Catholic Camerons in Glasgow

[Rob Cameron]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone has come across any catholic Camerons in Glasgow. James Cameron married Margaret Docherty 23 March 1845 Barony, Glasgow. They had at least two children who were catholic, James born c1847 and John born c1851. They may have been catholic because of their mother, but I think their father James may have been also.(due to a process of elimination of the James Cameron's born at the right time in Glasgow appearing in the OPRs) He was born about 1821-23 in Spoutmouth, Glasgow and died in Glasgow in 1852.

Thanks,
Rob Cameron.

[ChrisDoak]

Hi Rob,

Living in Glasgow,I should be able to give you some assistance with this query,so aplogies for not responding quicker.

Whilst I have not come across any specific Roman Catholic Camerons in Glasgow at this period,my feeling is that your James Cameron was most likely a Protestant of some description.The fact that the Marriage between him and Margaret was registered in the Church of Scotland Records would most likely confirm this.If they were both Catholic,they would have been married solely in the local Catholic church,and the wedding would not have been listed in the Church of Scotland Records.

Certainly there are registers of Catholic Marriages and Births in Glasgow for this period in existance,but they are kept at the Archdiocese Offices,and I have never seen them.

I had a look to see if the birth of James in 1821/3 was recorded in the Registers of the St.Andrew's Episcopal Church in Glasgow,but the only one remotely close was a James baptised 7 November 1824 to an Alexander Cameron,Taylor,and his wife Margaret.(Footnote:there are hundreds of Episcopalian Camerons recorded in these Registers,many of them living in the West of Scotland outwith Glasgow).

My feeling is that there is no record of the birth of James because his parents were very poor,and unable to afford the neccesary Fee to register it.

I checked the Index of Applications for Poor Relief,and was pleased to find there was an entry for James in 1851 - reading the document,however,I can see that you have already accessed it,for the info you already have for him.I was,however,impressed by the detail that James gave the Inspector of his previous residences,and therefore gives quite an accurate indication that his parents were both dead by 1837/8.

Knowing from the info that James gave,that he lived in the Bridgegate at the time of the 1841 Census,it made him relatively easy to track down.Hence we can find him,aged 20,living as a Lodger,at Lady Marshall's Close,81 Bridgegate,in a house with 6 seemingly-unrelated men.

I trawled through the list of burials recorded in Glasgow for the period of 1834 - 40(which gives the address of the deceased),but there were none whom fitted the description of a Cameron from the Bridgegate.There was one,however,who at an outside chance,might be the mother of James:Mary Cameron,a Pauper,aged 45,died in the City Hospital of Palsy ,and was buried on 30 January 1837.This would fit in with the timescale of James commencing to lodge with Mr Courtney in the Bridgegate.

From his two sons being named James and John,I think that you can assume that his father had one of these two names.Margaret's father was James,but equally,the father of James could have been James too.I checked another good source of info for Glasgow - the 1832 Chlera Rate Book,which records the names of all householders in the town that year.There are no James Camerons listed,but there is a John Cameron,"no occupation",living at 97 Saltmarket(just round the corner from Bridgegate).Bit of an ouside chance,but it all depends on whether the father of James was still alive in 1832.

All pretty inconclusive,and doesn't really give you the lead you are looking for!Oh well...

Cheers,Chris.

[Rob Cameron]

Hi Chris,

Thanks very much for taking so much time and effort to try and assist me in my search. As you noticed I had seen the poor relief records, and like you, was impressed by the details given on his previous addresses. I hadn't found him on the 1841 census so thanks for that, although I'm gutted that there were no other Camerons living with him! It' s also frustrating that in later poor relief records his widow never names his parents, as in other similar cases the widow or widower does. I think I'm just destined never to get any further back in my Cameron research. I would have loved to discover where they were from, but as you said 'oh well'.

Thanks again,
Rob.