John Dewar (1849)

Born 20 Apr 1849 in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Patricia Gray [send private message] and Anthony Hare [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Menzies Name Study.

John Dewar is a member of Clan Menzies.

John Dewar was born in Scotland.

Birth

John Dewar was born on 20 Apr 1849 in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland. He was christened on 6 May 1849 also in Perth..^[1] He was the son of John Dewar and Jane Gow.

Research Note: for the Name of Dewar.

In 2004 Dr Albert Duncan Dewar M.B.E, FSA, published a paper titled: Of The Name ‘Dewar’, the history of a surname; its association with the ancient Celtic Church and the custodianship of Saintly Relics.

The last two paragraphs of this published paper state;

“The lands of Dewar remained in the hands of the Dewars of the Ilk until 1618 when they were sold to Lady Margaret Maxwell of Newbattle and later to the Cranstouns of Curchope. In 1719 a descendant of the Dewars of that Ilk, and Edinburgh merchant and Baillie purchased the estate and barony of Vogrie* near Pathead, Midlothian, which was held by his successors until 1919. The adjacent village of Dewarton was created by them. The Vogrie estate is now a country park owned by the Midlothian District Council.

It is claimed that the head of the Vogrie Dewars is ‘Chief of the Name and Ars of Dewar’. Whilst it is undoubtedly correct for the present head of this family to be styled representer of the Dewars of that Ilk and Vogrie, the suggestion that ‘all those who bear the name of Dewar owe allegiance to him’ is highly questionable since, as stated above, the many families which later adopted the name of their hereditary office as a surname were unrelated and unconnected save, originally, in the duties of their office and that they in no way together formed a ‘clan’ or dynasty.

*It is an interesting coincidence that the lands of Vogrie had been owned previously by the Menzies Chief, Sir Robert Meygnes. The lands were forfeited to the King of England in 1336 as a result of Sir Robert’s support of Robert the Bruce but were later restored to the Menzies.''

Acknowledgements

To P Gray Howard-18870 and R Hare Hare-1576 for research and creation of this profile.

Sources

1. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X17K-694 : 10 February 2018), John Dewar, 20 Apr 1849; citing , reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,040,163.