Robert EWEN/EWAN/EWING born at sea or in St Cyrus?

[Liviani]

My 4x great-grandfather is a Robert Ewen. He was born approx 1810 either in St Cyrus or at sea (further explanation further down) and married Elizabeth Angus 1832 at Glenbervie, Kincardinshire. She was born Fordoun about 1811.

He died in 1863 aged 55 at Hardgate, Johnshaven and he was a linen weaver. His parents are named as Robert Ewen, a Soldier, deceased and Mary Mitchell, deceased. The informant was his son John Ewen, present.

In 1841 he's aged 30 living in Johnshaven a Linen HLW, born Kincardineshire.
In 1851 he's named as Robert Ewin aged 42, Fore Street, Johnshaven Linen HLW, born St Cyrus.
In 1861 he's aged 42 (this is an error he will be 52, but it is the same family because his wife is there with one of their children and a grandchild) a Hawker of Goods, Johnshaven.

Except, in 1861 he is noted as being "Born at Sea" rather than St Cyrus in the 1851 census.

I can't seem to find any info out about his parents Robert and Mary or anything regarding his birth. I know his Robert Snr was a soldier, but there is no info I can find regarding him, or any possible Robert Ewen in records.

If he was born at sea, is there some sort of database?

Any help appreciated. It may be a dead end, but you never know.

[Wendy2305]

I have an ancestor born at sea in 1811 and I found her baptism down in England in Berwick upon Tweed her father was a soldier as well this was during the Napoleonic wars so could have been baptised outside Scotland

[Liviani]

Thank you Wendy, that's very useful info, I'll have a look! Will update when I've had a chance to have  check.

[Trees]

I also have a similar situation, John the son of a soldier was born in Chatham Kent  in 1824 on three censuses but in 1881 he was "born on the ocean" After a long search we did find his baptism in Chatham, So we knew his father married a Mary? The soldier  was born in Worcestershire which was where John and his sister married but I was lucky there was a settlement order dated 1824 (in the  church papers for the parish where John and his sister grew up and eventually married ) He must have applied for his family to stay in the parish.. It  shows  that he married his wife Mary in Brighthelmstone in 1823 and that he had a son John born in April 1824. Most importantly, it givies the father's regiment this lead to finding his discharge papers which stated he wanted to live in Drypool  after that it was easy to find the rest of his data. Our chase was made more difficult in the family name in Worcestershire was spelt one way and in Yorkshire in a slightly different way. Have you tried all possible spellings of Ewen I'd try Euen, Uwen, and even Evan.
Good luck it took a few years to sort ours out so don't give up.

[hdw]

I come from a fishing village in east Fife where in wartime the fishermen traditionally joined the Royal Navy, or were impressed for naval service, and our local historian who wrote a book about the village in Victorian times tells us that a married couple called Watson both served on HMS Ardent and their daughter Mary was born on the ship in 1801 during the Battle of Copenhagen, when the British fleet was being shelled by the Danish shore batteries.
Little Mary Watson grew up to marry a cooper called Campbell and in the 19th c. censuses of her home village she usually gives her Place of Birth as "At Sea", but in one of the censuses there is the wonderful entry "Aboard HMS Ardent, 64-gunship, at sea".

Harry