William McEwan
| William McEwan | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
16 July 1827 Alloa, Scotland |
| Died | 12 May 1913 (aged 85) Mayfair, London, England |
| Resting place | Great Bookham, Surrey, England |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Children | Dame Margaret Greville |
| Occupation | Brewer and politician |
William McEwan (/məˈkjuːᵻn/) (16 July 1827 – 12 May 1913) was a Scottish politician and brewer. He founded the Fountain Brewery in 1856, served as a member of parliament (MP) from 1886 to 1900, and funded the construction of the McEwan Hall at the University of Edinburgh.
McEwan was born in Alloa, Scotland in 1827, the third child of ship-owner John McEwan and his wife Anne Jeffrey. His older sister Janet married James Younger head of his local family brewing business in 1850. He was educated at Alloa Academy. He worked for the Alloa Coal Company and merchants Patersons.
He worked in Glasgow for a commission agent and then as a bookkeeper for a spinning firm in Yorkshire
From 1851 he received technical and management training from his uncles, John and David Jeffrey, proprietors of the Heriot brewery in Edinburgh. In 1856 he established the Fountain Brewery at Fountainbridge in Edinburgh with money from his mother and his uncle, Tom Jeffrey. After growing sales in Scotland, his nephew William Younger of Alloa began an apprenticeship with him and eventually became managing director. Exports were made to Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and India, with McEwan's having 90% of sales in north-eastern England by the turn of the century. The brewery became part of Scottish & Newcastle.
McEwan became a member of parliament for Edinburgh Central after the 1886 general election, representing the Liberal Party. He was returned unopposed in 1895 and continued to serve until 1900. He became a Privy Counsellor in 1907, but declined a title.
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