Shaw Family Tree research resources

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Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 55011 people with the Shaw surname? In that year Shaw was ranked number 49 for popularity in the UK.

"A thicket, a grove. The Highland family of Shaw is a branch of the clan Mackintosh. "_{(The origin and signification of Scottish surnames. Clifford Stanley Sims, 1862)}

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"SHAW. The Lowland surname of Shaw is of territorial origin. John de Schau witnessed the resignation of the lands of Aldhus to the monks of Paisley in 1284 (RMP., p. 65), and to the same year was witness to the gift of land in the vill of Stewardton by Godfridus de Ros to the same monks (ibid., p. 381). In 1294 William de Schaw witnessed a confirmation charter by James the Seneschal of Scotland to the church of Paisley (ibid., p. 96). Symon del Schawe, Fergus del Shawe, and William de Shawe, all three designated "of the county of Lanark," rendered homage in 1296 (Bain, n, p. 203, 206). John de Schawe was a burgess of Dundee in 1331 (HP., i, p. 225), and in 1409 there is record of a payment by the monks of Mel rose to James de le Schaw (Melros, p. 535). James Schaw of Salquhi (Sauchie) witnessed a notarial attestation of the ' 'sponsalia' or marriage-settlement of James, eldest son and heir of the king of Scots, to the Lady Cecilia in 1474 (Bam, rv, 1417). George Schaw of Craiginbae, 1606 (Retours, Kirkcudbright, 69), and James Shau in Castletoun Miln, 1711 (Minutes, p 115). The families of this name, of south country origin, are found mainly in Kirkcudbrightshire, Ayrshire, around Creenock, and in Stirlingshire. Sha 1705 (2) Northern Shaw (of Aberdeenshire, a branch of Clan Chat tan) has nothing to do with Lowland Shaw. Shaw was adopted as being that most nearly resembling the Gaelic name in pronunciation. The first record of the name is in one of the Gaelic entries in the Book of Deer, recording "Donnachac mac Sithig toesech clenni Morgainn" (Duncan mac Sithech, toisech of Clan Morgan), in Buchan. Sithech, a Culdee of Mothel (now Muthill in Perthshire), was one of the witnesses to a charter by Symon or Symeon, bishop of Dunblane, c. 1178, to the nuns of North Berwick (CMN., 5). As Sythakh Kelede he witnessed another charter by the same bishop ( (Inchaffray, p. 1). Seth mac Lood, a 'native man' of the Abbey of Dunfermline, is witness in a deed of 1230, and Sithaus (in index wrongly, Sithane), son of Ewald, was a native man of the same abbey in the same century (RD., Ill, 222). Sythach Macmallon, a ky thrall or bondman in Badenoch, was turned over to the possession of the bishop in 1234 (REM., p. 84). Fercardus filius Sethi, witness in an agreement also dated 1234 (ibid., p. 99), is evidently Fercardus senescallus de Badenoch of the next document, and probably the individual who gave the name Mac-an-toisich to the Mackintoshes. A charter by Alexander de Yla, earl of Ross, dated 1338, of the lands of Dalnafert and Kinrorayth (now Kinrara) reserves an acre of ground near le Stychan' of Dalnafert "in qua situ m fuit manerium quondam Scayth filii Ferchardi" (SCM., rv, p. 125). In the Exchequer Rolls between 1455 and 1469 there are numerous references (vols. vi and vir) to three individuals designated the king's 'couriers' or 'messengers.' All three bear the same surname, which is variously spelled Scheo, Scheho, Schetho, Schethou, Schethow, Scheoch, Schethoch, Scheok, and once wrongly de Schetho, as if of territorial origin. Elsewhere in the same volumes the name is further misspelled Macstag and Makstag, manifestly errors for Macscheo. Mention is made in 1532 "de horreis Willelmi Schetho" near Arbroath (RAA., n, 765). John Schetho, clerk of St. Andrews diocese, 1542 (Laing, 464). Thomas Schedow witnessed a tack by the abbot of Cambuskenneth, 1546 (ibid., 505), and Robert Schedo witnessed a charter by William Lundie of that Ilk, 1593 (ibid., 1260). John Schedo was witness in Falkland, 1548 (Caw, 8). Thomas Scheoch witnessed a procuratory by Elizabeth Stuart, lady of Garnetully (Grandtully, i, p. 58). Hutcheon siache or Shaw in Rothirmurchus was fined for resetting outlawed Macgregors, 1613 (RFC., xrv, p. 630), and William Schetho, minister of Kilgour, Falkland, was deposed for drunkenness in 1635 (FasH, n, p. 490). The name means (son of the) wolf; from sithech (Mid. Irish sidhach), an old Gaelic name for the animal. Without 'Mac' the name has been Englished as SHAW in Argyllshire, as SETH and SEATH in Fife, and it appears as SHIACH and SHEACH in Aberdeen and Elgin. See also under SITHECH and SYTHAG. 0 SHAW (2). William Schedo, charter witness, 1517 (RAA., ii, 543). SHAW (2). William Schedo, charter witness, 1517 (RAA., ii, 543). "_{(The surnames of Scotland. George Fraser Black, 1866-1948)}

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