Magnus Shearer (i)

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For other people with the same name, see Magnus Shearer.

Magnus Shearer as Provost of the Lerwick Town Council.
Image kindly supplied by the Shetland Islands Council
Magnus Shearer profiled in the Shetland News in 1937.
File:Mshearer.jpg
Magnie Shearer making speech at regatta sports. To left of him are Margaret Smith, Sandy Bennett, right of him Willie Inkster, ?, Andrew Sandison
File:Lindbergh and others.jpg
US Pilot Charles Lindbergh and wife being brought to the Bressay slip in Harbour Trust launch, August 1933. (back) J. Masterton - Chief Coastguard, (front) Bob Greig, Robert J. H. Ganson, Charles Lindbergh, George Burgess, Magnus Shearer, Annie Lindbergh, Robert Ollason, William Sinclair, John Sinclair, Geordie Russell.

Magnus 'Magnie' Shearer (b. 12 July 1890, Clate, Whalsay, d. 8 March 1961, Lerwick) was the managing director of J & M Shearer Ltd, Lerwick Town Councillor and County Councillor for Whalsay And Skerries between 1924 until his election onto the Town Council in 1936. He represented Whalsay and Skerries again between 1947 and 1958

He was the father of Magnus.

Shetland Times Obituary Notes

After leaving school, he served as a cook on board the Whalsay herring boat 'Reindeer', but thereafter began a cooper's apprenticeship under his father, making barrels in Lerwick for A. Wood & Sons, who later employed him on a station in Shields.

He joined the Gordon Highlanders in 1912, and in 1914 when war broke out he was called back to Lerwick. He left Shetland with other GHs in 1915 and was picked for officer training and commissioned in 1916 before crossing to France where he served on the Western Front as a Lieutenant in the 9th Gordon Highlanders. He volunteered for overseas active service and held the Volunteer Medal. He declined a post in Nova Scotia as a fishery officer to return to Shetland, and set up a Herring curing business in Lerwick, J & M Shearer. When the Second World War broke out he was against called for duty, being asked to take command with the rank of Major. He was initially posted away from Shetland but returned in 1941, remaining in the Military Control until the end of the war in 1945. He then received a Territorial Decoration and was accorded the rank Lt-Col.

In public life, he was a councillor, a Justice of the Peace in 1949, a vice-consul for Sweden, an honorary Sheriff-Substitute. Politically, he was a Conservative, and was adopted early in the 1950's as a prospective parliamentary candidate but he resigned in 1953 owing to illness.

Political Career

Lerwick Town Council

File:Janetcourtnyopening.jpg
The Janet Courtney Hostel for boys opening ceremony, platform party. Left to right front row - James Pottinger, P. Inglis - Carnegie UK Trustee, Sir Basil Neven-Spence - M.P., E. Salter Davies - chairman of trustees, Lt. Col. Magnus Shearer - chairman of education committee Back row left to right - J. Cunningham - trustee, J. Pirie Glen - Carnegie trust treasurer, J. Shearer - architect of hostel, J. Wilkie - Carnegie trust secretary, Rev. W.C.B. Smith - St. Columbas, Lerwick.

Zetland County Council

External Links

Provosts
Preceded by
James A. Smith
James Smith Headshot.png 		Provost
for Lerwick Town Council
1941-1946 		Succeeded by
James Aitken
JJ Aitken Headshot.png
Leaders of the Lerwick Town Council
Councillors Arthur Edmondston (1818-1823) • Charles Ogilvy Snr (1823-1827) • William Spence (1827-1832) • Charles Ogilvy Jr (1832-1844) • Joseph Leask (1844-1847) • William Sievwright Snr (1847-1856) • Charles Duncan (1856-1862) • Joseph Leask (1862-1865) • Charles Duncan (1865-1874) • William Sievwright Jr (1874-1876) • Thomas Cameron (1876-1883) • John Robertson (1883-1890) • Charles Robertson (1890-1895) • John Leisk (1895-1904) • James Goudie (1904-1907) • Arthur Porteous (1907-1910) • Arthur Laing (1910-1913) • Robert Stout (1913-1915) • Peter Goodlad (1915-1920) • Robert D. Ganson (1920-1924) • James Laing (1924-1927) • John Sinclair (1927-1930) • William Sinclair (1930-1933) • Robert Ollason (1933-1936) • James A. Smith (1936-1941) • Magnus Shearer (1941-1946) • James Aitken (1946-1950) • Robert A. Anderson (1950-1953) • George Burgess (1953-1956) • William Conochie (1956-1959) • Robert Blance (1959-1962) • Harry Gray (1962-1965) • Andrew Nicolson (1965-1967) • Eric Gray (1967-1971) • Bill Smith (1971-1974) • James Taylor (1974-1975)
Conveners
Preceded by
James A. Smith 		Convener of the
Zetland County Council
1930-1935 		Succeeded by
Thomas Johnston
Conveners of the Zetland County Council
Councillors John Bruce (1890-1907) • John Anderson (1907-1910) • James Grierson (1911-1913) • Robert D. Ganson (1914-1917) • John W. Robertson (1918-1923) • Henry Mouat (1924-1927) • James A. Smith (1928-1929) • Magnus Shearer (1930-1935) • Thomas Johnston (1935-1936) • William McDougall (1936-1937) • Adam Halcrow (1937-1938) • Edward Adie (1938-1943) • Robert J. H. Ganson (1944-1947) • William Thomson (1947-1955) • Prophet Smith (1955-1960) • Tom Henderson (1960-1963) • William Hamilton (1963-1967) • Robert A. Johnson (1967-1970) • Edward Thomason (1970-1973) • George Blance (1973-1975)
Zetland County Council
Preceded by
Mitchell Williamson
Mitchell Williamson Headshot.png 		Member for
Whalsay and Skerries
1924-1937 		Succeeded by
James Hay
James Hay headshot.png
Preceded by
John Jamieson 		Member for
Whalsay and Skerries
1947-1961 		Succeeded by
David Harbison
David Harbison Headshot.png
Whalsay and Skerries County Councillors
Councillors William Bruce (1890-1904) • Thomas Anderson (1904-1907) • Charles Stobie (1907-1910) • James Shearer (1910-1919) • Edwin Hyde (1919-1922) • Mitchell Williamson (1922-1924) • Magnus Shearer (1924-1937) • James Hay (1937-1938) • Robert Ollason (1938-1945) • John Jamieson (1945-1947) • Magnus Shearer (1947-1961) • David Harbison (1961-1964) • James Pottinger (1964-1973) • Frederick Dainty (1973-1975)
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