FOOTNOTES CHAPTER NINE
[1]
Jessie Cameron's date of birth is estimated from her age shown on the
birth certificate of John Berry. Loch Sunart appears to be in Sunart or
Strontian parish which in 1804 was formed from Ardnamurchan parish.
Details regarding the ancestry of Jessie Cameron were obtained from the
shipping records held at Geelong Historical Records Centre and from
Jessie Tilloch of Birregurra. Jessie's father James could be the person
of that name born in Ardnamurchan on Sep 15th 1801, the son of John
Cameron, a farmer, and Janet Forrest who in turn was probably the
daughter of a James Forrest. The names were obtained from an early
edition of the IGI indexes. The names of the parents of Ann Cameron,
(Alexander Cameron and Jessie Campbell) are recorded on her death
certificate and on the passenger list of the "British King" which also
states that Jessie Campbell was the daughter of Archibald Campbell, a
farmer in Lorne, Argyllshire.
The reference to the marriage of Anna and James was found by Don Sutherland, a descendant of Alexander Cameron and Jessie Campbell through their son James who was a tacksman on the Glenborrodale estate. According to other information obtained by Don the position of tacksman was quite a responsible one. "Although a tacksman generally paid a yearly rent for the land let to him he would often be related to his landlord, the free-holder, and might, for example, represent a cadet branch of the family of the clan chief. The tacksman in turn would let out his land to sub-tenants, though he might keep some in hand himself. The class has been defined in this manner: Next in dignity to the laird is the Tacksman; a large taker or lease-holder of land, of which he keeps part as a domain in his own hand, and lets part to under-tenants. The tacksman is necessarily a man capable of securing to the laird the whole rent, and is commonly a collateral relation. These tacks, or subordinate possessions, were long considered as hereditary, and the occupant was distinguished by the name of the place at which he resided. He held a middle station, by which the highest and the lowest orders were connected. He paid rent and reverence to the laird, and received them from the tenants." As the position was often an hereditary one and Alexander was 'of Glenborrodale' it is likely that Alexander also held this position.
[2] "Bridges and Branches" No.50, June 2003, p12
The following extract from an article appearing on the internet also sheds some light on the the Bounty Emigration Scheme sponsored by John Dunmore Lang which brought the Camerons to Australia. The article is entitled "John Dunmore Lang - Patriot, Republican, Statesman, Evangelical, & Engima" by G S Munro.
"Lang
promoted immigration of Protestants from England, Wales, Northern
Ireland, Germany, France, and elsewhere. But his Highlanders epitomize
the kind of migrant he thought would improve the morals and religion of
Australia. Poor but upright, law abiding Calvinist Presbyterians,
frugal, industrious, and godly.
Lang's Scottish immigrants were mostly victims of the Highland
Clearances. Many perished from starvation and exposure. Up to 200,000
emigrated from Scotland with assisted passage, to Canada, South Africa,
and Australia. Many were evangelical.
Between 1837 and 1841, changes were made in the process of Government
Bounty Immigration. It had been substantially privatised. According to
Lang, this was detrimental to all but a few wealthy merchants who ran
the scheme. They made money, but the people of NSW and Britain, and the
migrants themselves, suffered loss. Migrants were no longer chosen on
the basis of their 'industry and virtue,' their 'moral and religious
character,' and their 'suitability' for the needs of the colony, as
they had been by Lang's agents. Nor did they consider the relative
needs of various parts of Great Britain for 'removal of her surplus
population.' Instead, migrants were collected from a few central urban
locations.
Lang's agents had chosen mainly poor but morally and religiously
desirable agricultural labourers and mechanics, especially from areas
of high unemployment. Under the new operators, the chief criteria were
no longer social and religious, but private and economic. Minimising
expense and maximising profit. Consequently, NSW was receiving migrants
who were unsuitable for Lang's grand social engineering scheme of
building a righteous Christian nation which would emerge from the ashes
of its convict past. Migrants who were coming, suitable or not, now
endured unnecessary privation and hardship. Taking on cargo and cabin
passengers, minimal and inferior rationing, etc sacrificed migrant
comfort for profit, Lang protested indignantly on their behalf."
[3] Details obtained from the shipping records held at the Geelong Historical Records Centre and from Kaye McFarlane's article in "Bridges and Branches".
Of the remaining children of James and Ann, James died in Geelong at the age of 23 in 1863; Dugald died in Sept 1878, the death notice which appeared in the "Geelong Advertiser" on Sept 15th 1878 reads:- "Death at his mother's residence Yarra St Sth Geelong, Dugald Cameron, 42 years, third son of the late James Cameron and the present Mrs Wilson. Funeral Sept 17th to the Highton Cemetery"; Alexander died in 1860 at the age of only 28; Margaret died in 1879 at the age of 42 (she appears to have been unmarried) and John died in Bairnsdale in 1909. That five of her children pre-deceased her and died at relatively young ages must have been a source of great sadness for Ann.
[4] Information regarding James Cameron the nephew of James and Ann were provided by a descendant, Don Sutherland of Cranbourne. James was born at Strontian on 15th Sep 1822, the son of James Cameron and Catherine Livingstone. This would indicate that his father was a sister of Ann Cameron as it is unlikely that there were two children with the same name in the one family. James died at Richmond on 11th Jan 1898 and is buried at the Melbourne General Cemetery.
Cameron graves near Strontian
Don
also provided an extract from the memoirs of Archibald McEachern who
was only 19 when he left Tobermory on the "British King" which
describes a near disaster near the end of the voyage. He wrote:
"In
company with my father, stepmother, and nine brothers and sisters, I
embarked in the sailing ship British King from Tobermory, Argyleshire,
on Sunday, 28th October, 1838, and on that date bade an eternal adieu
to the bonnie shores of dear old Scotland.
After an uneventful
voyage of three months we first sighted land at the mouth of the
Glenelg, near Nelson, where we experienced some slight trouble in the
shape of head winds, which necessitated the ship being put about and
during the supervening night the performance had to be repeated again
somewhere between Julia Percy Island and the Laurence Rocks. We sailed
past Portland early next morning, and towards the close of the
following night narrowly averted a terrible catastrophe, this time in
the form of a shipwreck.
Our skipper, Captain William Paton, as
sober and attentive officer as ever commanded a ship, during the
evening instructed Mitchell, the second mate, a very nice fellow, to
call him at a certain hour of the night. But it came about on that
particular day,as was customary on certain days of the voyage out, that
a nobbler apiece of grog was served out to everyone on board, numbering
all 350 souls, many of whom were total abstainers, and those that did
not indulge, instead of getting outside of it themselves, transferred
their dole to the mate, who was an exceedingly popular fellow with the
passengers. The consequence was, in a marvellously short space of time,
the mate got as drunk as a fool, and failed to carry out the commands
of his superior officer, who, when he awoke, was horrified to behold
the breakers in close proximity to the vessel, stretching away in front
of him as far as the eye could reach. In fact the ship was drifting
stem on to one immense boulder that would have smashed her to atoms had
a collision occurred. By judicious manipulation we got clear, much to
the relief of all on board. Our providential escape was simply
miraculous.
A few years subsequently a large passenger ship bound for Hobson's Bay,
with 400 passengers on board, was wrecked at the self same spot, and
with the exception of eight sailors, every man women and child that
constituted this immense human freight were, in perhaps less time than
it takes to record it, consigned to a watery grave."
Details regarding the "John Barry" were obtained from the book "Pt Phillip Panorama - a maritime history" by Captain John Noble, Melb. Hawthorn Press 1975, and from "The Convict Ships 1787-1868" by C. Bateson, 1974.
[5] Details concerning the death of James Cameron and the marriage of Ann Cameron and Robert Wilson were obtained from the Geelong Historical Records Centre.
[6] An entry in the record of burials in the Presbyterian section of the Barrabool Hills cemetery held at the Geelong Historical Records Centre records the burial of a male child of Mrs Wilson. The infant is buried in the same grave as James Berry, the son of John and Jessie Berry, who died in 1866. Unfortunately the date of burial and precise location of the grave are unknown.
[7]
The account published in the 'Geelong Advertiser' reads as follows:-
"On
Thursday evening a most distressing accident occured in the Barrabool
Hills in the following manner. Robert Wilson a sober, industrious
farmer was driving his horse and cart homewards, he crossed the punt
about sunset and it is supposed reached the scene of the accident about
half an hour afterwards. Nothing is known of the manner in which the
accident occurred except from the position in which the body and horse
and cart were found next morning.
His wife had been uneasy at his
absence during the night and had despatched her son to see if anything
had happened. On reaching the gully near Dr Thompson's old salting
house he there found the dead body of the unfortunate man with the dray
upset and lying on top of the body, while the horse still in its traces
was on its back nearly dead. It appears that in crossing the gully the
horse had kept too near a bank of earth where the road had been partly
cut away, when the wheel rose upon the ridge and the whole vehicle
tipped over on the deceased, who appears to have died from the pressure
on his chest for there were no external marks or injuries sufficient to
have caused death; the face was black and the veins swollen and the
death more like death from apoplexy than a violent accident.
The deceased was one of the earliest residents in the Geelong
district and had always borne an excellent character. He was about 35
years of age and was married about 12 months ago to a widow with six
children who are again thrown upon the world. An examination into the
particulars of the accident was carried out by Lieutenant Addis on the
spot but it was clearly evident that it was one of those sudden
calamities which being totally unforseen are nearly if not altogether
inevitable."
The above account is consistent with the facts as recorded in the official inquest papers which I inspected at the PRO at Laverton. In fact the newspaper account gives more detail about the accident than was presented at the inquest. The body was found by John Cameron, Anne's eldest son, at about 8 o'clock in the morning of May 9th; John having set out from home at sunrise that morning to look for his step-father who had not returned home the previous night. The inquest was held on May 13th.
[8] Death certificate of Ann Wilson (Cameron) obtained through Lyndy Pascoe.
[9] Information concerning the original Lochnell castle was obtained via Mr David Evans of the Highland Family History Society. Lochnell means "Lake of the Swans". The 'castle' is located on the shore of Loch Linnhe just north of Oban and just off the main Oban to Fort William road. The original 18th century building is still standing although it has been added to over the years. I was able to walk around the grounds and take photographs but was unable to enter the building which is now a private residence.
[10] According to Ann Cameron's death certificate, her mother's name was Jessie and a reference to her marriage in the Gentleman's Magazine, Vol.68 part 2. 1798, also refers to the marriage of Alexander Cameron and Jessie Campbell. However the baptismal record of her son Alexander (christened 1 Oct 1810) gives his parents as Captain Alexander Cameron, tacksman of Glenborrodale and Janet Campbell his wife. In Scotland, Jessie was originally a pet name for Janet. However Jessie is also a given name in its own right and these two names have been fully synonymous over two centuries
[11] The Gentleman's Magazine, Vol.68 part 2. 1798 "Marriages of remarkable persons" page 1149
[12] The entry in Bernard Burke's "A genealogical and heraldic history of the colonial gentry, 1891" reads MCKELLAR, THOMAS, Esq. of Strathkellar and Croxton, Hamilton, Victoria, and of Lerags, Oban, Argyll, Scotland, J. P. in Victoria, and late member of the Legislative Council of Victoria, b. 15th June, 1819, m. at Geelong, Victoria, 20th December, 1849, Catherine,second daughter of the late John McColl, Esq. of Mingary, co. Argyll, reads Scotland, by Jean, his wife, daughter of Archibald Campbell, Esq. of Lerags, Oban, co. Argyll, which lady was directly descended through the family of Campbell of Lochnell (see Duke of Argyll, in Burke's Peerage, and Campbell of Lochnell, in Burke's Landed Gentry), from Colin, third Earl of Argyll, and his wife Lady Jane Gordon, daughter of the third Earl of Huntley, and has issue.
[13] When the father of Florence McCallum, Achibald McCallum, 8th of Poltaloch died in 1758, the title passed to his nearest male heir as he had left no male heirs. This was a nephew Dugald Malcolm (the family members now used Malcolm as their surname) who spent time in Jamaica where he laid the foundations of the family fortune to which his cousin Neill Malcolm 11th of Poltalloch succeeded.
It appears that the aforementioned Dr Alexander Campbell of Lerags and his brothers were closely linked with his Malcolm cousins in relation to a number of estates. These estates exploited slave labour and generated significant income that was re-invested in Scotland. A search of the Legacies of British Slave-ownership website reveals the extent of holdings of members of the Malcolm family, together with Dr Alexander Campbell's interests in 17 estates in Jamaica. He is also recorded as being the owner of 17 slaves in his "Graham Hall" estate.
Alexander also fathered several children in Jamaica with Frances Ritchie, a quadroon woman, (meaning she was one quarter black by descent) whom he later married in Edinburgh in 1820. The couple were living in Lerags at time of 1841 census. According to records for 1817 for the Parish of Hanover in Jamaica, Dr. Alexander Campbell is listed as "surgeon to the Poor House and Transient Poor" and "surgeon to Rusea's Free School, and the Workhouse" which provides a more positve balance to his record as a slave-holder.
The information above is a result of the research of Kaye McFarlane.
[14] Women in Early Modern Scotland
[15] All details concerning the Campbells of Lochnell and the Camerons of Lochiel were obtained from multiple online sources including "Burke's Landed Gentry" 1972 edition pp 144-45, and the 1952 edition of the same work. A list of the Lairds of Lochnell and their children can be found here. I was also able to visit the Sunart (Soon-eht) area, Glenfinnan and Culloden during the summer of 1996.
[16] The Encyclopedia Britannica lists several Earls of Salisbury including a British Prime Minister, but there is no reference to any of them marrying a Cameron. Some family members believe that the reference was to an Earl of Argyll, the title used by the head of Clan Campbell, which seems far more likely given that three ancestors held the title of earl of Argyll. These were Colin Campbell (1433-1493), Archibald Campbell (1465-1513) and Colin Campbell (1486-1529)
[17] Recollections of Theresa McFarlane, Eileen Ford, Frank Bond and Jim Berry. It is said that Jessie Shaw presented a piece of Cameron tartan to her grand-nephew J. Charles Bond before he left to serve in World War II. She claimed that all Camerons wore the tartan when they went to war.
[18] Accounts of court actions involving Jessie Campbell Berry in relation to her husband can be found in editions of the 'Geelong Advertiser' on 23rd June 1864, 11th Dec 1869, 7th Dec 1871 and 21st Dec 1873.
John Berry, husband of Honorah Benstead
[19] The baptisms of Sarah Ann (Oct 11th 1848) and both James and Margaret on the same day (Oct 11th 1852) are recorded in the register of St Andrews Presbyterian Church Geelong, details of which are located in the Geelong Historical Records Centre. Sarah was baptised not long after her birth on Sept 6th, but James was almost three years, old having been born on Jan 31st 1850. His sister Margaret was born on June 2nd 1852.
Sarah Ann died in tragic circumstances in August 1860 when her dress caught fire in her school classroom while she was attempting to dry her
clothing during lunchtime. The following account of the incident is
taken from the inquest papers held at the PRO Melbourne.
There were three witnesses from whom statements were taken. 1) George
Toll or (Hall) - I think it was Toll and there was a William Toll on
the jury. I presume he was a student although his age was not recorded.
His sworn statement taken on Aug 16th was as follows (presumably from
the wording his evidence and that of the three witnesses was summarized
by the coroner for Geelong, Foster Shaw, and then signed by the
witness. Some of the statements seem to be in response to questions
although the questions are not indicated.):-
"I was standing near the fence opposite the schoolhouse on Tues last. I
heard screams and at the same moment the deceased came running out of
the school house all ablaze, her clothes being on fire. I ran towards
her as quick as I could. I came across some water and threw it over
her. Mr and Mrs Murray the master and mistress came out with two bags
which they threw around the deceased and carried her into the house.
The time was about a quarter past 12 o'clock. A funeral was coming by
at that time and the children were allowed out earlier on that
account." signed George Toll
2) Charlotte wife of Donald Murray, schoolmaster of Duneed also made a sworn statement dated Aug 16th.
"I am the schoolmistress of this school. On Tues last the children
were allowed to go out earlier than usual as some of their family were
attending a funeral which was about to pass by at 12 o'clock. When the
funeral had passed then had got near dinner I had told one of the
little girls to go into the schoolroom. I desire the children to take
their seats and I should be with them immediately. I followed her and
as I turned the corner of the house I saw the deceased running towards
me with her clothes all ablaze. I screamed and Mr Murray came running
out. I caught the first thing I could which was some mats and we put
them around the deceased and rolled her on the grass, the children had
only been 20 (or is it 10?) minutes by themselves. The door of the
schoolroom is always left open so that they may stay in or out as they
please and eat their luncheon during the play hour. There was not much
fire in the fireplace. There is no screen or guard to the fire.
Deceased was the oldest girl in the school being 12 years of age. I
never knew the children to go near the fire before. The deceased had a
thin calico dress on, all her clothes were burned to her waistband. Her
whole body excepting her face were more or less burned. Flour and
clothes? of oil etc were instantly applied. The parents of the deceased
were immediately sent for and a medical man sent for but could not be
got til next morning but the deceased had expired before his arrival at
8.00am yesterday. Signed Charlotte Murray
3) Elizabeth Grey (9 yrs of age) also made a statement on the 16th August.
"I was in the room when the accident happened to Sarah Ann Berry. The
deceased she was standing on Tues last with her back to the fire. She
was very close to it. She said as her clothes were damp she would stand
near the fire. She said that her clothes were very hot. I said come
away from the fire. She did not come away at that time and her clothes
took fire. She ran around the room all on fire. I tried to put out the
fire by taking hold of her frock in my hands and rubbing it. She then
ran out to the boys who were outside. Mr and Mrs Murray came running
out with bags but some of the boys came running first. Mr and Mrs
Murray put the bags around her and then carried her into the house.
No-one was playing with the fire in the school room." X (her mark)
Elizabeth Grey.
The inquisition was taken at Duneed school house in the presence of the body of Sarah. The names of the jury members who all signed the verdict and affixed a wax seal were: Thomas Shanklin, Robert Paynton, Andrew Young, Thomas Kidd, Michael D'Arcy, William Toll, John Lupston, Thomas Durham (who did not sign, but recorded his mark), William Lugg, John Lugg, James Thomson and Noble Thomson.
The verdict was that "on the fourteenth day of August in the year aforesaid in the Presbyterian schoolhouse Duneed a party aforesaid the said Sarah Ann Berry a scholar in said school was standing with her back to the fire in said school warming herself when the clothes of her the said Sarah Ann Berry accidentally, causally and by misfortune took fire and inflicted much injury on the back, body and limbs of the said Sarah Ann Berry as to cause the death of her the said Sarah Ann Berry at 8.00 am the following morning the 15th August 1860 at the said schoolhouse. And to the jurors aforesaid on this aforesaid do say that the said Sarah Ann Berry accidentally causally and by misfortune came by her death and not otherwise."
James also died young. He succumbed to fever at Geelong on May 25th 1866 aged 16 yrs. His occupation at the time was recorded as "vine-grower" and his place of residence as Mt Duneed.
Margaret married a teacher by the name of John Sloss from Talbot at Geelong on April 12th 1873 and died at North Fitzroy in 1944, her husband having died nearly thirty years previously. The couple had seven children.
Jessie married Donald Shaw in 1897 and died in Geelong in July 1949. She had no children.
Alexander married Bridget McCormick in 1901, lived at 222 Yarra St, South Geelong and raised a family of five children. He died at his residence on August 12th 1937.
Robert and AIf Berry both died unmarried in Geelong; in 1932 and 1946 respectively.
Whilst the death of their youngest brother James is recorded as having occured in Geelong in 1889. He was 22 years of age.
The story of Annie, or to give her full name, Elizabeth Victoria Annie Isabella Berry seems to have been a sad one. In the course of my research I came across the following two items in the "Geelong Advertiser", first a death notice:-
On March 28th 1907 at Geelong, Elizabeth Ysabella, youngest surviving daughter of John and Jessie Berry, late of Gnarwarre, aged 36 yrs. The funeral cortege will leave the residence of her sister Mrs Donald Shaw, 27 McKillop St, Geelong for the Highton Cemetery, this day 30th inst. at 2 o'clock."
Secondly a news item in the same edition:-
"In
the police court on Sat. morning two infants named Annie Isobel Berry
and John C. Berry were charged with being neglected children. They are
twins, their mother having died shortly after they were born a week
ago. The children having been born out of wedlock, there was no-one to
look after them and they were brought before the court as neglected
children. The bench committed them to the care of the Department for
neglected children and they were sent to Melbourne by the afternoon
traIn....
It seems obvious that the two items relate to the same event. One can only guess at the circumstances but it is not difficult to imagine the upset that these events brought to the family, particularly Annie's aged parents. Nor is it hard to see why no other family member would have been willing to take on the responsibility of raising the twins. If for no other reason, any who would have been in a position to do so would have reached that stage in their lives when the last of their own children would be growing up and leaving home - not the time when parents would feel like starting all over again.
According to documents obtained by Jessie Tillack under the Freedom of Information Act, Annie was boarded out with a Caroline Wilkinson of North Melbourne on April 9th but was returned to the "Girls Depot" on May 21st because the arrangement was "unsuitable". The following day she was boarded Out to Clara Pounie of South Yarra, but two months later on July 22nd 1907 was admitted to the Children's Hospital with kidney trouble. The next entry in her file is dated Aug 9th 1910 and records that she was returned to her foster parents but not expected to live. Her death was subsequently noted on Aug 25th 1910.
Also among the papers was a document that recorded the twins mother as being Annie Berry, a housemaid whilst the father was supposed to be Angus McDonald a shearer of unknown address. He was a married man but was known to have kept company with the mother for two years. When last heard of he was working at Wando Dale station via Coleraine.
John was adopted by Arthur and Frances Fisher who had married in 1891 and had four daughters, but their two sons had died in infancy which possibly explains why they sought to adopt a boy. John Cameron Fisher died at West Heidelberg in 1984. His adoptive parents had predeceased him. Arthur died aged 74 at Hawthorn in 1935 whilst Frances died at Seaford in 1955 at the age of 89.
[20] Death certificates of John Berry and Jessie Berry (Cameron)
[21] Recalled by James Berry. It was also described in a history of John and Honora Berry which was compiled in 1980 and kindly sent to me by Jessie Tillack of Birregurra.
[22] All details regarding John Berry were taken from the family history referred to in the previous footnote.
[23] The bible was in the possession of Eileen Ford/Wood. Apart from Bridget the others were:-
John, b Mar 27th 1881, Curlewis d Oct 25th, 1935 Geelong;
Thomas, b May 22nd 1883, Curlewis, d Jun 12th 1884, Birregurra;
Jessie (Mrs Barry), b Dec 25th1884, Birregurra, d Mar 31st, 1955, Parkville (Vic);
Thomas, b Jul 3rd 1886 Birregurra, d Aug 23rd, 1946, St Kilda;
Anne (Ireson) b Feb 7th 1888, Birregurra, d Jul 15th 1948, Surrey Hills (Vic);
James, b Nov 29th 1889, Birregurra, d Oct 1974, Birregurra;
Alexander, b Jul 8th 1891, Birregurra, d Dec 11th 1969, Colac;
Patrick, b Jul 2nd 1893, Birregurra, d Aug 21st 1969, Geelong;
Robert, b Apr 6th 1895, Birregurra, d 1969, Cheltenham (Vic);
Michael, b Sep 30th 1896, Birregurra, d 1971, Geelong;
Francis, b Feb 25th 1898, Birregurra, d 1985, Rupanyup (Vic);
William, b Dec 7th 1900, Birregurra, killed in an accident on the Terang bridge, Aug 11th 1947;
Joseph, b Oct 30th 1902, Birregurra, d 1977 at Royal Melbourne Hospital; and
Margaret, b Jan 22nd 1904, Birregurra, d Jan 14th 1905, Birregurra;
(Events prior to 1973 were as recorded in the family Bible, later events were recorded as I learned of them)
[24] Death certificate of Honora Berry (Benstead)
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