Magnus Shearer (ii)
For other people with the same name, see Magnus Shearer.
Magnus MacDonald Shearer (b. 27 February 1924, 2 South Albany Street, Lerwick, d. 22 July 2007, Lerwick) was the Managing Director of J. & M. Shearer Ltd, a Justice of the Peace, a member of the Lerwick Harbour Trust, honorary consul for Sweden and Germany, and a Lerwick Town Councillor.
He was educated at Lerwick Central Public School,and the Anderson Educational Institute. In 1942 he was called up to the Royal Navy, serving in the North Atlantic, at the D-Day landings, in the Mediterranean and in the Far East.
After the war Mr Shearer joined the family fish-curing business J & M Shearer Ltd in 1946 and continued there until his retirement in 1984.
Magnus M. Shearer had many civic duties:
- He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1969 and remained one for the rest of his life.
- He was a member of Lerwick Town Council from 1962 - 1969
- and of Lerwick Harbour Trust from 1960 - 1975, being in the chair from 1967 - 1972.
- He became honorary secretary of the Lerwick Lifeboat Station in 1968 until 1992.
- From 1958 - 1994 he was honorary consul for Sweden, and
- served as honorary consul for the Federal Republic of Germany from 1972 - 1987.
- He was also an elder of St Columba's Church for 54 years.
From 1982 until his 70th birthday in 1994 Magnus M. Shearer served as Lord Lieutenant of Shetland, being replaced by John Scott.
Magnus married Maisie Henderson in 1949 fathering one son also called Magnus.
Living History
By Heimdal
I knew Magnie well, we were both founder members of the Rotary Club of Shetland.
He had a wonderful fund of stories and I remember him telling a story of being rescued after his ship was torpedoed, later re-told by the minister at his funeral, when, totally exhausted and at his last gasp, as he was climbing over the rail of the rescuing ship, a fellow Lerwick boy, Bertie Arthur, a member of the rescuing crew, walked past, nodded, and said "Aye, Aye Magnie" and kept on walking as though this sort of meeting was a normal daily occurance!!
Magnie Shearer contributed a great deal to both Lerwick and Shetland.
He unsuccessfully contested the 1962 Lerwick Town Council election.
Political Career
- Lerwick Town Council By-Election August 1962
- Lerwick Town Council Election May 1963
- Lerwick Town Council Election May 1966
