Donald Cameron of the Black Isle
The maps above show where our family comes from. On the large map of Scotland to the left, you can see that the highlands are divided diagonally by a series of lochs, firths, and rivers running from Forth William to Inverness. In the south, the large town of Fort William sits at the northern end of Loch Linnhe. On the middle map, which has zoomed in a bit, you can see that Tor Castle is just north of Fort William (5 miles). Tor Castle sits on a bend of River Lochy. If you follow River Lochy north, it opens into Loch Lochy. Just to the west, Achnacarry Castle sits on the River Arkaig, which runs from Loch Lochy to Loch Arkaig. Achnacarry is 8 miles from Tor Castle.
The black box on the middle map highlights the Black Isle, a large peninsula just north of Inverness. The map on the right zooms closer to show several locations related to our family. Inverness is the large city to the south, and Culloden is to the east of Inverness. Red Castle can be seen on the southern end of Black Isle, on the coast of Beauly Firth. 10 miles north of Red Castle is Mulchaich Farm, which is in Ferintosh and just east of Dingwall. Red Castle is 68 miles from Tor Castle.
When Donald Cameron arrived in the Black Isles, he married and settled at Mulchaich Farm in Ferintosh. I believe 1598 is closer to Donald's year of birth than the year that he traveled to the Black Isles. Donald had seven daughters by his first wife, the Red Castle housekeeper, but unfortunately their names were not recorded. When his first wife died, Donald married again and had seven sons with his second wife. Maclean's account says that Mulchaich Farm was gifted to Donald by the newlyweds that he escorted to Red Castle, but perhaps it was just on loan (1). Our oldest family genealogist, George Cameron, confirms that Donald settled at Mulchaich, but also describes that his second wife "by her frugality saved some money with which they purchased a tenement of land in Dingwall...". The land in Dingwall was passed down through two children and two grandchildren (2).
Donald Cameron's sons were:
1. John Cameron - Taxman of Tobernadonich, had a son and a daughter
2. Donald Cameron - Taxman of Tighnahoun, had a son, Donald ("Donn"), who had 2 daughters
3. Murdo Cameron b. 1671 - Taxman of Ryefield
4. Finlay Cameron - Taxman of Tornabinach (3)
5. Alexander Cameron - Taxman of Balnaloch
6. Charles Cameron - settled in Munlochy, where his descendants still lived in 1832
7. William Cameron - also settled in Munlochy, and had living descendants there in 1832
I have reason to believe that "Murdo" may have been short for Murdoch/Murdock, based on the name of subsequent ancestors.
John Cameron received the land at Dingwall when his father died, but John died without issue (presumably his son predeceased him), and so the land was passed down to his brother Donald, Jr.. Donald lived there for the rest of his life, passing the land down to his only son, Donald III (called "Donn"). Donn sold the land to Roderick McKenzie, the husband of John's only daughter.
Donald Cameron, Sr. also left land to his descendants at the churchyard in Urquhart, for a burial ground for all lawful male heirs. Donald, Jr. used the burial ground until his line became extinct of male heirs, and the churchyard then passed to Murdo Cameron. Murdo's descendants were buried there in the 17th and 18th centuries, and George said that in 1832 it was still being used as a burial ground for any direct male heirs of Donald Cameron. There are 38 Camerons listed as buried in the Urquhart Old Graveyard, who account for 50% of the interments, but I do not see the oldest family members listed. Interestingly, the church is now a bed and breakfast!
A taxman or tacksman in 17th century Scotland was a land holder of some legal and social status. Oftentimes a taxman would lease a portion of land from a Lord, and would in turn charge rent to peasants to live and work on the land. Taxmen were frequently related to the Lord from whom they leased the land, and would be expected to raise men for war if called upon by the Lord. Taxmen could be farmers themselves, but some lived off the difference they could earn from charging rent to peasants and after paying the lease fee to the Lord. The taxman may be the closest thing the Highland's had to a middle class, and they literally served as middlemen between the aristocracy and the peasant class.
We are descended from Donald's third son, Murdo Cameron b. 1671. Murdo Cameron married Isabella Innes (b. 1676, daughter of Sir John Innes and Margaret Innes). They had four children:
1. Duncan Cameron b. 1701 d. 1743 - had 10 children, married Margaret Bain
2. Mary Cameron - married John Simpson, Taxman of Balnaloch
3. Donald Cameron - had a son Dr. Alex Cameron (4)
4. Margaret Cameron - married Donald Cameron Dunworney, a bastard of the Tighentore (?)
We are descended from Duncan Cameron (b. 1701, d. Jan. 1743) who married Margaret Bain/Bayne in 1710. At the time of his death, Duncan was living in Middle Kinkell of Ferintosh (5). Duncan Cameron and Margaret Bain had ten children:
1. John Cameron - messenger in Linay of Ferrintosh
2. Murdo Cameron - first son of that name
3. Alexander Cameron - Taxman of Balgalkin and Knockanvast
4. Donald Cameron - died in Holland in the Army
5. Duncan Cameron b. 1718 - Taxman of Tighnahoun and Balgalkin
6. Murdo Cameron - second son of that name
7. William Cameron - Taxman of Knockanvast, married Ann Stewart
8. Margaret Cameron - married William Simpson Marchburn, had a son Donald and granddaughter Jean
9. Janet Cameron - married James Robertson
10. Catherine Cameron - married Alexander McKenzie (Dag)
We are the descendants of Duncan Cameron (born 1718) and Jean Matheson (born 1704) who were married in 1744 (6). Duncan Cameron and Jean Matheson's children were:
1. John Cameron - born Nov. 20, 1745, died in 1815 in America at age 70
2. Margaret Cameron - born Sept. 25, 1747, married Alex McIntoshe, died in 1825 at age 78
3. Alexander Cameron - born Sept. 12, 1749, died in 1790 in America at age 41
4. Duncan Cameron - born Oct. 20, 1754, died Nov. 22, 1832 at age 78
5. William Cameron - born Dec. 24, 1756, died in 1793 in America at age 37
6. Donald Cameron - born Sept. 24, 1759, died in America ? (George crossed out "died")
7. Allan Cameron - born Mar. 26, 1762, died in 1786 at age 24
8. Jean Cameron - born Mar. 19, 1765, married Don Simpson, died in 1815 at age 50
9. Ewen Cameron - born Feb. 23, 1768.
I'm very amused by George's entry for Ewen, because he misspells his name as "Evan". George did not give a date of death for Ewen, because he was still alive in America in 1832 when this genealogy was written. Ewen died in Tennessee in 1846.
Notes:
1. Donald Cameron, the "gille maol dhu", c. 1598 also “Historical and Traditional Sketches of Highland Families and of the Highlands” by John Maclean, published in Dingwall in 1848.
2. Table of the Genealogy of the Camerons of Ferrintosh by George Cameron, published in Inverness in 1832.
3. George notes next to Finlay "from whom came the family of Donald Dag".
4. Our 1832 genealogist, George Cameron, is directly descended from Dr. Alex Cameron.
5. Duncan Cameron's date of death is listed in his will, which was written on April 22, 1747 from testimony given by his widow, Margaret Bain. This will verifies that Duncan Cameron/Margaret Bain could not be the parents of John Cameron of Virginia (Stagville Camerons), as this Duncan died 2 years before John was born. Wills and testaments Reference CC8/8/111, Edinburgh Commissary Court, Image 320 - 322.
6. In George's genealogy, her name is given as Jane Matheson. In Ewen Cameron's Baptism record her name is given as Jean Matheson.