A new blue plaque has been unveiled in Davyhulme to honour Ensign Charles Ewart, the local war hero who famously captured a French eagle at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
Ewart was born in 1769 and joined the Scots Greys (2nd Royal North British Dragoons) in 1789. He went on to fight in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, serving with distinction. His most iconic moment came at Waterloo when he took the eagle standard from the French 45th Regiment – a symbol so fiercely defended it was considered almost untouchable. The act earned him a personal promotion from the Prince Regent.
After more than 30 years in the British Army, Ewart retired to Salford with his wife Margaret. They later moved to Feathers Cottage on Bent Lanes in Davyhulme – now the site of 56/58 Bent Lanes – where he lived until his death in 1846.
On 18 June, exactly 210 years after the Battle of Waterloo, a ceremony was held to unveil the plaque at his former home. Organised by Trafford Council’s Local Studies team, it was attended by local residents, historians and the Mayor of Trafford, Cllr Jane Brophy.
“It’s an honour to recognise Ensign Ewart’s bravery here in Trafford, where he spent his final years,” said Cllr Brophy. “He was a true hero whose legacy still inspires today.”
Also speaking at the event was Stuart Kennedy, Curator of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum, who travelled down from Edinburgh to share stories about Ewart’s early life in Kilmarnock and his remarkable military service. Ewart’s remains were moved from Salford to Edinburgh Castle in 1938, where he was reburied with full honours beneath a granite memorial.
The new plaque joins a growing list of blue plaques across Greater Manchester, each marking a place tied to someone or something that helped shape our city and beyond. On Nelson Street, the Pankhurst Centre celebrates the birthplace of the suffragette movement and honours Emmeline Pankhurst. Just a short distance away, Elizabeth Gaskell’s former home pays tribute to one of the most important writers of the Victorian era. In the city centre, Balloon Street marks where James Sadler made Manchester’s first balloon flight in 1785. And in Rochdale, a blue plaque outside Cargo Studios reminds music fans where Joy Division and OMD once recorded.
These plaques do more than just mark a building – they tell stories. They stop people in their tracks and spark curiosity. Now, thanks to this latest addition in Davyhulme, Ensign Charles Ewart’s incredible bravery is no longer just part of British military history – it’s part of local memory too.
