My Scottish ancestry is through Caroline CAMERON. Her father James Cameron was the
son of John and Helen Cameron (previously KEILLER). The 1861 census notes that the
latter were born in LASSWADE and DALKEITH respectively. They moved south to MILNETHORPE
and then BEETHAM (Slackhead) in the early 1850's. John was a papermaker - an industry
also existing close to LASSWADE. John may have moved south 'on the tramp' before
he succesfully found work at the papermill in Beetham. John and Helen had three children
- James who married Sarah Ann VINCENT in Skerton, Lancs in 1882. (They had 7 children)
John Begbie Cameron, who is not listed in the 1881 census and may have been abroad.
He reappears in the 1901 census, living with a wife and daughter in St Leonards,
Lancs. Nothing further is known abouth John and Helen's third child Mary Ellen.
Unfortunately a search of the records did not produce any results in Lasswade or
Dalkeith. The naming of John and Helen's first son - John Begbie does perhaps give
an important clue to the origin of the Camerons. A baptism at St Cuthbert's Edinburgh
of a John Cameron to a George Cameron and Mary Begbie in September 1822 seems to
be relevant. George and Mary were married at Cannongate, Edinburgh in 1818.