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There appears to be a consensus among scholars of Irish surnames that the ancestors we seek come from the Dalcassian family of Siodhacháin.

Ireland

The ship Encrease of Youghal, Ireland carried Thomas Shehawne and Cornelius Sheehane to Talbot County, Maryland in 1679.

John O'Hart wrote in 1892 that the Dalcassians are one of three branches of the race of Heber. Heber Fionn was the eldest son of Milesius and the first Milesian monarch of Ireland jointly with his brother Heremon. Heremon killed Heber in 1698 B.C.

"Dalcassian" is the anglicised form of Dal Cais, the name given to descendants of Cas, descendant of Cormac Cas, king of Munster in the fifth century. The various families were located chiefly in the part of Thomond presently county Clare. The ruling family of these were the O'Briens, kings of Thomond.

The O'Sheehan's are one of about fifty of the primary families of the Dalcassian sept. The O'Cullen, O'Kenealy, and O'Sheehan were chiefs in the baronies of Conello, county Limerick.

According to the Rev. Patrick Woulfe, O Shieghane, O Shehane, O'Sheehan, O'Sheahan, Sheehan, Sheahan, Sheean, Sheen, and Shean are descendants of Siodacan, (diminutive of riodac, peaceful) the name of a Dalcassian family numerous throughout Munster, especially in Cork, Kerry and Limerick. O Sheahan, O Shaghan, Sheahan, Shahan, Shean, and Shane are derived from Seadacain, a common variation of Siodacain. Shehan is a variation of Sheehan. There is also an old Galway family who were followers of O'Kelly of Ui Maine.

A number of variant spellings found in Seamus Pender's 1659 census of Ireland include Sheghane, Shehane, O'Sheghane, and O'Sheehane. O'Sheaghane and O'Shyghane are also found.

Thomas Laffan in his Hearth Money Records for 1665-1667 also lists alternative surname spellings under SHEEHAN in the index. These include O'Shighane, O'Shehane, Shehane, O'Shihane, Shehan, and Sheehane. Laffan indicates these records to be"the muster roll of the inhabitants of Tipperary five years after the restoration of Charles II., and thirteen years after the surrender of the last organized Irish force. The Hearth Money Tax was introduced soon after the return of Charles II., as it afforded a convenient instrument for extracting the last farthing from a defeated race."

According to Bishop Fennelly "these lists were drawn up less than twenty years after the slaughter connected with the Cromwellian war...."

"In the Cromwellian Settlement the Irish inhabitants, except a few of the labouring class, were ordered to depart to Connaught, where possessions were assigned to them in lieu of those from which they were expelled, and their former holdings were parcelled out amongst the Cromwellian soldiers and adventurers. In this way the whole of the County Tipperary was taken from its lawful owners, and carefully allotted to English and Scottish settlers."

Robert Matheson's published list of surnames in Ireland includes Shane, Sheahan, Shean, Sheean, Sheen, and Shehan as variants of Sheehan, ranked 77th among one hundred of the principal surnames in 1890 Ireland. One example of a given surname derived from a personal name is McShane (MacShawn in Irish), son of John.

Matheson describes "local variations in spelling and form, exhibiting the tendency of names to assume different forms in different localities; variations in spelling at pleasure; and changes owing to illiteracy and other causes." His report presents examples of the use of different names by the same person as a prevailing practice in parts of Ireland.

Edward MacLysaght describes SHEEHAN an alternate spelling of Sheahan. In Irish the name is Ó Siodhacháin.. According to MacLysaght, Celtic scholars question Woulfe's conclusion that Siodacan is a diminutive of "riodac", peaceful. MacLysaght agrees with Woulfe that the sept originated as a Dalcassian one. He also notes that the O'Sheaghyn mentioned in Galway was not an O'Sheehan but rather the result of the gross attempt of a foreign official to write down the name O'Shaughnessy.

By way of background, MacLysaght writes: "The subject of Irish families is one in which much interest is evinced, but the popular books usually consulted and regarded as authoritative, particularly in America, are in fact unreliable. The inaccurate and misleading information thus imparted with cumulative effect is, however, much more deplorable in the armorial sphere than in the genealogical."

"The serious genealogist uses O'Hart (Irish Pedigrees) with caution, if at all, for he is a far from reliable authority except for the quite modern period."

"... it is a pleasure to be able to say that there exists a book which deserves high praise: the Reverend Patrick Woulfe's Irish Names and Surnames."

"There is no doubt that up to the middle of the seventeenth century many of the labouring class had no hereditary surnames."

Barbados

Barbados records include given names Dearman, Teague, Cornelius, Derby, Daniel, John, Edward, Thomas and Mary. Last name spellings include Shoham, Shahane, Shahan, Shon, Shenehan, Skahane, Shehan.

Cornelius branch in Maryland

In the course of research Elizabeth Shahan has come across over thirty variations in the spelling. "Cornelius, his son and grandson, (both named David) are listed variously as Sheehane; Shehane; Sheehan; Shehan; Shehaan; Shahan; Shehawn; Sheehawn; Sheehon; Shehon; Shehom; Sheehorn; and Shehorn, Shahorn, and Shahorne.

Also on the Eastern Shore were Daniel, Darby, Dennis, Patrick and Thomas with spellings including Shehawne; Shehaun; Shawvin; Shawhan; Shawn; Shawhawn, Shauhaun, and Shaughan.

Thomas branch in Maryland

The last name of the Thomas who arrived in 1679 aboard the ship "Encrease" was spelled Shehawne. In 1713 the Dorecheter county clerk wrote Shehane and Shehan in the same document. The Shehawn and Shawhane spellings continue through the century.

Darby in Maryland

Depending on the individual record, the last name of Darby who married Sarah Meeks was spelled Shawhawn (1707 marriage record), Shehan (Shad's Hole property record), Shawhan, Shehorne (bond), Sheighane (patent for Darby's Desire), and Shawn (1733 debt records and will of 1735).

A Darby Shohon died in 1721, St. Mary's Co., Md. His wife was Elizabeth.

Daniel branch of Darby

A Daniel Shawhan witnessed the will of William Huddlestone in Kent Co., 1728. The Shehawn spelling is used in the 1733 tax list for Talbot Co.

A Daniel Shehawne died in Talbot County in 1714.

John Branch of Darby

The Shawhorn spelling was used to record the marriage of John and Elizabeth and the birth of their son, Daniel in 1735. Various spellings including Shawhan, Shawhawn, Shawn, and Shehawn are found in the records.

An enduring Shawhan family tradition is the Shawhan "Coat-of-Arms." Family researcher Isobel Chandler Madsen, in her genealogical account of the Shawhan, Smith, Chandler, and Madsen families [1], mentions a family crest "(Crest 307, plate 24). Motto of Shaughen 'Video et Taceo' or, 'I See and Hold My Peace.'" [2]

To the left is the Coat-of-Arms that has accompanied many Shawhan family genealogies. In fact, I commissioned a beautiful embroidered Shawhan family Coat-of-Arms for my study. To my surprise (and amusement), I discovered that it was actually the Coat-of-Arms for the O'Shaughnessy clan.

Following is a brief history of the O'Shaughnessys: [3]

"The O'Shaughnessys and Shaughnessys are the descendants of the Gaelic Irish sept the O'Seachnasaigh, who were originally, located in the barony of Kiltartan in County Galway. In the eleventh century, they became the dominant sept of the southern Ui Fiachra, and their territory became known as "O'Shaughnessy's Country". The name suffered the consequences of the Cromwellians, and lost most of their land and power. After the "Restoration" the family regained some of its former territory and power, only to loose most of it again, during the Williamite Wars, the family having supported the Irish side in the conflict. The name was then established in Europe, particularly France as well as Australia and America. The last Chief of the name William O'Shaughnessy (1674-1744), who fought at the Battle of the Boyne, as a Colonel in the Irish Brigade in France, died in that country after a distinguished career; Sir John O'Shanassy (1818-1883) established himself as a notable Australian Statesman; Sir William Brooke O Shaughnessy (1809-1889) of County Limerick, was a noted surgeon in India, where he is remembered more for his achievement in establishing a Telegraphic service almost four thousand miles long. A branch of the name was established in Co. Limerick in the sixteenth century, where the name is still numerous today, as well as in the adjoining Counties of Clare and Tipperary."

VARIANTS: Shaughnessy, O'Shoughnessy, (O')Shannessy, O'Shanesy.

ARMS: Vert, a tower triple towered argent supported by two lions rampant combattant or.

MOTTO: FUGIT HORA. "The Hour Flies".

NAME MEANING: "Elusive"

It is yet to be determined how the O'Shaughnessy Coat-of-Arms became associated with the Shawhan surname. It could have something to do with John Rooney's description of the "Shaughen" surname: [4]

"The Shaughen family is descended from Milesius, King of Spain, through the line of his son Heremon. The founder of the family was fiachra, son of Eocha Moy Veagon, King of Ireland, A.D. 350. The ancient name was Siansach and signifies "Melodius." The heads of the clan were styled Lords of Hy Rongally, and their possessions were located in the present county of Tipperary."

Rooney's description is one of those great pieces of romantic writ that strikes a chord with our collective imagination. To think that we of the Shawhan lineage may actually be related to the mythic Melisians! Add to this the fact that "Shaughen" surname is one of the spelling variations found in some of our ancestor's records and we can claim wonderful and ancient origins. For example, my 4g grandfather John Shawhan at times used the Shaughen spelling. Isobel Madsen records

"In some of the early deeds of Bourbon County, [Kentucky] John spelled his name in the old way, Shaughen, and these deeds show that the McCunes and the Shawhans had adjoining land (see Book Y p/135 deed written in 1797); 'William McCune to John Shaughen, for consideration five shillings and for divers goods caused hereto moving, land on Townsend adjoining land to said McCune, John McClure, heirs of Robert Bell, and heirs of Daniel Shaughen, containing 38 acres. December 20, 1802.'" [5]

But where did John Rooney get his information? The likely source is John O'Hart's "Irish Pedigrees," Vol. I. (a late nineteenth century book published in 1976 by the Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland ). In this book, O'Hart pieces together factual, legendary, and mythological data without the cumbersome burden of proof. Modern Irish genealogists have fairly dismissed O'Hart's work as unreliable. My guess is that our family historians found these references to the family name and simply passed them on to future generations.

It is more likely that the Shawhan surname derives from the Irish "Sheehan." Finton Sheehan, a member of our "Shawhan/Shawn" family e-mail discussion group, offers some interesting insights into the Sheehan surname: [6]

"Sheehan is the Anglised version of O' Siochain which is the present day gaelic version. Older gaelic spellings were Siodhain and Sioghan. In the 16th/17th centuries a lot of anglised versions such as Shean, Shighan, Sighan existed. In present day gaelic Siochain translates to peace. The police force in Ireland is called the 'Garda Siochana' which translates to 'Civic Guard'. Also the Coat of Arms of the Sheehan's is a White Dove holding an Olive branch.

"A secretary to the Earl of Desmond during the Desmond rebellion in the late 1500's was called Mossise Shighan. The 'Sheehan' spelling wouldn't have become dominant until after Darby Shawhan emigrated to America. For this reason all these names possibly have the same origin.

"However as most Sheehans emigrated to America after the famine in the 1840's, most people entering America then would have spelled their names Sheehan or Sheahan. Emigration officials in the US often mispelled names which is another source of variation."

Sheehans as well as the Sheehens are the descendants of the Gaelic Irish sept of the O'Siodhachain. [7] The name is derived from Siodhach, which means "Peaceful". The O'Siodhachain sept were originally located in the barony of Lower Connello in County Limerick, where they were part of the Dal gCais tribal grouping. A further sept of O'Sheehan was established in Co. Galway, where they were of the Ui Maine and were hereditary trumpeters to the ruling O'Kellys. Further migration south meant that the County Limerick sept, established in County Cork and further at a later time in County Kerry. The name today, is ranked as the seventy seventh most numerous name in Ireland, with about 8,000 members strong. Counties Limerick, Cork, Kerry and Clare being the most favoured locations. Some noted of the name were Patrick A. Sheehan (1852-1913) known internationally, as Canon Sheehan, accomplished author; Most Rev. Richard A. Sheehan (1845-1915) Bishop of Waterford, author and promoter of the Irish language.

VARIANTS: Sheahan, O'Shehane, O 'Sheehan, O'Sheahan.

ARMS: Azure, on a mount in base vert a dove argent holding in the beak an olive branch proper.

MOTTO: SEMPER PARATUS. 'Always prepared.".

NAME MEANING: "Peaceful".

I may have found the definitive link between the "Sheehan" and "Shawhan" surnames, as well as discovering the original name of our ancestor, Darby Shawhan. As many of us who have researched this name are all-too-aware, the "Shawhan" surname is unusual and has not been found in Irish records. Though we have long speculated that "Shawhan" is a variation of "Sheehan," there has not been one shred of hard evidence to support this contention. Now, I believe I can say with a high degree of certainty that "Shawhan" and "Sheehan" are one-and-the-same.

My discovery came about while on vacation in Ireland this past October 17-25, 2000. My wife and I explored the counties of Limerick, Kerry, Cork, Waterford, Tipperary, Kilkenny and Laois. It was while in the "Kingdom of Kerry" that I came across my first clue to the origins of Darby Shawhan's name, though I did not know it at the time. As you may know, Gaelic is the common language of the folks of rural Kerry and Cork; so much so that many of the road signs are written in Gaelic, as well as the common language on the street.

Because of this, I decided to purchase a book titled "Irish Place Names" by Deirdre and Laurence Flanagan. The book provides a nice English/Gaelic dictionary of place names. As I scanned the dictionary, I came across the name of one of the small villages on the west coast of the Dingle peninsula, called "Ballydavid." The Gaelic form of this is "Baile Dháibhi" (spelled also "Dhóibhi"). It literally means "homestead of Dhóibhi." The name "Dhóibhi" struck me, as if I had "heard" it before, though this was the first time I had actually seen it. Keep this piece of trivia in mind because it becomes important later in this story.

One of the last places we visited while in Ireland was Tipperary. My reason for visiting this area was to follow up on a piece of data discovered by Eric Shawn. Eric uncovered data from a "hearth tax," dated 1659, which listed a Darby Shehane living in Tipperary. With this in mind, my wife and I visited the local Heritage Center with the hopes of finding some shred of evidence linking our ancestor to that data. Our hopes were quickly dashed as the hostess informed us that no records existed in Tipperary prior to 1800. She told us of a fire that destroyed most of the old records and those that remain can only be researched in Dublin.

On a "hunch," I asked the lady about the Gaelic pronuciation of the word "Dhóibhi." She said that the name is pronounced "Darvy." I sat stunned! Did she say what I thought she said?? I looked at Cindy and she had the same reaction. Making sure that what I thought I heard was correct, I asked the lady to pronounce the name again. Again, she said "Darvy." I asked about the "v" sound and she explained that the "bh" takes on a hard "v" sound. I then asked her to pronounce the Gaelic form of "Sheehan." She said "Shawn'n." I couldn't believe what I just heard! My mind was definitely putting "two-plus-two" together. I then asked her to pronounce both words and she said "Darvy Shawn'n." The "n'n" sound was very subtle-sounding like "nun" but with a very slight and quick "u" sound. This could easily be misunderstood as a single "n."

My theory is that our ancestor's name was originally the Gaelic name "Dhóibhi Siochain," anglicised as David Sheehan. When he sailed aboard an English vessel sometime in the 1680's or 1690's, he undoubtedly pronounced his name in Gaelic as "Darvy Shawn'n." and it was heard by the English scribe as "Darby Shawhan" who penned the name we inherited.

While I realize that this theory is yet to be verified and may be proven incorrect, it is the first clear connection between the "Shawhan" and "Sheehan" surnames. More than this, it is the first time that the name of our ancestor can be connected to Ireland-and more specifically-to the Southwest of Ireland.

I invite any and all thoughts on this theory. In the menatime, I am in the process of learning rudimentary Gaelic in order to verify what my wife and I heard from the genealogist in Tipperary.

Bob Francis

Note 1: Isobel Chandler Madsen, SHAWHAN, SMITH, CHANDLER, MADSEN, 1699-1951, p. 3.

Note 2: Ibid., p. 3.

Note 3: From "O'Shaughnessy" card, "Heraldry Names Ltd. Ballina Ireland"

Note 4: John Rooney, "A Genealogical History of Irish Families with Their Crests and Armorial Bearings," 1896, p. 433.

Note 5: Madsen, p. 14.

Note 6: E-mail correspondence.

Note 7: "Sheehan" card, "Heraldry Names Ltd. Ballina Ireland"