Where is Flora CAMERON in 1891?

[Liviani]

Hello everyone.

I'm looking for some help in locating my 3x great-grandmother Flora Cameron m.s. Stewart in the 1891 census. I decided to put this request in the Scotland section as she may be anywhere due to the amount of travelling the family did.

Flora was born circa 1816 in Redcastle, Ross & Cromarty. She died in December 1891 at Hamilton Green, Arbroath, Angus (Forfarshire). So she will have been alive at the time the census of 1891 was taken.

Her parents as named on her DC were John Stewart and Flora Grant. I don't have any further info on her parents.

Flora Stewart marries husband Duncan Cameron in 1834 at Killearnan, Ross & Cromarty. After this date, the family were in various locations across Scotland in the subsequent censuses.

Here are the children I have for Duncan and Flora;

Fin(d)ly b. abt 1835, Inverness.
Flora b. 1837, Inverness.
Elizabeth b. abt 1845, Burntisland, Fife
Margaret b. abt 1847, Burntisland, Fife
Mary b. abt 1848, Burntisland, Fife
John b. abt 1851, Burntisland, Fife
Jane b. abt 1854, Aberdeen
Catherine b. abt 1857, Keith, Banffshire (I haven't been able to find a birth record for Catherine despite her being born post civil registration)

I have the family in the following census;

1841

High Street, Linlithgow, West Lothian

Duncan, 30 occupation Labourer
Flora, 25

and their 2 children; Finlay and Flora.

1851

6 Petty Road, Kinghorn, Fife.

Duncan, 40 occupation "Maltster"
Flora, 40

and their 6 children; Finlay, Flora, Elizabeth, Margaret and Mary.


1861

Village of Maryburgh, Dingwall, Ross & Cromarty

Duncan, 53 occupation "Railway Labourer"
Flora, 48

and their 5 children, Finlay, John, Margaret, Jane and Catherine.
Also a grandchild, David Robertson, 2, born Keith, Banffshire - This is daughter Flora's son.


1871

Grange of Barry, Old Manse, Angus

Duncan, 60, an Ag Lab
Flora, 55
Jane (daughter), 18
David Robertson (grandchild), 12


1881

15 Ernest Street, Arbroath, Angus

Duncan, 72, an Ag Lab
Flora, 61

Duncan dies in May 1882 at 15 Ernest Street, Arbroath. Confirmed as husband of Flora Stewart. Parents named as Finlay Cameron (Pendicler in Inverness) and Margaret Grant.

I can't find Flora in the 1891 census at all. I have checked the following entries on Scotland's People and I don't feel they are a good match for my Flora;

Flora Cameron, 75 - Inverness Burgh.
Head is this Flora's son; Alexander Cameron. A Bank accountant born Ardnamurchan, Inverness.

Flora Cameron, 70 - Little Scatwell, Contin, Ross & Cromarty
"unmarried" as opposed to widow. Occupation "Cook".
Also in household is sister Catherine, 60 also a Cook.
Both noted as being born in Contin, Ross & Cromarty.

Flora Cameron, 75 - Culcairn, Rosskeen, Ross & Cromarty
Head is this Flora's brother; Murdo Cameron, 59 a Crofter born "Strath..., Ross" (maybe Strathconon, hard to make out)
Sister Flora is noted as being born in the same location.

Murdo speaks English and Gaelic, Flora is noted is speaking Gaelic only. This puts me off thinking this is my Flora as she lived in West Lothian, Fife, Banffshire and Angus over her lifetime and I would've thought speaking Gaelic only would've limited her ability to interact with locals in the lowlands.

I'm quite keen to find Flora in the 1891 Census to see if she did indeed speak Gaelic given where she was born and brought up.

Any help appreciated.

[Rosinish]

Liviani,

Have you considered Flora may have reverted back to her m.s. on 1891 census, something many widows did?

Annie

[rosie17]

There is a Mrs Cameron age 75 years born Redcastle Rosshire about 1816
Address 24,Hamilton Green Arbroath Angus
Son John Cameron age 35 born Burntisland fifeshire general labourer
This is on Ancestry you would need to view the original on Scotland's People

Rosie

[rosie17]

You will find the birth as
Catharine Cameron 27/6/1856
Keith Banff Scotland
Father Duncan Cameron
Mother Flora Stewart

Rosie

[Rosinish]

Catherine b. abt 1857, Keith, Banffshire (I haven't been able to find a birth record for Catherine despite her being born post civil registration)

Have you already eliminated this one?

CAMERON CATHARINE 1856
159/ 141 Keith

Annie

Crossed posts 

[Liviani]

There is a Mrs Cameron age 75 years born Redcastle Rosshire about 1816
Address 24,Hamilton Green Arbroath Angus
Son John Cameron age 35 born Burntisland fifeshire general labourer
This is on Ancestry you would need to view the original on Scotland's People

Rosie

Thank you so much Rosie. This is definitely her, on her DC in the December of 1891 her residence was 26 Hamilton Green. I have checked the original just now on SP and Ancestry has the house number wrong, it's definitely 26 Hamilton Green on the original. She knew Gaelic and English. Her son John appears to have only known English, which although it makes sense given where he grew up, it's sad that the language was never carried down to him. Though I suppose he had no need for it in his life if he spent it in the lowlands.
One of Flora's neighbour's an Isabella McKenzie was also born Ross-shire and also spoke Gaelic, I'd like to think they were friends and spoke Gaelic to each other.

I had checked all of the Floras in Arbroath and Angus minus surname but never thought to just check the surname!

Annie, I had checked Flora Stewart/Stuart before but couldn't find a good fit.

Also, thank you both for finding Catharine's birth record. I had been looking up "Catherine" not realising I hadn't had it on fuzzy matching.
She was born Back Street, Keith, Banffshire and Duncan is a Railway Labourer there also.

They certainly got around.

I do wonder if it was anything to do with the Highland Clearances? I've mentioned this to others before, and people had thought it was unlikely as they were a bit too "east" in Ross & Cromarty to have been affected. However, Duncan Cameron's father was Finlay Cameron and one of Duncan's siblings, Jean was born at Achlorachan, Contin. On looking this up it's further west and very remote. Finlay ended up at Drynie Park, Killearnan. On reading up about the clearances, Drynie Park was a place where a lot of displaced farmers/crofters ended up after the clearances. So perhaps, Duncan was affected like his father.

[Forfarian]

She knew Gaelic and English. Her son John appears to have only known English, which although it makes sense given where he grew up, it's sad that the language was never carried down to him. Though I suppose he had no need for it in his life if he spent it in the lowlands.

Don't forget that he would have been actively discouraged from learning Gaelic. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Scottish_Gaelic#Persecution%2C_Retreat%2C_and_Dispersal

I do wonder if it was anything to do with the Highland Clearances?

It's a tad late for the Clearances - probably more to do with Duncan working on the railways, which may have led to him being moved around the country as more and more railways were built. But of course his parents could have been cleared off the land, which is why Duncan had to go to work on the railways in the first place.

[Liviani]

She knew Gaelic and English. Her son John appears to have only known English, which although it makes sense given where he grew up, it's sad that the language was never carried down to him. Though I suppose he had no need for it in his life if he spent it in the lowlands.

Don't forget that he would have been actively discouraged from learning Gaelic. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Scottish_Gaelic#Persecution%2C_Retreat%2C_and_Dispersal

I do wonder if it was anything to do with the Highland Clearances?

It's a tad late for the Clearances - probably more to do with Duncan working on the railways, which may have led to him being moved around the country as more and more railways were built. But of course his parents could have been cleared off the land, which is why Duncan had to go to work on the railways in the first place.

Thanks Forfarian, that article has lots of useful dates to go by also. Gives a good background to what they will have faced. Interesting to note that around 1825 membership of the Gaelic society peaking around 1825, this is when Flora was a child so I'd imagine she had some sort of lessons in Gaelic around then going by the article.

Also re; the railways, I hadn't thought of the need to move around due to that work. He had a few different occupations prior to the railway work. Good analysis, thanks!

[Thibault_Melissa]

Dear Livia, I have a mystery in that my 2nd great grandfather who we always knew as Henry Louden was actually born 17 Nov 1863 Henry Cameron, mother Flora Cameron. He used Louden when leaving Scotland for Australia but his marriage and records of his children’s birth in Australia all list surname Cameron and he lists only a mother, father blank. I believe Flora Cameron b. 1837 daughter of your 3rd great grandmother may be his mother. He was born out of wedlock and in old parish records she named the father as Henry Glass. It seems in the 1861 census that she was living with a relative just down the street from Glass family. I struggle to understand where Henry is from birth to his departure to Australia in 1884. Have no idea how a single mother would have raised her child in those days or where he got the name Louden (which he used when he booked passage out of Scotland then for the rest of his life in the United States). I have not found a Flora Cameron and son Henry of the right age/location but of course the name is common and she may have married and/or given her child to be raised elsewhere. I am looking for DNA evidence to confirm the proper Flora Cameron as well as the named father, Henry Glass. Do you have  your DNA on Ancestry or do you know another person who is related to Flora Cameron who does? Any insight on this appreciated.