Isaac Ewer

Isaac Ewer was an English soldier and one of the Regicides of King Charles I of England.

Probably born in Essex, he married Joan Thurloe, sister of John Thurloe, in 1633 and was registered as a surveyor of highways in 1636. Ewer enlisted for the Parliament of England after the outbreak of the First Civil War; he was a captain of horse in 1643 and a major of dragoons in the Eastern Association by 1645. He transferred to the New Model Army in April 1645 as lieutenant-colonel in Robert Hammond's regiment of foot, and succeeded Hammond as colonel in October 1647.

During the Second Civil War, Ewer's regiment marched with Oliver Cromwell to suppress the Royalist uprising in South Wales. Ewer successfully besieged Chepstow Castle during the campaign against Pembroke. He was then ordered to join Fairfax in Essex at the siege of Colchester. In November 1648, Ewer headed the deputation that presented "The Remonstrance of the Army" to Parliament, after which the Council of Officers sent him to relieve his old commander Colonel Hammond of his charge of King Charles, who was a prisoner at Carisbrooke Castle. Ewer was then ordered to remove the King to Hurst Castle on the way to his trial. Ewer was one of the hard core of Army officers appointed to the High Court of Justice and a signatory of the King's death warrant.

In 1649, Ewer's regiment was one of those selected by lot to serve on Cromwell's expedition to Ireland, where it played a decisive role in the storming of Drogheda on 11 September. In 1650, Ewer was with Cromwell at the capture of Kilkenny in March and Clonmel in May. He remained in Ireland after Cromwell's departure and served under Ireton at the capture of Waterford in August 1650. Ewer died of plague either in late 1650 or early 1651 and was buried at Waterford.

References

This article contains text under a Creative Commons License by David Plant, the British Civil Wars and Commonwealth website http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/biog/ewer.htm