James Ewan

James Ewan J.P. was a Scottish-born Australian financier, mercantilist, and philanthropist. He held a number of high-profile financial positions, including being a long time partner in John Frazer and Co., Chairman of the Australia Steam Navigation Company, City Bank of Sydney, and the United Insurance Company. Ewan made considerable philanthropic donations to the Sydney Hospital, Benevolent Society, Presbyterian Church, the Women's Guild, and the Nepean Cottage Hospital (now known as the Nepean Hospital).

Personal life James Ewan was born on the 18th of July 1843 near Leith Walk, Edinburgh to headmaster and geography author father of the same name, and mother Mary née Blair. He and his family arrived in Sydney, Australia in March 1849 on board the Zemindar, and was educated at his father's school on 61-63 York Street Sydney, and later at the West Maitland Presbyterian High School. As a young man in 1857, Ewan began to work with the wholesale grocery store owner turned-mercantile and brother in law John Frazer.

In 1872, Ewan married Marion Jane Reid, daughter of Reverend John Reid, and sister of the 4th Prime Minister of Australia; George Reid. Ewan had two sons, who were squatters who managed his pastoral properties, and six daughters who he married to prominent doctors of Sydney. This includes prominent Macquarie Street physician Dr. Alexander Murray-Will, Dr George Armstrong of College Street,

Ewan died in his Glenleigh Mansion in the late afternoon of Saturday, the 1st of August 1903 surrounded by six doctors and a number of nurses, after a short week-long battle with Influenza. He had suffered of Bright's disease throughout most of his life.

Ewan also constructed and maintained a convalescent home called "Hope Cottage" on his Glenleigh Estate. After Ewan's death, Marion Ewan large sums of her fortune to charitable activities run through the church in an attempt to endear the nearby community, of which she felt largely disconnected from due to James' frequent staying's at Watson's Glanworth Estate for business purposes. There was no local announcement of his death. As well as a foundation stone at the Frazer Memorial Presbyterian Church in Springfield.

Ewan passed his charitable nature down to his children, with his daughter being memorialised through Ewan House at Knox Grammar School in Wahroonga, New South Wales for heavily discounting the sale of John Thomas Toohey's former residences for use for use in the preparatory school.