Ancestors
The Ancient Camerons
There are a number of theories of the origins of Clan Cameron. One of the most colourful is that put forward by Alexander Mackenzie in his “The History of the Camerons” (published 1854). It should be borne in mind that it is no more likely to be strictly factual in all respects than other theories. However it shows the traditional succession of the Cameron chiefs which has been in use for many years. The historical content of the page is factual.
The Medieval Camerons
No apologies are made for extending the term ‘Medieval’ from its usual ending in the fourteenth century. Many of those who inhabited the Highlands of Scotland were indeed much later in becoming ‘civilised’ than were those who lived in less inaccessible places such as the Lowlands. Disputes about the rights to occupy land were frequent, and the ancient Celtic ‘Clan’ system did not sit well with the feudal usages which the Normans introduced, and which were upheld wherever possible by the Scottish kings – the feudal system represented power to the king, the ultimate overlord.
The Jacobite Camerons
This page summarises the background of one of the most detailed, colourful and tragic periods in the Cameron story. The aftermath of Culloden signalled the beginning of the end of the Clan system. From around 1770 the lairds began to replace men with sheep in the Highlands, and the cry of the clansman became “Since you have preferred sheep to men, let sheep defend you!” – and off he went to the Lowlands, or to Canada or the U.S.A.
The “Modern” Camerons or our Direct Ancestors
Hardly ‘modern’, you might think! But the name is intended to distinguish the Camerons in the descending line from the people in a direct line back from ourselves (the present-day Hartleys and Camerons in the North of England) who appear as ‘The Millenians’. The aim of the author, of course, is to connect the two lines — —The Moderns with The Jacobites.
The Third Millenians
Those of us who have seen in the new millenium.
