Shiner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Many destitute Irish families in the 18th and 19th centuries decided to leave their homeland, which had in many ways been scarred by English colonial rule. One of the most frequent destinations for these families was North America where it was possible for an Irish family to own their own parcel of land. Many of the early settlers did find land awaiting them in British North America, or even later in America, but for the majority of immigrants that arrived as a result of the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s the ownership of land was often a long way off. These Irish people were initially put to work on such industrial projects as the building of bridges, canals, and railroads, or they worked at manufacturing positions within factories. Whenever they arrived, the Irish made enormous contributions to the infant nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the earliest immigrants to bearer the name of Shiner were found through extensive research of immigration and passenger lists:

Shiner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Andrew Shiner, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 4

• Ambassador Josette Sheeran Shiner, American Under Secretary for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs for the United States Department of State
• Isaac Shiner, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Sussex County, 1837-38 5
• Roy Albert James Shiner (1924-1988), British professional footballer from the Isle of Wight
• Ronald Alfred Shiner (1903-1966), British stand-up comedian and comedic actor, known for Dry Rot (1956), Aunt Clara (1954) and Innocents in Paris (1953)
• Lewis Shiner (b. 1950), American science fiction writer
• Esther Shiner (1924-1987), Canadian municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario, North York's Deputy Mayor in the 1980s
• David Shiner (b. 1953), American actor, clown, playwright and theater director, first featured in Cirque du Soleil's production Nouvelle Expérience in 1990