James Schaw of Greenock

James Schaw was born ABT 1565 in Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland, and died ABT 1620 in Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

Notes

The old 1629 well shown below was built by the Shaws back home in Greenock; meanwhile Elizabeth's brother James Shaw built Ballygally Castle on the County Antrim coast road in 1625. This excellent account of the history of Greenock says that it was Elizabeth's father John Shaw who built the first church in the town with permission from King James VI. And it's no surprise to read that '...In 1670 a French traveller, M. Jorevein de Rocheford, visited Krinock' which he says is 'the town where the Scots post and packet boat starts for Ireland...'. The first history of Greenock is available here: GoogleBooks

Family

He was the son of John Schaw and Jean Cunningham.

He married Margaret Montgomerie, daughter of Robert Montgomerie, 6th laird of Hessilhead (died 1623), and Margaret Wallace (died 1602). Lady Greenock left a will in 1606, naming James Schaw

“administratour to Johnne, Robert, William, Grisell, Margaret, and Marioun Schaws, his lawful bairns.”

Biography

From https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mlysell&...

Gordon A. MacGregor writes: "James Schaw of Greenock, m. Margaret, daughter of Hugh Montgomery of Haselhead, and was father of John Schaw of Greenock, had a charter under the Great Seal for the lands of Wester Greenock-Schaw on 15 February, 1623, and m. Helen, daughter of Sir Ludovick Houston of that Ilk, (c/m 29 September, 1619 and Robert Schaw, acted as attorney for infefting his brother John Schaw in the lands of Greenock on 23 December, 1622."

From "Old Greenock from the earliest times to the early part of the nineteenth" ... By George Williamson: "James Schaw succeeded his father in 1594. He married Margaret, daughter of Hugh Montgomerie of Hessilhead, and sister of Alexander Montgomerie. Of James Schaw, nothing is known except that he lived a quiet, country life, cultivating his paternal acres, not troubling himself as his father had done, or his son did after him, with politics, civil or ecclesiastical. He died in 1620 at Greenock, in the old family mansion. He left two sons, John and William."

Links

• http://www.favret.org/mcilvain/d0/i0000001.htm
• http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/dtog/donnachaidh/article1.htm The author of this article, Gordon A. MacGregor, is a professional genealogist with 25 years experience researching the land-owning families of Highland Perthshire. His most recently published work, ‘The Red Book of Perthshire’, came out at the end of 2006. It contains, in close on 1100 pages, detailed genealogical accounts of virtually every family to have ever held lands within Perthshire from the introduction of written record. His work can be seen on the web at http://www.perthshireheritage.co.uk/.