Shanwell

Shanwell FPC LEU S NO472267 1 352 5m

    Schenvale c.1378 Dunf. Reg. no. 393 [see Fetters LEU]
    Schenual 1378 Dunf. Reg. no. 465 [see Fetters LEU]
    Schanwalle 1440 Dunf. Reg. no. 418
    Schanwell 1539 RMS iii no. 2028 [see FPC Intro, Fishings]
    terras de Schanvell 1546 Dunf. Reg. no. 562 [to Walter Lundye of that ilk ‘the lands of Shanwell with rabbit warren’ (cum cuniculario) and the lands of Fetters]
    Schanwell c.1560 s Assumption, 13
    Schanwall 1575 RMS iv no. 2529 [see FPC Intro., Fishings]
    Schanwell 1648 Retours (Fife) no. 759 [lands of Fetters and Shanwell ‘called Tenstmuirs’ (vocatis Tentismuires)]
    Shannell 1652 Retours (Fife) no. 799 [see Fetters LEU]
    Shanvel 1654 Blaeu (Pont) East Fife
    Shanvell 1654 Blaeu (Gordon) Fife
    in the Coltoun of Schannell 1660 NAS CC 20/4/12 p. 18 [John Henderson (Hendersone) in the *Coalton of Shanwell]
    in Coltoun of Schannell 1660 NAS CC 20/4/12 p. 20 [in *Coalton of Shanwell][200]
    Shamvald 1666 Retours (Fife) no. 989 [William Stewart of Kirkhill; lands of Fetters and Shanwell]
    Channell 1775 Ainslie/Fife
    Shanwel 1794 inscription on stone [see discussion]
    Channel 1827 Ainslie/East Fife
    Shanwell 1828 SGF
    Channel 1855 OS 6 inch 1st edn

G sean + G baile

‘Old farm’ (G sean bhaile), where the lenition of b to bh /v/ is caused by the adjective in first position. W. J. Watson translates it ‘Oldtown’ (1926, 509), with town in the sense of Sc toun or farm. It is found in many parts of Scotland, the nearest being Shanwell in Orwell KNR.

    It seems that Shanwell originally formed part of the lands of Fetters, whose name still exists in Fetterdale LEU. Part of these lands were given to Dunfermline Abbey by David I c.1150 (Dunf. Reg. no. 2). Shanwell is first mentioned as a separate holding, in the possession of the abbey, in the 1370s (Dunf. Reg. nos. 393, 465). The fact that it is described as ‘old’ may suggest that it formed the original settlement nucleus of the lands of Fetters.

    Also a farmstead on the muir which undoubtedly formed part of medieval Fetters, now beneath Tents Muir Forest, was called Old Muirs LEU (q.v.).

    A fine boundary stone stands at NO500267, on FPC/LEU boundary, 3 km from OS Pathf. Shanwell farm-steading. It bears the following inscriptions (all capitals, no punctuation): on one side ‘This stone was set up in the year 1794’; on the other side: ‘The march between the Shanwel and Old Muirs salmon fishing is a straight line from the top of Normans Law to the low water. This march stone stands in said straight line.’ For full details, see Jones 2009, 224–6.

/'ʃanwɛl/

This place-name appeared in printed volume 4