Ewan Forbes

Sir Ewan Forbes (1912–1991) was a Scottish doctor who changed gender and became a baronet. At birth he was registered as female, and baptised Elizabeth Forbes-Sempill, youngest daughter of the 18th Lord Sempill, who was a baronet as well as a baron. On Lord Sempill's death in 1934, both the barony and the baronetcy passed to Elizabeth's elder brother.

From 1945 onwards, Elizabeth began living as a man, and obtained a warrant for birth re-registration form the Sheriff of Aberdeen. He issued an advertisement in the Aberdeen papers that he wished to be known as Dr Ewan Forbes-Sempill. In 1952 he married his housekeeper, Isabella Mitchell.

In 1965, Ewan Forbes-Sempill's brother, the 19th Lord Sempill, died. The barony passed to his daughter, but the baronetcy legally could only pass in the male line. It was ssumed that Ewan would succeed to be baronetcy but this was challenged by a cousin on the grounds that he was a woman. The Scottish Court of Session found in Ewan's favour, and in 1968 the Home Secretary confirmed that he should be registered as Sir Ewan Forbes of Craigievar, 11th Baronet (having dropped the Sempill part of his name).

The whole case was conducted in considerable secrecy, and was therefore not able to be quoted as s precedent in later cases.