Background for Cameron History

[lacam]

For those looking for a really good introduction to Scottish history, try reading "Scotland: The Story of a Nation," by Magnus Magnusson. A relatively new comprehensive history, the author includes the latest geological and archaeological findings. Good background reading for a study of Cameron history!

[Ailean Glas]

For those who want some good stuff on Clan Cameron's most interesting years( mid C17th to mid C18th) try Lenman,B, "The Jacobite Clans of the Great Glen".

[Cameronian]

And for those who really want to understand the impact that was felt by Lochiel exiled in France and unable to endure the events that were occurring to his Clan after Culloden, read John Sibbald Gibson's Lochiel of the '45… "I must he told James, share in the fate of the people I have undone, and if they must be sacrificed, to fall along with them. It is the only way I can free myself from the reproach of their blood" …………these I believe are some of the saddest words I have heard quoted…

By the way, is there any reason why we as Camerons have never attempted to bring Lochiel back home
Val Smith

[Thomas Cameron]

Hi Val,

While I think that the idea of bring The Gentle Lochiel home to Scotland would be something that the Lochiel family might very well give consideration to, there's a major problem. No one can locate the exact location of his grave. They tracked down where he was probably buried, and if memory serves me it is now a park, and none of the grave sites were recorded. They did erect a marker in the area of where he was laid to rest, a couple of years ago, but that's about all they could do.

That's something for the folks out there... If anyone has a photo of the marker they erected in France, near the grave site, could they possibly send it along for scanning into the Clan Cameron Archives? That would be nice to include.

[Cameronian]

Tom, I am stumbling a little here myself, to my knowledge:

Clan Cameron Australia was informed in Oct/Nov 1998 that the grave site of Donald Cameron 19th of Lochiel was found by Julian Hutchings, a Scottish Businessman based in France and it was located at Bourges near Dunkirk in Belgium not France.

This evidence had been obtained from a slip signed by Gentle Lochiel days before he died giving permission for one of his soldiers to marry and it is believed that Gentle Lochiel died of meningitis in a military hospital just days later.

The area that contains the grave is now a school playground and the memorial plaque has been mounted on the brick playground wall, I do not have a photo of the plaque taken on site…..but I do have a photo of the framed photo of this memorial which hangs in the Culloden Museum.

To my knowledge this memorial was put in place by Clan Cameron Association and a dozen of so Camerons attended a quite ceremony in France at that time.

As to whether Lochiel’s actual grave could be identified, would depend on just how many Protestants were buried in this separate section of what must have been the Hospital graveyard in that year, however I would welcome any further information you may be able to add.

I will send over the photo of the photo for the Archives…….

An drasda beannachd leat. Val.

[kipstafford]

Hi
I'm new to this site and wondered if anyone could throw some light on some books which have come into my possession and which I think have Cameron clan chief connections.

They are 6 volumes (from a 14 volume set) in French and dated 1778 entitled 'Les vies des hommes illustres de Plutarque' - Plutarch's the lives of illustrious men.
Two of the set bear old library labels in the form of the older Cameron insignia - the armoured and gauntleted arm and hand holding a scimitar type sword with crown or coronet above. Below in a banner is the motto 'Pro Rege et Patria' and all is within a border of oak leaves.

All this leads me to think that they were the possessions of Donald Cameron of Lochiel who became as far as I am aware 22nd clan chief whilst in exile in France in 1776. Before the return to Scotland in 1784.
If anyone could give me more information I would be most grateful.
Thanks
Kip