Biography.guide
Home › People › Businessperson › Robert Shewan
Portrait of Robert Shewan

Robert Shewan

1859 – 1934

British businessman

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Robert Shewan

Lived 1859 – 1934 (aged 74). Robert Shewan was a businessperson and entrepreneur.

Robert Gordon Shewan (13 November 1859 – 14 February 1934) was a Scottish businessman in Hong Kong.

Early life Robert and his twin brother William were born in London on 13 November 1859.

Career Shewan arrived in Hong Kong in 1881, in the employ of Russell & Company, which was then one of the largest mercantile companies in the Far East. He and Charles Alexander Tomes, who was a grandson of merchant David Hadden, acquired the infrastructure of that firm subsequent to its dissolution in 1891, and consequently created Shewan, Tomes & Co. in 1895. The new company formed the Green Island Cement Company and the China Light and Power Company, which generated electricity for Kowloon. He was subsequently dismissed from the latter by its principal shareholder, the Kadoorie family. Shewan was also the director of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and of many other local companies.

In 1902, Shewan was elected as the representative of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce in the Legislative Council. He also served as Consul for Chile at Hong Kong.

Personal life Shewan was married to Dorothy "Dolly" Kate Lucas (d. 1961), who was a daughter of William Lucas and former wife of James Marke Wood.

Shewan died on 14 February 1934. He was buried at the Hong Kong Cemetery in Happy Valley, Hong Kong.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Also known as
Robert Gordon Shewan

People in Robert Shewan's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Robert Shewan's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Robert Shewan?

British businessman

When was Robert Shewan born?

Robert Shewan was born on 13 November 1859 in London.

When did Robert Shewan die?

Robert Shewan died on 14 February 1934 in British Hong Kong.

What was Robert Shewan's occupation?

Robert Shewan was a businessperson and entrepreneur.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Robert Shewan

· Wikidata: Q16027128

· DBpedia: Robert Shewan

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Robert Shewan. https://biography.guide/robert-shewan/

MLA: "Robert Shewan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/robert-shewan/.

Chicago: "Robert Shewan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/robert-shewan/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-25 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:11 UTC