By Jared L. Olar
February 2019
The surname of Shewan first appears on record in Scotland in 1444, when "Mathew Sewane" (or Sewan) was admitted as a Burgess of Aberdeen during the reign of King James II of Scotland. Subsequently in the 1500s the surname appears with the spellings of Schewine and Schewane, but by the 1600s the surname is spelled variously as Shewon, Shewen, Shewan, and in the 1700s we see the spelling Shuan. The Internet Surname Database proposes that the earliest form of the surname, "Sewane," suggests that it developed from the Scandinavian given named Swane or Swayne, that is "Svein." That hypothesis, however, fails to account for the initial /sh/ sound that is attested in almost all forms of this name, and George Black's 1946 Surnames of Scotland notes that "Shewan occurs as a 'Ness' name in Shetland, and by some is mistakenly supposed to be from ON. Swein." Henry Harrison's 1912 Surnames of the United Kingdom says "Shewan" derives from the identically pronounced Swedish name Sjöwan, which literally means "Sea-Used," that is, "Accustomed to the Sea," a suitable name for a sailor or viking. Over the centuries, probably going back to the eras before Christ, the region of Aberdeenshire -- being a coastal territory opposite Norway -- has received many settlers of Scandinavian origin, not only hostile viking raiders but also peaceful merchants and migrants. It is unsurprising, then, to find that Scottish families surnamed "Shewan" would be among them.
1. WILLIAM SHEWAN, parentage and ancestry unknown, born circa 1683 in Mireside, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, died Aug. 1769 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, buried 30 Aug. 1769 in the Old Kirkyeard of Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. On 27 Jan. 1709 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, William married MARJORY WALKER, born circa 1685 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, died Feb. 1768 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, buried in the Old Kirkyeard of Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The marriage record of William and Marjory in the old parish register of Peterhead Parish identifies them as "Wm. Shuan" and "Marjory Walker." Marjory's very common surname indicates descent from a man who was noted in his neighborhood for walking, either as an avocation or because he owned no horse, mule, or ass on which to ride or to pull his cart or wagon.
The Peterhead Parish register shows that William and Marjory had seven sons and one daughter. In these baptismal records, William's name is usually spelled "Wm. Shewan." He had two unnamed sons baptised, in 1712 and 1714 -- that they were baptised without names suggests they were born sickly and were baptised hurriedly lest they were to die with the taint of original sin, though it may simply be that the minister entered these records later, by which time he had forgotten their names. William and Marjory reused the names of Andrew and William, indicating that the elder sons of those names had died young.
The known children of William and Marjory Shewan were:
-- ANDREW SHEWAN, baptised 5 April 1711 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, died circa 1718 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- [SON] SHEWAN, baptised 29 Jan. 1712 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- MARGARET SHEWAN, baptised 12 Nov. 1713 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- [SON] SHEWAN, baptised 12 Aug. 1714 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- WILLIAM SHEWAN, baptised 30 May 1716 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, died in infancy circa 1716 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- WILLIAM SHEWAN, baptised 31 Aug. 1717 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- ANDREW SHEWAN, baptised 1 Feb. 1719 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- JAMES SHEWAN, baptised 15 May 1720 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
2. MARGARET SHEWAN, daughter of William and Marjory Shewan, born Nov. 1713 and baptised 12 Nov. 1713 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, died Jan. 1784 and buried 3 Jan. 1784 in the Old Kirkyard of Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. On 23 Feb. 1738 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Margaret married GEORGE MUTCH, born Nov. 1710 and baptised 29 Nov. 1710 in Logie Buchan Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, died Aug. 1768 in Clubscross, Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, buried 5 Aug. 1768 in the Old Kirkyard of Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, son of John and Margaret Mutch of Logie Buchan Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Harry Mutch's Mutches.com database cites "ANESFHS Ancestor Chart 1058" to identify the parents of George Mutch's wife Margaret Shewan as William Shewan and Marjory Walker of Peterhead Parish. However, Leslie MacKenzie's family tree shows Margaret's parents as John Shewan and Mary Straquhan of Peterhead Parish. In fact, Peterhead's old parish register shows three possible baptismal records for our Margaret Shewan: "Margt. Shewan, daughter of John Shewan," 27 April 1712; "Margt. Shewan, daughter of Wm. Shewan," 12 Nov. 1713, and "Marjory Shewan, daughter of Andrew Shewan." Of these three Margarets, the daughter of William is obviously the correct one, for that is the best onomastic fit when we consider the traditional Scottish naming tradition and compare the names of the parents, siblings, and children of each Margaret. The onomastics of the family of Marjory, daughter of Andrew, does not fit at all (for our Margaret had no son named Andrew). Margaret, daughter of John Shewan, is not a bad fit onomastically, but Margaret, daughter of William Shewan, is a perfect fit.
Clubscross in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where George Mutch died in 1768 -- this old croft is about a mile and a half due west of the modern town of Peterhead. At left is a detail from the 1868 Ordnance Survey map of Peterhead Parish.
George and Margaret had five daughters and four sons:
-- BARBARA MUTCH, born 1740 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- JANET MUTCH, born 1742 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- WILLIAM MUTCH, baptised 17 June 1744 in Peterhead Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- JOHN MUTCH, born 1746 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- JEAN MUTCH, born 1748 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- GEORGE MUTCH, born 1750 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- MARJORY MUTCH, born circa 1753 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- ANN MUTCH, born 1756 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
-- ROBERT MUTCH, born 1758 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Shewan Genealogy Resources:
GEN-UK-I: Logie Buchan Old Scottish Genealogy and History: Logie Buchan Records Old St. Peter's Kirkyard Cemetery Old Scottish Genealogy and History: Peterhead Records