scotland: Regiam maiestatem, the Marchmont Manuscript (now St Andrews MS 39000), and its Scribe Robert Ewyn, Notary", Scottish Historical Review, 103:2 (2024), pp. 203-235. HMC 14th Report, part III: Marchmont MSS, vol. 1 (London, 1894), p. 59. Robert Ewyn also did legal work for the Edinburgh Skinner craft. As a graduate he used the title "sir" or "schir".William Angus, "Incorporated Trade of the Skinners of Edinburgh", Book of the Old Edinburgh Club (1913), pp. 82, 87
Another chaplain in Edinburgh, "sir" Thomas Ewan or Ewen, was probably a member of this family. He was chaplain of the altar of st Christopher in St Giles patronised by the Skinner craft. He was associated in 1529 with an altar of the Holy Blood. Ewen was to pray for the souls of members of the Bellenden family including Katherine Bellenden, Oliver Sinclair, and others including the King's pursemaster John Tennent and his wife the laundress Maus Atkinson. The foundation was funded from the rents of several properties on the High Street.Athol Murray, "Pursemaster's Accounts", Scottish History Society Miscellany X (Edinburgh, 1965), p. 17.Register of the Great Seal, 3, p. 597 no. 2600. Thomas Ewen was the owner of a manuscript of Lydgate's Troy Book, now held by the Bodleian Library.Tony Edwards, "Middle Scots Romance", A Palace in the Wild (Peeters, 2000), p. 67: Catherine van Buuren, The Buke of the Chess (Scottish Text Society, 1997), p. xiv: Sebastiaan Verweij, The Literary Culture of Early Modern Scotland (Oxford, 2016), p. 127.
Death and will Thomas Ewyn died on 10 May 1569. His will mentions that he had loaned goldsmith's files and a quantity of salammoniac, used to refine gold and silver, to another goldsmith, Alexander Gilbert. His daughter Barbara was the wife of the glazier Stevin Loch. His executors included the scribe Robert Ewyn and the goldsmith James Mosman. Unusually, the will includes a measure to avoid Thomas Ewyn's widow from continuing his business, as she was "ane woman of na schift", meaning she was not thought to have suitable initiative, and, perhaps because of her status and upbringing, was reluctant to become a businesswoman as a widow.Margaret Connolly & Rachel Hart, "Writing the Law in Late Medieval and Early Modern Scotland: Regiam maiestatem, the Marchmont Manuscript (now St Andrews MS 39000), and its Scribe Robert Ewyn, Notary", Scottish Historical Review, 103:2 (2024), pp. 203-235 at 228.
References