Claims on forfeited estates

[Eilidh]

Dear Chris In your first post in The Butcher's Revenge you said that details of the claims of 23 Camerons from places like Glenpeanbeg were not published in '' Bygone Lochaber ''in the Appendix re claims on Locheil's Forfeited Estate. Can you tell me who these 23 were ? I am particularly interested in details about the Donald Cameron of Glenpean who reportedly helped guide Prince Charlie in that area, after Culloden. Also, I am trying to find out the parentage of the Donald Cameron of Glenpean (born there c. 1748) who later married Marjory (or Marcella) Cumming of Achdalieu (in my records written as Artlewn). If you don't want to clutter up this thread could you answer me on [e-mail]. Best wishes Eilidh

[ChrisDoak]

Hi Eliidh,

I'll get back to you on this one.

Cheers,Chris.

[ChrisDoak]

Hi Eilidh,

I typed out a big long reply to your query this morning,but when I came to "post" the reply,it disappeared into the stratosphere!To keep the air clear of my swearing again,I shall split this into two more-manageable chunks.

The missing Camerons from "Bygone Lochaber",who submitted claims for damages at the hands of Government Troops in 1746,were as follows (with valuation totals of their claims):

ONICH:
-Ann Cameron....£1.9.6.
-Angus Cameron,tenant....£18.3.0.

MOY:
-Ann Cameron....£37.6.8.
-Ewan Cameron,tenant....£31.3.4.

ERRACHT:
-Duncan Cameron,weaver....£4.0.0.

BANAVIE:
-Donald Cameron.....£10.13.4.

MUIRSHIERLICH:
-Dougald Cameron,tenant....£36.6.8.
-John Cameron....£23.6.2.
-John Bain Cameron....£12.4.5.
-Rachel Cameron....£20.2.2.

ACHANEYLAN:
-John Cameron,tenant....£236.0.0.
-Donald McIan ick Phail....£9.10.0.
-Widow Errich Cameron,tenant....£12.7.4.

CLUNES:
-Donald Cameron,wadsetter of Clunes and Glasster...£427.3.4.
-Alexander Cameron,son to Clunes...£30.19.0.
-Donald Cameron,son to Clunes....£127.3.4.
-Ewn McOil ich Eian alias Cameron...£50.0.0.

GLENPEINBEG:
-Allan MacKian ick Allan,tenant....£12.13.4.
-Alexander Cameron...£25.18.4.
-Dougald Cameron,tenant....£22.6.4.
-Duncan Ban Cameron...£47.0.0.
-Kathrine Cameron....£11.3.4.
-John McCoinnell Cameron....£45.16.8.
And a couple of maybes:
-Donald McUlvoine,tenant....£43.0.0.
-John MacKoile ick Ian vane....£8.16.8.

Regards,Chris.

[ChrisDoak]

Now to the rest of your query,Eilidh:

I haven't come across this Donald Cameron "of Glenpean" before.I reckon it should be,more accurately,Donald Cameron "of the family of Glenpean",or "from Glenpean".

I managed to find a reference to him and Marjory Cumming on a website of a Graham K.Brown from Australia (www.users.bigpond.com/graken).He states his genealogical charts are based on information from your Bob Cameron in Australia,and others.

The website identifies the parents of Donald,b.circa 1749,as John Cameron,b.circa 1725,and Miss McLean of Duart.John's parents in turn,were Allan Cameron,b,circa 1700,and Miss McLachlan.

Going by the information given at the time of the 1746 Claims,John does not seem to have been living at Glenpeanbeg.However,the Allan MacKian ick Allan there,could conceivably be a son.The only reference I can find to Donald b.1749,is someone of a similar name mentioned in the following scrap of paper,contained within the Cameron of Fassifern Papers in the National Archives of Scotland.I am not too sure what all of it means(especially since I didn't note down all the figures):

"Accompt of cash received belonging to Tor Castle's children.1751:

-Received from Donald Cameron of Glenpean.£8.0.0.
-Paid to Donald Cameron(Jennet Chisholm's Account).
-To Ane Cameron.
-To Allan Torcastle's son.
-To Archie to pay Allan's brat.
-To Ewan's daughter.
-To John Flockhart.
-To Donald McEan vic Allan in Glenpean.
-To Peggy."

From documents I have seen,the only Donald mentioned being at Glenpean was the Tacksman,who died circa 1771 - 74.

Certainly,we know that Donald Cameron and Marjory Cumming lived at Achdalieu,and had children there.Donald is referred to in various Estate documents as a Woodkeeper,or a Wood Officer.However,there is the following two bits of information from the papers ,which slightly confuse the issue,as regards a link to Glenpeanbeg:

1747:The Possessors of Achdalieu are given as Ewan McDonachie(Cumming),"Donald McIan van and son",and Donald McAlister Oig.

1761:A witness at a Court Case, to regularise the status of the Cumming's holding of Achdalieu,was a Duncan Cameron alias McEan vic Allan.He recounted history at the farm going back to 1720.

Two different families? Difficult to say. It might be a good idea giving Bob Cameron a wee call.

Regarding Donald Cameron,Tacksman of Glenpean,is there anything specific you need to know about him?

Cheers,Chris.

[Eilidh]

Dear Chris Thank you for all this info.' I have the info'that Dr Bob has as it is from a letter written by Donald Fitztempest Cameron in 1880, and I have always been a bit dubious about the accuracy of the parents and grandparents mentioned. Two things. The first is: who is the Donald Cameron alias McAllan who was buried with a nice slate headstone in Kilmalie Churchyard in 1810 or 1811 (I can't remember the year). The 2nd is: yes I would like to know about Donald Cameron the tacksman of Glenpean (when he was there etc etc).By the way there was a Ewen Cameron alias McAllan at Glenpean in1700, have you seen anything about him ?
Slainte agad-sa Eilidh

[ChrisDoak]

Hi Eilidh,

I had a look in the wee book devoted to gravestone inscriptions in Lochaber,to find the stone you are referring to.Right enough,this specific stone is indexed under the name "McAllain",but the inscription inside is given as "Donald Cameron alias McMillan,d.23.11.1811,age 63 years".Without more information available on this gent,I think it would be virtually impossible to distinguish him from fifty other Donalds there at that period.

Regarding Donald Cameron of Glenpean,he is a man whose name crops up in a hundred books devoted to the flight of Bonnie Prince Charlie after the Battle of Culloden.Unfortunately,little else is known about him.The lack of detail on him and his family in "Bygone Lochaber" ,suggests that even Somerled McMillan struggled to track down anything on this branch of the McGillonies.

McDonald of Glenaladale,the companion of Bonnie Prince Charlie when they were assisted by Donald Cameron in 1746,described Donald as being "an aged person".So he was maybe 50-60 years of age at the time.The last recorded mention I have seen of him was in 1770,for by 1774 the Rental of Glenpeanbeg was in the name of others.

Donald's father was Dugald Cameron,who appears tohave been dead by 1727,when the Wadset on Glenpeanbeg was renewed in Donald's name.Dugald's eldest son had been a John ,who in 1705 had married a Margaret Cameron.John was dead by 1719,as she was then married to an Alexander McFee(possibly the future Alexander McPhee of Glendessary).A third brother,Ewan,we know about from his association with the Island of Coll.

Donald seems to have been married,but I don't know to whom.Nor have I been able to identify any of his children,apart from his "2nd son "John,who lived on the farm of Sallachan on Loch Arkaig from the early 1770s till his death in 1777.Another possessor there was one Ocaine Cameron,who was also a partial possessor of Glenpeinbeg after Donald's death.Ocaine may also have been a son of Donald,but I don't have definite proof - he certainly had a sister Margaret,who lived with her husband Donald Cameron and 8 kids in nearby Achnasaul,until widowed in 1773,when she was moved by the Factor to Lagganfern,"to be near to her brother Ocaine".

Regarding Ewan Cameron alias McAllan in Glenpean in 1700,I haven't come across a reference to him.Where did you come across it?There really doesn't seem to be much detail around about who was living there at that period .We do know that generally it was Camerons at Easter Glenpean(Glenpeanbeg),and McMillans at Wester Glenpean(Glenpeanmore).

I mentioned in my last posting a Donald McEan vicAllan in Glenpeanbeg in 1751.I'm wondering if I interpretated the handwriting wrong,and that it should have been Donald "McEun" vicAllan,which would have connected in nicely with your Cameron there in 1700.Incidentally,Donald Cameron had expanded his Wadset of Glenpeanbeg in 1755 to take in the Shealling of Leachnabuaig,some 4 miles to the east.The previous Wadsetter was one" Donald McEun vicAllan",who aquired it in 1736.At the same time,the new Wadsetter of Achnasaul was a John McEun vicAllan ,but I've always assumed he was a McPhee.

Anything here ring a bell?

Cheers,Chris.

[Peg]

Chris,
Have you (or anyone else possibly) ever heard of the book
"Loyal Lochaber"? I came across it when I was in Scotland, and have been curious about it ever since = were there many copies made...I did copy a few pages out if it...a different 'slante' on things...
thanks,
Peg

[ChrisDoak]

Hi Peg,

"Loyal Lochaber" by W.Drummond Norie,is a book I haven't looked at for a good few years,and my memory was that it wasn't up to much.However,having gone to the Library to check up on it,and refresh my memory,I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.

An attractive-looking book,it has many interesting photographs inside (albeit a bit on the small side) ,and a bonny cover and spine with a design in the popular Art Nouveau "Glasgow Style".The pages have been given a hand-cut finish.

The contents of the book are going to be familiar to those who have read similiar books on the history of the area,but it is written in an easy-to-read style,so it is not too hard going.However,Norie has a habit of being a bit vague at times:e.g."during the reign of Queen Anne,nothing much happened in Lochaber",and he is prone to making his own observations and comments on events - often way off the mark and inaccurate,but entertaining all the same.

On the technical side,"Loyal Lochaber" was published in Glasgow in 1898 by Morison Brothers.On the inside front pages,it states that there were to be "strictly" only 100 large paper copies,and 500 ordinary.If you were ever to manage to find a copy in a Second-Hand or Antiquarian Bookshop,expect the decorated cover to have inflated the value by two or three times.

Like Kilgour's "Lochaber in War and Peace",definitely worth checking out.

Cheers, Chris.

[Peg]

When I found the book at the Drummond Estate, i thought it was the only copy. Surprised to find there were others. I did copy some interesting pages on a Donald Cameron but it is lost in some paper stack...haha...not likely I could come across any copies in the States.

We over here love connecting with our Cameron cousins 'back home'!--some things just are destined to endure despite tragedies of the past. 1 Cor. 13:13 (Aonaibh ri Cheile) Peg

[Peg]

Chris,

That estate was Innerpaffery (Inverpaffery) in Perthshire (Muthill). They wouldn't even let you touch the book. There is quite a library there. My 4th ggrandparents born there., 1770's.
(I must sound pretty boring if i have to go back that far to find my thrills, but I love history. Drummond eventually attained the Castle. Too bad I didn't have more than 1/2 hr. there. I nearly fainted when i saw all the old books, like a kid in a candy store! Peg