Ballagan Farm plays a big part in the history of my
mother’s side of the family, the Camerons, throughout the last century. The farm
is just outside Balloch, off the Stirling Road, on the way to Gartocharn.
Based on the age of my uncle Jimmie (the baby in the pram)
I’m guessing this picture is from 1919/20. The Cameron Clan (and friends)
assemble pre-ceilidh in the yard at Ballagan Farm. Somewhere, I have a bit of
paper with everyone’s names on it and I’ll turn the unknowns into knowns but,
for the moment, I’ll concentrate on the Camerons…
Back row (left to
right) – unknown, unknown, John ‘Jock’ Cameron (1880- ), Lachlan Cameron
(1877-1959), unknown, Donald Cameron (1883-)
Front row – unknown,
Janet ‘Jessie’ Cameron, Jimmie Cameron (1916-1956), Janet Cameron (1876-1946),
Jimmie Cameron (1919-1988), Sarah Cameron (1890-1971)
Lachlan is my grandfather, Sarah Clyde McErlane (married
name Cameron) my granny. They married in 1918. Sarah had been a domestic
servant working at Ashfield House just across the road from the farm.
The pictured siblings (Jock, Lachlan, Donald and Janet) were
all born in Kilmallie, Argyll just north of Fort William. These four were from
a family of ten, the elder brothers and sisters born in nearby Ardnamurchan. Their
parents were James Cameron (1837-1907) and Catherine Campbell (1840-1922). Gaelic
was their first language, Presbyterian Highlanders.
The bulk of family migrated south in the late nineteenth
century. By 1883 the eldest daughter, Ann Cameron, married name Ward (1862-1919)
was living in Glasgow. In the 1891 Census Lachlan was in Lochgoilhead, Argyll;
1901 in Row (Rhu) Garelochhead, working as a Railway Surfaceman (another one in
the family!).
By 1907 we know they were in Ballagan Farm – the year
that James died.
No comments:
Post a Comment