Guild of One-Name Studies
One-name studies, Genealogy
Study: Shawyer
Variants: Shawer, Shiyer, Showyer
Category: 1 - A study where research using core genealogical datasets and transcriptions is in its early stages.
Contact: Mr Brian MacIntyre
In addition to the recognised variants of the name, I have come across a variety of census entries recorded under different surnames, most of which appear to be the result of regional accents or misunderstandings by the enumerators. Some Shawyer individuals have been found recorded under Sawyer, Sawyers, Shawger and Shayer.
I am currently investigating whether the irregular name Shawler is related to the Shawyer name or whether it is merely a variant of the more common surname Showler. To date, I have evidence that fits in both camps!
On of the 251 Shawyers listed on the 1841 census, 161 lived in Hampshire and 54 were found within Sussex. It was not until 1891 that the number of Shawyers living in Hampshire was less than 50% of the total Shawyer population in England â and even in 1901, the number of Shawyer individuals living in Hampshire and Sussex was 60% of the total.
All England and Wales census entries have been recorded, covering 1841 to 1901. The data for the 1911 census is currently being collated, and will be added as soon as I have checked the information I have collected.
This data can be found on the Shawyer One-Name Datastore
I have also begun collecting all entries from the Parish Registers, both through the International Genealogical Index (available courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) and the variety of registers now available on CD/DVD.
Future stages of the One-Name study will include gathering census and related data from the US and Canada, and collecting details of grants of probate from England and Wales.