| ![Show Contents]() Schaw History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of SchawWhat does the name Schaw mean? The clans of the Pictish people in ancient Scotland were the ancestors of the first people to use the name Schaw. It was a name for a person who shared some of the qualities attributed to a wolf. Schaw is a nickname surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one's personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. The surname Schaw is derived from the Gaelic first name Sithech, which means wolf. Early Origins of the Schaw familyThe surname Schaw was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where the family appears to have been firmly entrenched in the Eastern coastal regions well before 1000 AD. While some claim that the Clan originally descended from a MacDuff, one of the ancient Earls of Fife, the first official mention in documents shows them to be present at the General Council held by King Malcolm at Forfar in 1061. However, this ancient leadership was challenged by many other Clans Commyns (Cummings) who had leased the Shaw lands of Rothiemurchus. Early History of the Schaw familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schaw research. Another 369 words (26 lines of text) covering the years 1178, 1226, 1405, 1411, 1527, 1550, 1602, 1608, 1625, 1672, 1692, 1751, 1774, 1776, 1799, 1804, 1826, 1832, 1849, 1876 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Schaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Schaw Spelling VariationsIn the Middle ages, spelling and translation were not yet regulated by any general rules. spelling variations in names were common even among members of one family unit. Schaw has appeared Shaw, Shawe, Mac Ghille-Sheathanaich (Gaelic) and others. Early Notables of the Schaw family- William Schawe (1550-1602), Scottish architect, probably a younger son of Schaw of Sauchie
Migration of the Schaw family to IrelandSome of the Schaw family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 123 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Schaw migration to the United States | + |
Faced by this persecution and the generally unstable political climate of those days, many Scots chose to leave their homeland for Ireland, Australia, and North America in search of greater opportunity and freedom. The colonies across the Atlantic were the most popular choice, but a passage there was neither cheap nor easily suffered. Passengers arrived sick and poor, but those who made it intact often found land and more tolerant societies in which to live. These brave settlers formed the backbone of the burgeoning nations of Canada and the United States. It is only this century that the ancestors of these families have begun to recover their collective identity through the patriotic highland games and Clan societies that have sprung up throughout North America. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Schaw:
Schaw Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- John Schaw, who arrived in America in 1747
- Robert Schaw, who settled in North Carolina in 1751
- John Adam Schaw, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1752 1
- William Schaw, aged 20, who landed in New York in 1774 1
- William Schaw, who settled in New York in 1774
Schaw Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Andreas Schaw, who settled in Baltimore in 1833
| Contemporary Notables of the name Schaw (post 1700) | + |
- William Schaw (1714-1757), Scottish physician, educated at Edinburgh, Fellow of the College of Physicians, 8 April 1754
- General William Schaw Cathcart KT, PC, PC (Ire) (1755-1843), 1st Earl Cathcart, Scottish soldier and diplomat
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: I mean well
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
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