Merchant.
Born at Thamesford, Ontario on 26 April 1866, he came to Brandon in 1890 and, four years later, he partnered with Frederick Nation in the mercantile business of Nation & Shewan.
In 1892, he married Catherine Rachel Malcolm (1868-1946) at Norwich, Ontario and they subsequently had four children: Audrey Bell Shewan (1896-1897), Lloyd Douglas Shewan, Muriel Hargrave Shewan (1899-?, wife of John Gray Grant), and Malcolm Wardlaw Shewan (1906-1980). He served as a Brandon city councillor (1919-1920), President of the Brandon Board of Trade (two years), President of the YMCA (three years), and a board member (1912-1941) and life governor of the Brandon General Hospital. In 1917, he organized Brandon's first Victory Loan campaign. He was a founder of the Brandon Rotary Club. He was a member of the St. Paul's Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church. He lived at Toronto, Ontario from 1941 to 1945.
He died at the Brandon General Hospital on 6 October 1947 and was buried in the Brandon Cemetery.
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Shewan House (252 Eighth Street, Brandon)
Birth registrations [Audrey Bell Shewan, Muriel Hargrave Shewan, Malcolm Wardlaw Shewan], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Death registrations [Audrey B Shewan, Alexander Shewan], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
Marriage registration [Muriel Hargrave Shewan, John Gray Grant], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Pioneer resident Alex Shewan died in city today,” Brandon Sun, 6 October 1947, page 5.
Grave transcription [Alexander Shewan], Brandon Cemetery.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 6 June 2026
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