Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
Attention: Margaret Cameron
Dear Margaret,
This is my third posting in as many days regarding the polite controversy over the identity of Donald Cameron, the son of John (Clunes)/ Mary (Glennevis) Cameron of lot 6 conc 4 Cornwall Twp.
The first posting on 5/08/09 in response to your "Janet Cameron Pendleton?" pertained to Donald Cameron's wife, Janet McDonell Cameron. I cited records to you proving that this person was not "mythical" as you had alleged over the internet, and pointed out that these records further supported the reliability of James Cameron of Canamore, her grandson, who told us in his 1931 letter to his cousin, Allan MacDonald of Summerstown, ON, about Donald Cameron, the circumstances of his death, his grandmother Janet, and various family connections.
The second posting on 5/09/2009 in response to a posting by you "Re: Family of Donale Cameorn, killed March 1809, Lot 21, Conc. 4, Finch Township" was intended to set the record straight about your ancestry, as your family's oral history is proven to be flawed. Your ancestor Donald Cameron, late of Kenlocharkaig, Scotland in 1802, received the crown grant for Lot 21 Conc 4 Finch township in 1804, and was not the son of John (Clunes)/ Mary (Glennevis) Cameron of 6/4 Cornwall as you have so often in the past claimed.
The purpose of this posting is to prove that Donald Cameron, who was crushed in the log jam in Berwick, ON in 1812, was indeed the son of John/Mary Cameron of lot 6 con 4 Cornwall Twp.
My father was sadly orphaned at age 7, but had the good fortune to have been brought up by a beloved benefactress. He grew up in a virtual vacuum of family history, and has never shown any interest in genealogy. This situation, however, did not apply to his much older sister and brother. My grandfather, James E. Cameron, knew that his father, Daniel Charles Cameron, was from Thurso , QC, and reported in a letter that his Uncle Alex had once visited his father's family in Ft. Worth, and that he (my grandfather) had visited his aunt, Kate Cameron Gaudry, in Troy, N. Y. in 1910.
Daniel Charles Cameron (born in 1832) left home at an early age and was in the U. S. by the mid 1850's. That he maintained contact with his family in Canada is apparent by the possession of his 1855 photograph by descendants of his younger brother, Charles Cameron (who died in Tupper Lake, N. Y.,and whose widow provided incorrect information for his death certificate). This photograph of my 23 year old great grandfather was recently sent to me, and the similarity of his features with those of my son are astonishing. Daniel Charles Cameron is included in the 1861 Thurso, QC census for the household of Charles and Catherine Cameron but is listed as absent from home.
The circumstances of the death of his grandfather Donald described in James Cameron of Canamore's 1931 letter are corroborated by the 1812 petition of his grandmother, Janet, to Isaac Brock. Janet Cameron's petition is very much a public record, and it establishes that her husband, Donald Cameron, died at lot 15 conc 6 Berwick, Finch Twp in the spring of 1812.
The 1931 letter also says that the brother of the late Donald was Lt. Col. John A. Cameron. James Cameron stated this categorically, and this is believable as he was 14 years old when his great uncle died in 1867. He also said that a sister of Donald married a Cameron at Thurso and that "Uncle Charles" married one of their daughters. This latter couple are the parents of my great grandfather, Daniel Charles Cameron. Adj. John Cameron married Susannah Cameron, daughter of John (Clunes)/ Mary (Glennevis) Cameron of lot 6 conc 4 Cornwall.
Janet Cameron mentioned in her 1812 petition that her huband had sold 200 acres in conc 9 Cornwall in order to capitalize the building of saw and grist mills at 15/6 Finch. She also stated that he had submitted a petition to York requesting a lease for the site of the mills, and in anticipation of a favorable reply proceeded with the construction of the mills. There is a record of the 1808 sale of lot "C" conc 9 Cornwall by Donald Cameron to Alex McDonell. A petiton from Donald for this lot might have revealed his patrimony, but unfortunately this has not turned up. Also, a petition for the lease of the mill site in Berwick might reveal Donald's father's name, but so far this document has been elusive.
The question then arises, how does one prove that Donald killed in 1812 was the son of John (Clunes)/ Mary (Glennevis) Cameron ? The answer would be through a significant Y-DNA match between a male line descendant of Donald Cameron and a male line descendant of Lt. Col. John A. Cameron.
The Y Chromosome, as I expect you already know, is passed down from father to son generation after generation with very little change over a very long period. A perfect match between two men in a 37 Marker Y -DNA study is proof that they share a common male ancestor. This study has nothing whatsoever to do with any kinship of the subjects through any female relative. It relates specifically to the male line.
If Donald Cameron killed in Berwick in 1812 were indeed the brother of Lt. Col. John Cameron, they would have shared the identical Y Chromosome which they had inherited from their father John (Clunes) Cameron of 6/4 Cornwall. Sons of their sons for many many generations should have the same Y Chromosome, with the possibility of small mutations occurring randomly, but rarely.
I orderd 12, 25, and 37 marker Y-DNA studies through the Cameron DNA Project. There were only 100 participants at the time and I had a 12 Marker perfect match with only 3 other Camerons, and no perfect matches at a higher level. The 12 Marker level is not particularly specific, but is a start. One individual with whom I matched told me that he had been contacted by a woman from the U. S. whose male Cameron relative had a 12 marker match. This person was in a different study, but I was told that her Camerons had Auchnasaul connections. I thought this was intriguing considering that the older brother of John Cameron of Clunes was Donald (Clunes) Cameron, Tacksman of Auchnasaul in Scotland. He had a son, John Cameron of Auchnasaul, born in 1768, who went to Canada and whose signature appears beside that of Adj. John Cameron's on many early 19th century Canadaian documents. John Cameron of Auchnasaul has male descendants in Canada and the U. S.
With the aid of excellent genealogical charts prepared by the late Duncan MacDonald, which have been proven to be remarkably accurate, I was able to locate a number of descendants of Lt. Col. John Cameron. He married Nancy McIntosh and converted to her Roman Catholic faith. Their family has remained Catholic to this day and have been remarkably prolific, particularly with sons. Much of this family remains in Ontario. Descendants still live at lot 6 conc 4 Cornwall Twp. The portion of the property containing the Cameron Cemetery (now owned by the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, which is no longer in Canada) has been sold to a company operating a quarry. The tombstone for Lt. Col. John Cameron and his parents, John (Clunes) Cameron and Mary Cameron ("She was of Glennevis") is extant. There can be no question that a good Y-DNA match with a male line descendant of this family is proof of descent from John Cameron of Clunes.
I contacted the family historian for this family to see what information they had in their records. Their information is that Lt. Col. John Cameron had a brother, Donald John, who died in Berwick, ON from a log jam accident, and was brought back to the Cameron (Homestead) Cemetery on a bier for burial. His son Charles married Catherine, the daughter of his sister, Susan. There was no mention of death from a falling tree or of lot 21 conc 4 Finch.
I have a perfect 37 Marker Y-DNA match with a male line descendant of Lt. Col. John Cameron, a 4th cousin of my father's through the male line. He lives on what was the former 9th conc of Cornwall, ON. He is also a 4th cousin through Donald's and Lt. Col John's sister, Susannah, but this would not show up on the Y Chromosome study.
So you see, Margaret, this controversy would be considered resolved by any reasonable informed person.
Donald Cameron killed in Berwick, ON in 1812, leaving behind the destitute widow, Janet McDonell Cameron and a large family, is proved to be the son of John (Clunes) Cameron of 6/4 Cornwall. Conversely, this proves that your direct ancestor, Donald Cameron, late of Kenlocharkaig, Scotland in 1802, who received the crown grant of lot 21 conc 4 Finch, was not the son of John (Clues)/ Mary (Glennevis) Cameron of lot 6 conc 4 Cornwall Twp.
I hope you will find peace and resolution with this revelation.
Best regards,
Price
Price Cameron, M. D.. F. A. C. S.
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:
|
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/cameron/messages/5760.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|