WATSON/SHEWAN - Peterhead

[fruitcake]

Thank you, Glendaveny, much appreciated.  I have sent you a PM with my email address.

fruitcake

[belliott]

Hi,

I realize this thread is old, and I'm just starting my research, but would be appreciative of any information on David Shewan who married a Jessie Thompson. 

I have David Shewan (unconfirmed) as the father of John Keir Shewan (1847-1903 from Aberdeenshire), married a Mary Jane Bent (England).  They came to Canada (about 1864) and settled in Minto/Wellington.

There is also a possible Alexander Shewan (and Elizabeth/Eliza Chalmers) who could be the parents of David but this lead seems less likely.

David would be my great, great great grandfather on my father's side.
Any information would be appreciated.  Thx in advance,
b.

[Glendaveny]

Sorry, but I think you may be on the wrong track. David Shewan and his wife Jessie Thomson had a son John Kerr Shewan in 1847. But my records show he married Rebecca Walker, and died in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1907.  You might want to check this by looking at his death certificate on Scotland's People as I have not totally verified the info ( not my direct line).   If you look for John in a census like 1851 it might shown you where his father was born.

I have found that there are 'pockets' of Shewan's in Shetland, NE Scotland and NE England. But I've never really managed to link them up   

[belliott]

Thanks for the reference and information. Too bad that it does not seem a match but I'll keep going.
 

[fruitcake]

Hi belliot, you are definitely on the wrong track, David Shewan and Jessie Thomson are my 3x Great Grandparents and their daughter Margaret (Maggie) Shewan is my 2x Great Grandmother. Glendavenny is correct in that John Keir Shewan (Keir not Kerr) married Rebekah Walker in Peterhead in 1872.

[Glendaveny]

John appears in the 1861 census of Canada, age 13, working as a labourer in Minto. Apparently on his own as no sign of any other Shewan's there. It says he was born in Scotland.

[belliott]

Thanks, I do have that information from Canadian records (and from very limited family oral history).  Another possibility is that his father's name is "Conrad".  Family do indicate that he was from Aberdeen but again, a very limited oral history.  I'm still piecing things together and am at least happy to eliminate David from the list.
Thanks again!

[Glendaveny]

In a publication called Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers of Wellington County John is listed. It says he was induced to come to Canada by his uncle James Chalmers. He is said to come from Aberdeenshire. In the 1851 Scottish census, there is a John Shewan aged 4 living with his grandmother Helen Chalmers at Old Deer. The census says this is in Banffshire but it is actually in Aberdeenshire. I think this is probably your man. It's a starting point anyway.

[fruitcake]

Not sure if this will be any help to you, but there is another David Shewan in this line of my family, he's David Walker Shewan who is the grandson of David Shewan and Janet/Jessie Thomson.  This David Walker Shewan is the son of David and Janet's son William Shewan (who married Helen Walker) and David Walker Shewan emigrated to Canada.