Glenpean

[Eilidh]

Is there anyone out there descended from Ewen Cameron and Christian Laidlaw who went from Kilmalie to Cape Breton (NS) in the late 1830's when most of his brothers came to Australia. Their son Donald apparently came to Deniliquin NSW and died in 1881.They had at least four other children. Ewen's parents were Donald Cameron of Glenpean and Marjorie (Marcella) Cumming whose parents George Cumming and Christina McLachlan were of Achdalieu. Christian (Laidlaw) Cameron died at Port Hastings in 1860/70's but I haven't found Ewen's death yet. Ele

[Eilidh]

I have just re-read this post and I think I should have put Prince Edward Island , not Cape Breton. I think PEI is where Port Hastings is situated. Can anyone from there tell me, please? Ele

[SherbrookeJacobite]

Your first post was correct - Port Hastings is located in Cape Breton, N.S.. It is the first community you come to when you cross the Canso Causeway from the mainland. Lots of Cameron history there - there is a graveyard with many Camerons in it.

[SherbrookeJacobite]

Check out this cemetary link.
www.rootsweb.com/~nscpbret/cem138.html
There is an Alexander Cameron (died 1892) there who was married to an Isabella Laidlaw (died 1894, aged 62 years) May be a connection?

[SherbrookeJacobite]

For other cemetaries in the area, you can look here.
www.rootsweb.com/~nscpbret/cemindx.html

If Christian was located in Port Hastings, and you can't find Ewen - pay particular attention to the neighbouring communities of Port Hawkesbury, Creignish, Judique, Port Hood, Mabou, Glencoe, and Glendale, all located in Inverness County.

Good luck!

John

[Eilidh]

Dear John Thank you so much for this info'. I always wondered why Ewen Cameron went to Cape Breton when most of his brothers (at least four) came to Australia. Now I wonder if it was because the Laidlaws were at Cape Breton. There are a lot buried in the Newtown Road Cemetery there. Anyway, well down the list of headstones is one that says - Ewen Cameron 1868 87 years, wife Christy (no dates). Both of Lockaber. I think these are the couple I am searching for as my Ewen's birth was about 1780 and this chap is born c. 1781, and his wife is Christy and both are from Lockaber which is right too. I will now apply for a death cert for Ewen Cameron died in 1868 (buried at Port Hastings), and see what happens. The Alexander Cameron you mentioned could be their son born 1818. I found a birth for a son George born at Arisaig in 1820 and a daughter born 1824. I think their son Donald was born in Cape Breton.
Once again - thank you John. Eleanore

[SherbrookeJacobite]

Eleanore, you are most welcome. I'm glad I was able to help. I hope this is the Ewen you were looking for. Your theory on them following the Laidlaws is probably correct.

There were also a lot of Camerons in that area (and there still are), so Ewen and Christian likely would have known some of their new neighbours.

I live in Alberta now, but if you find that a local connection in Cape Breton would be helpful, I can pass along some e-mail addresses.

Slainte,

John

[Eilidh]

Hi SherbrookeJacobite
Prompted by your helpful information I joined the Rootsweb list for Cape Breton and was contacted by Rev John AC Wilson of Alberton, PEI. He kindly sent me a small book called the Cameron and Laidlaw Geneologies. This was published in 1981 by Mrs Arrilla (Ella) Hunt Cameron. There are 34 pages about the descendants of Ewen Cameron and Christian Laidlaw and eight pages about the descendants of Christian Laidlaw's brother George Laidlaw. One small problem is that Ella has different info' on where Donald Cameron and his wife Marjory Cumming lived (in Scotland)to what I have, but it gives me some new leads. I want to thank you again for your help Regards Ele ;D

[SherbrookeJacobite]

Hi Ele,

Very glad I was able to be of some help. The Scotland addresses may be a puzzle - but Donald and Marjory may have moved around - there was a lot of movement in Scotland around that time, as families were displaced (and replaced). It could be too, that the NS info is incorrect. Such information often comes from family tradition, and it sometimes gets "muddled" over the years as it is retold.

Chris Doak may be able to help you solve that particular puzzle. Good luck with your search!

Mar sin leat,

John

[gaelgal]

Good morning! I may not post to this thread, but I read it quite often. You guys are a wealth of information that always astounds me!!

Why I am posting this time is just to relate a little something personal to John's comment about "family tradition" passed on verbally over the years. The story passed down to my mom about her heritage has always been that she was Dutch and Native American and that her grandfather was a missionary. That was until about five years ago when she started doing heritage research. Turns out through documentation that her father's father was Swiss... not Dutch. Documentation shows the family coming over from Switzerland, settling in Pennsylvania Deutch (German) country. (There's the Dutch?!) Seems a lot of German and Swiss settled together in Penn Deutch areas. And many of them went on mission work as part of their religion, so it is doubtful that my great grandfather was a missionary at all. As she does more research, it appears that her mother's folk may not have been Dutch either but more probably Scottish and either English or Irish! Sigh... it's an interesting journey of discovery, isn't it? And one that can easily explain things or turn them upside down!

[Alans]

Its fascinating reading these stories and seeing all the "cousins" exchanging informatiom. Some years ago I bumped into the late Bob Cameron( on the net of course!) formerly of Alberta. He and I seemingly had a connection through the Clunes family which mainly migrated to Canada, However one very successful individual Donald Cameron lived in Australia from 1838 to 1853 and returned to Scotland a very wealthy man, and was a member of the Clunes family. He brought my G.G grandfather Cosmo Cameron out to Australia in 1848. Donald had gone back to the Highlands to marry in 1847 and had obviously recruited my ancestor while at home for his wedding. I suspect he was a relative because he travlled down through the Bush to the coast to meet my my ancestor on arrival, employed him as an overseer on a very generous wage, also providing board and lodging for some years.
Without Bob sending me details of the Clunes geneaology and a copy of an out of print book about the Camerons of Clunes, which has a lot of detail on Donald Cameron's sojurn in Australia and his pioneering in the Ballarat district prior to the great Australian goldrushes, it would have taken me much longer tyo work out how and why my ancestor migrated to Australia. The reason of course was family connections especially to the Clunes Camerons who mostly went to Canada or new Zealand- with the one very notable exception.
I recently found out that this man's great fortune, allowing him to return home extremely wealthy, did not just come from his propety sale, but also because pastoralists around the Central Victorian( Australian state ) Goldfields in the early 1850's made huge monies selling fresh meat to the hordes of incoming prospectors. Donald Cameron when he returned to Scotland with his family was able to buy avery sustantial property and live the life of a country gentleman.
Talking to each other on the net can lead to very exciting finds about family and Clan History. I always knew a bit about Cosmo, but because of Bob's interest and knidness in communicating with a distant 'cousin" and sending information, at some personal expense, I found out so much more about the influences and environments my forbears came from both in Scotland and Australia.
The clan regathers again! albeit electronically the scattered exiles are reunited across the lands where fate has brought us.

Dias Mhuire duit a Camshronaich!
Ailean glas MacRaibert.