The first immigrant to Canada from the MacPherson family with a red-headed Scottish soldier by the name of Ewen McPherson (sometimes called Evan). Ewen was born in Laggan, Iverness, Scotland in 1789. He was baptised on February 8th. One record suggests he married Isabelle MacLeod on July 2, 1806.

From 1807 to 1814 he fought with the 75th Regiment of Foot. Prior to 1809 they wore kilts and had the title 75th Highlanders. In 1810, they left Scotland for Ireland, and then England. In 1811 they sailed to Sicily and Messina in support of the European resistance to Napoleon. The 75th Foot was involved on a raid on the Calabrian coast in 1813. They returned to Scotland in 1814 where Ewen retired from the army due to eyesight problems. With the return of Napoleon to power in 1815, Ewen was back in the army fighting with the 42nd Foot. They were shipped to Belgium in May of 1815 for the 100 day resumption of the Napoleonic Wars. Apparently they were in the heart of the battle in Quatre Bras and at Waterloo. On July 19, 1816 Ewen was pensioned at 6 cents per day, years later that was raised to 9 cents per day.

Ewen immigrated to Canada and settled in the Perth Military Settlement. He was granted a half lot of land in 1834 in Bathurst township for his ‘small but numerous family, having a wife and six children’. He sold the property in 1844. They later moved to Oso township in Frontenac County. In 1838 Ewen joined the British army again to suppress the Upper Canada Rebellion also known as the Farmer’s Rebellion. He fought as a Private with Captain Finlayson’s Company at Norton Creek and was paid for 19 day service from November 4 to 22nd.

Ewen and Isabelle had six children between 1823 and 1829 including Duncan who was born in 1826. Ewen died on December 14, 1887 at the age of 98 and is buried near Maberly, Ontario. Isabelle died prior to 1861.