For you American Camerons: Glengarry County is in eastern Ontario, above New
York state. A great number of Scots, especially Highland Scots, settled
there in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Many, many Camerons. Dean
Cameron in Spokane & Ann Mcphee both suppose that their Cameron ancestors
were born there. As I live in nearby Toronto, I offered to inquire at the
Ontario Archives on their behalf, to see if there were records. The
Archivist tells me that there are no official records before the 1851
census, which is not indexed. The archivist replied rather sarcastically to
my inquiry: "Good luck!" A brick wall? We'll see.
Until yesterday, I thought that my Cameron immigrant to the New World was
Dougald Cameron (b. 1830) who was supposed to have arrived in New York City
from Scotland as a child. Census records from later in his life say he was
born in Scotland. Yesterday I found out that, according to the Wisconsin
census of 1870, Dougald was born in Canada. No records, remember!
All we are left with is the possibility that their names are in church
records, if they are Catholic. I think my guy was. Evidently there are some
records for St. Finian's and St. Raphael's parishes of Glengarry County
somewhere, and I'm sure I can find them if I'm persistant. We have three
lost ancestors to place!
Does anyone have any suggestions for strategies?
Ann Cameron