Ludovick Cameron

[Cameronian]

Well I am not at my desk at the moment, nor do I have my Cameron reference books to sort through, but I did find this letter in the Catholic Archives in Edinburgh today and it started me thinking....

Dr Bob, Chris, do we have the resolution of this line of Ludovick Cameron tying into Sir Allan Cameron's family?

Inverary 4th January 1841

The Right Revd, Doctor Andrew Scott Greenwich


Right Rev Sir

I use the liberty of addressing you in consequence of a letter which I this day received from a friend in Lochaber in Inverness-shire and I trust that you will not feel offended by my doing so, but will afford me the information which I am about to request.

My informant states, that while you were lately on the Continent you were applied to by some persons in France to endeavour to trace out the relations of a Sir Allan Cameron Kt. Who was one of the French refugees and afterwards an Officer in the Regiments of the Fencibles, commanded by the late Colonel Cameron of Lochiel. That from being a stranger yourself in Lochaber, you applied to Sir Edward S Lees Secretary to the General Post Office to obtain information upon the subject, giving him a copy of documents furnished to you in France for enabling him to obtain the object in view.

My informant says that Sir Edward did accordingly correspond with certain persons in Lochaber upon the subject and he also states that according to his information the late Sir Allan Cameron’s father was named John Cameron, of the family of Tomacharich and was one of those who joined in the Rebellion in 1746 and fled along with others to France where he died some years afterwards leaving to his son the said Sir Allan Cameron large Estates, which were not forfeited during the Revolutionary disturbances but were taken up by Sir Allan upon his return to France, about the year 1803 and possessed by him down to the time of his death.

My object therefore in addressing you, is to request the form of you writing me with your earliest convenience whether and to what extent the information given me is correct and if so and that you are possessed of any written documents given you while in France. I also beg you will send me a coy thereof and of any other
information which may tend to elucidate the matter, for if what has been stated to me be correct it may be hereafter shown that my deceased father was the next of kin to the late Sir Allan Cameron and consequently that I have an interest in establishing the same.

I am with great respect and esteem,

Right Reverend Sir

Your obedient servant
Ludovick Cameron

[Robert S Cameron]

Interesting, but I have no idea who Sir Allan Cameron was - certainly not Erracht from the description. Keep it up. Bob C.

[Cameronian]

Come now Bob, that is not what I wanted to hear

I found this futher letter, but I fear that this is going to be yet another part story , for which we can not find an ending:

Inverary 11 February 1841


The Right Revd, Doctor Andrew Scott Greenwich

Right Rev Sir,

I duly received your letter dated the 8th ult and have to return you my best thanks for the obliging manner in which you afforded me such information as you then possessed

On receipt of your letter I corresponded with my friends in Lochaber and I find that measures are being taken in that quarter, with a view to trace out and obtain proof of the nearest relations of Lt John Cameron (mentioned in the advertisement of which you were so good as to send me a copy) and also of Sir Allan Cameron referred to in Mr McDonell Inch’s letter to you. I also find that a correspondence has been opened with the British Consul in Paris by a Mr William Cameron, who claims the money and who I am informed has gone to see you in order to get you to forward to Paris the precognition taken in Lochaber in support of his claim. I have not seen that precognition as yet but if it has reached you I will fell greatly obliged by you sending me a copy of it.

In Mr McDonell Inche’s letter to you he mentioned that “ a poor man at present living near ‘Fort William claimed to be the nearest heir of Sir Allan Cameron” I beg to state that that person is my eldest surviving brother Germain and is admitted and if necessary can be shown to be nearer in point of relationship than Mr William Cameron was to Sire Allan Cameron.

When I last addressed you I stated on the information of my correspondent that Sir Allan Cameron on the reduction of the Lochaber Fencibles return to France. I now find however that I was misinformed as it has been ascertained that he was appointed an office in one of the British Veteran Battalions and supposed to have died either in America or Britain but from not having seen the precognition taken, I cannot say whether it has been shown that he was a descendant of Lt John Cameron and Anne Chisholm yet if my information be correct it will appear that he was and that our family one the nearest heirs to them.

I see by the newspapers that Mr Brent the American Consul General at Paris died there on the 6th ult and it is probable that his previous illness may have been the reason of his not answering the letter which you addressed to him on the subject referred to. But if you have since had any communication regarding the matter from Paris it will add to the obligation which I already owe you if you will favour me an receipt with the import of it and trusting that you will excuse this additional trouble, I remain most respectfully.

Right Rev Sir,

Ludovich Cameron

[ChrisDoak]

Aye,I think you are right,Val,in that this is a story for which we will not easily find an ending - though an interesting one all the same.

I have not come across this Sir Allan Cameron before,and being French born,I can appreciate the problems caused by finding an heir for him.I checked to see if he had left any sort of Will in Scotland,and the valuable website www.scottishdocuments.com threw up the name of an Allan Cameron,a " former Lieutenant of the Veteran Regiment",who was resident at Millburn,Invernesshire(?),and who apparently died in 1833.I wonder if this is him,or did he die in America,as claimed? For a really keen researcher,the National Archives in Kew,London,would hold his Military Records,and would surely help illuminate his background.

Certainly it is not too difficult to identify the author of the letters - Ludovick Cameron,a Writer(Lawyer) from that stronghold of the Clan Campbell,Inveraray in Argyle.Checking out the www.scottishdocuments.com website,we can find a reference to his death in 1848,and a Will.A search of the 1841 Census reveals that he was born around 1786 - 91,in a County other than Argyle (Inverness maybe?),and had an eldest son called Donald (presumably named after his father).

Regarding Tomacharraich itself,this township of a dozen houses lying five miles to the north-east of Fort William,was destroyed by Government Troops in 1746,but subsequently rebuilt.The Tacksman at this time was one Alexander Cameron,who had maintained control from approx.1730 till 1755,when he was "evicted " by his landlord,the Duke of Gordon,for extensive arrears of rent.Despite being deprived of the title "Tacksman",I believe he and his family were allowed to continue living there.

I assume that the Lieutenant John Cameron mentioned in the letters was his son,and presumably one of the two Lieutenant John Camerons who were listed as serving with the Lochiel Regiment in France in 1748.He may also be the person mentioned in a Civil Court Case for compensation in 1742 - a John Cameron,alias McAlister vic Ean vic Ean yr.,who had borrowed, without permission,a horse belonging to his neighbour Ewan Cameron in Tomachairrich,to carry out some ploughing.It was to John's misfortune,that the horse dropped dead whilst carrying out it's task!

Alexander Cameron had been preceded as Tacksman by a John Cameron,who in turn had been preceded by a Donald Cameron in the 1690s.It is not too clear to me what their relationship was to each other,though they would most likely be related.

I am not too sure where Ludovick Cameron falls into the equation either,but it would be handy if future letters turn up which would reveal more of his connection to Lt.John Cameron.

Have you found any more yet,Val?

Regards,Chris.

[Cameronian]

Well Chris, I found one more mention but rather than helping it only represented the entry of a further interested party....

Sadly it is away from the Catholic Archives tomorrow and Inverness Cameron - Head archives on Monday, I never do expect to find anything special, but somehow whatever you find sheds a little more light onto the events, the people and the times that were part and parcel of our ancestry........

1 March 1841

Rev Sir,

From a letter which I had sometime ago from the American Consul in Paris relation to a Legacy that was left there by a Lt John Cameron I am induced through a stranger to take the liberty of applying to you for any information which you will be kind enough to give about that subject.

I understand that a William Cameron carpenter at Lochferry is holding out that he is the nearest relative. Sincerely, this is perfect nonsense he cannot have put to the test claim any kindred to him that man was Uncle to my Mother and was in the same step to several other respectable families in this country and in Canada to which can be lately proven.

I understand there are several claiming it and I believe all from the same man, but I am certain he cannot prove the most distant relationship.

I have been speaking to Mr McDonell Keppoch who told me that before he knew the particular he wrote to you concerning this William Cameron but that he would immediately on hearing from you writ you again with appropriate statement of the case

If you would be so kind to give me the information you have concerning it , my friends who are all very respectable people will prove to your satisfaction that he was our relation

Mr Kenneth Kennedy ‘Sranachan’ or Stranachan?

[ChrisDoak]

I am just wondering if John Cameron's Estate ever did get settled - a remarkably similiar story appears some twenty years later in the Diary of the Reverend Archibald Clerk of Kilmallie.

The diary is kept in the West Highland Museum,Fort William,and one entry in 1864 relates the story of one Dr Bernady,an Agent in London,writing to Cameron of Annat,regarding " a Cameron legacy".This Legacy was connected to a John Cameron who entered the Military Service in France in 1716 (sic).

[Cameronian]

At Heathrow using my Wireless card and hoping that the batteries on this laptop will stand the distance whilst I send this off......my luggage hit the 33Kg max on the Australian flight is 25kg.....

Scottish history is certainly heavy stuff..... have collected much and will need to read it carefull before passing it on, but what it has proved to me is that being there within the archives provides results that can never be achieved at home.

So until I reach Australia on Sunday, I will keep you all wondering what the luggage holds.......Val