W. (William) Ewing

Born in 1857 at Corsock in south-west Scotland, William Ewing was educated at the Universities of Glasgow and Leipzig and went on to become a clergyman in the Free Church tradition. He served in Palestine, Birmingham, and Scotland, building a career that combined ministry with a strong interest in the lands and peoples of the Middle East.

He is best remembered as an author of books shaped by direct experience, including Arab and Druze at Home and Cedar and Palm. Those works reflect years spent observing everyday life, religion, and travel in Palestine and neighboring regions, giving modern readers a window into places he knew closely.

Ewing also served as a military chaplain during the First World War. According to memorial records, he worked with forces at Gallipoli, the Suez Canal, and in Mesopotamia, was wounded at Baghdad, and was later chaplain of St. Andrew's Church in Jerusalem. He died in 1932 and was buried in Jerusalem Protestant Cemetery.