Shaw

The Origins of our Shaw's

Our Shaw surname originates from England. Our paternal 2^nd Great-Grandfather, Edward Barker Shaw, was born January 18^th, 1854 in Nottingham, England to Frederick Thomas Shaw and Sarah (Alcock) Shaw. Edward married Hannah Shirt, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Pakeman) Shirt, on April 28^th, 1878 in the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, in New Mills, district of Hayfield, County of Derby, England. Edward would immigrate to Toronto, Canada sometime in 1882, apparently to find a better life for him and his young family in the railroad industry. Hannah would follow Edward to Canada a year later with the first three of their nine children. Hannah left Liverpool in September 1883 with their daughter, Sara Ellen (5), and sons George Edward (3) and William T. (infant), aboard the S.S. Lake Winnipeg bound for the port of Quebec. Edward and Hannah’s other children, all born in Canada, are: Agnes (1885), Douglas Henry (1886), Mary Ann (1889-1892), Fred (1892), Alfred Norman (1893), and Hilda (1899). Their second child, George Edward Shaw, is our Great-Grandfather and another immigrant ancestor.

George was born November 1^st, 1879 in Openshaw, Lancashire, England. He would marry Elizabeth Jones on July 15^th, 1903 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. George was an active member of The Grand Lodge of Masons in Ontario, Canada from May 1921 until his death on November 20^th, 1944 in Toronto. George and Elizabeth would have two children, George Howard (1904) and Stewart Edward (1907). Stewart would marry but had no kids, he died June 25^th, 1972 in Toronto. George
Howard is another of our immigrant ancestors, and our grandfather.
George H. was born June 29^th, 1904 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He immigrated to Detroit, Michigan March 29^th, 1926 via the D&W (Detroit & Windsor) Ferry probably to secure a job in the automobile industry as he worked as a tool & die maker for most of his life. He met our grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Jane Canter^[1], in Detroit where they were married February 28^th, 1930. George and Mary would live their entire life on Rockdale Avenue in Detroit. George H. died October 1^st, 1964 and is buried in Parkview Memorial Cemetery in Livonia, Wayne County, Michigan. Mary would follow George in passing 25 years later, on November 26^th, 1989. She is buried alongside her husband.

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[1] The Canter surname was originally Cantello or Cantelo in their homeland of Wales – it was changed upon entering the United States. Their story will be in a future post.