Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Ford (of Avonmore) Macmillan

Donald + Mary Macmillan. Mary and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"John married daughter of Donald Cameron Lot 21-4 (Cameron SchoolFinchClunes) and Nancy (Ann) Cameron (my gtgts)
(The above is taken from notes by Ak, JG, Sadie, and Cassie)

The following are from family records in reference to John MacMillan, sonof Angus MacMillan of Callich, Lot 20-1 Finch:

JOHN MacMillan(This family was known as the Widow MacMillans), son ofAngus of Callich, Lot 20-1 Finch married the daughter of Donald Cameron,killed March 1809(Clunes), Lot 21-4 Finch (The Cameron School) and Nancy(Ann) Cameron(Inveruis.)b. c1779. I think John's wife's name was Mary(her name is not listed in the family records but I did have her name ina file which I lost a few years ago, but I think it was Mary, notNancy). Their children were:

1) John
2) Alexander
3) Ewen(Hugh)
4) Donald
5) Duncan'

from Margaret Cameron, Box 621, Long Sault, Ontario KOC 1PO

John + Catharine (Mary) Cameron. Catharine (daughter of Donald (Clunes of 21-4 Finch) Cameron and Ann (Nancy) "The Red Widow" Cameron) and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"What I have sent to you has been typed from family records. I was'creative' about the name of Donald Cameron's(my gtgt)and his wife's(Nancy's) one daughter who married John MacMillan, son of Angus MacMillanof Callich, Lot 20-1 Finch, because she was described only 'as thedaughter of'' my gtgts. ... Other than the name 'Mary' all the otherinformation is from the older members of my family and is correct." (19Feb 2003)

Clifford McRae(now deceased), my cousin, and Kenny MacMillan were lovelygentlemen but, unfortunately, did make errors in family lines. EleanorMacLean moved into Finch c 1944/5 as a Public Health nurse, unrelated tothe area and the relationships."

However
"Clifford might have been correct about the name of Donald Cameron andNancy Cameron's daughter as being 'Catharine', who was married to JohnMacMillan(this is the line that later became known as 'the WidowMacMillans'.) son of Angus of Callich. I was unsure of her name, becauseit was not written down, and I lost my father's papers but had typedtranscripts and family records from my cousin.. although I thought hername was 'Mary'. That was the one name that was missing from the familytree."

"I don't have any daughters listed for John MacMillan (son of Angus) andhis wife, but that doesn't mean that there weren't any daughters. "
from Margaret Cameron, Box 621, Long Sault, Ontario KOC 1PO

Notes:

"Angus MacMillan had three sons and seven daughters. Five of thedaughters were married to MacMillans as follows: Mary to Duncan BanMacMillan; Marjorie to Hugh (Lochiel) MacMillan; Marion to Hugh (TheCrank) MacMillan and Catherine to Alex (Lochiel) MacMillan. This Alex(Lochiel) MacMillan was Colin and Sandy MacMillan's great grandfather."
From Finch Booklet by A Empey 2001 (page 12) (Sent by Margaret Cameron)

From Margaret Cameron, Box 621, Long Sault, Ontario KOC 1PO
"Angus MacMillan of Callich who first settled on Lot 20, Conc. 1, FinchTownship, then had a sawmill on Lot 14, Conc. 3, Finch Township (orig.owned by Allan Glenpean). Angus had five daughters who marriedMacMillans! "

"John MacMillan of Callich (my gtgtgt), his brother Alexander (Lot 16-2Finch from whom Cassie descends) and their cousin, Angus (1766-1841 -tombstone) my gtgtgt, are listed under the 'Callich' segment of "ByegoneLochaber". "

"My Callich MacMillans are a younger branch of the Glenpean family(Glenpean and Callich are sites at Loch Arkaig near Fort William inScotland.), and John, my gtgtgt, Alexander, and Angus, my gtgtgt, alldescend from William 4th of Murlaggan a Lochaber MacMillan Chief. (c1598)"

"Angus of Callich's brother, Donald, is buried in Kilmallie graveyardnear Ft. William Scotland, d. c 1807 - Tacksman of Callich - ontombstone). He is also mentioned in Byegone Lochaber by SomerledMacMillan."

Angus MacMillan of Callich(my gtgtgt), Lot 20-1, Finch was a cousin toJohn MacMillan(my gtgtgt) Lot 22-1 Finch, and his brother, AlexanderMacMillan, Lot 16-2 Finch. Angus of Callich(my gtgtgt) also owned Lot 14,Conc. 3 Finch (orig. owned by Allan Glenpean< my gtgtgtgt)and had asawmill, along with his son, Alexander.
"Angus MacMillan of Callich and his son Alexander bought Lot 22-1 Finch,and, as well, Angus of Callich owned land on the third concession ofFinch which he had bought from the Glenpean family(i.e. - Lot 14-3 wherehe operated a sawmill, etc.)."

Because of the similarity of names the local gen./ authors have had a'hard' time sorting out these families. "

Some of the information is also from a list produced by A MacMillan(Based on family papers). From Margaret Cameron, Box 621, Long Sault,Ontario KOC 1PO

"Angus of Callich had five daughters who married MacMillans. Thefollowing is a list of his children from family papers(AK, JG. etc.)

a) Mary (b 1794 Achnacarry, Scotland) married Duncan Ban MacMillan(b.Glennevis 1783, d. 1861 Finch Lot 23-3). They were my gtgt grandparents,through their daughter, Margaret b. 1832, who married Joseph R.Sutherland, b. St. Raphaels Mar. 1822, d. 1876, settled Lot 38, Conc. 5,Roxborough, parents of my grandmother, Catharine Sutherland Cameron).
b) Marjory married to Hugh (Lochiel/Corriebuie) MacMillan
c) Marion married Hugh(Ewen)(Cnoc/Kronk) MacMillan(in some family papersI have him stated as 'John the 'kronk' MacMillan(meaning on the hill).
c) Catharine married Alex (Lochiel/Corriebuie) MacMillan
d) Jane(?) m. MacMillan
e) Margaret married Duncan Grant
f) Katie(Kateline?) married John MacLean(our g grandfather---from papersby A.K. MacMillan( son of Johnny John MacMIllan(Lot 20-3 Finch) who hadthe store in Finch Village )
g)** JOHN MACMILLAN married daughter of Donald Cameron(Clunes) andNancy(Ann) Cameron(Glenloy)[ who settled on Lot 21-4 Finch(CameronSchool)].
(In reference to the first name of John MacMillan's wife, I lost myfather's papers wherein the names of the 'two daughters' who marriedMacMillans were listed, so I am not sure if John's wife was Mary/orCatharine...m cameron)
h) Alexander
i) Ewen

The above listing of the children of Angus MacMillan of Callich was takenfrom family notes.

The one daughter(and I think two of the daughters) married in to the'Kronk' family (John of/or Hugh of) MacMillans and I think the MacRaefamly which lived just to the west end of the Village of Avonmoredescended from this line(from Angus of Callich).. "
From Margaret Cameron, September 21, 2003

Angus + Margaret (of Corriebheg) Macmaster. Margaret and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"Donald Cameron (father of Big Duncan) arrived in but remained nearSummertown. He moved to Finch Township in 1808 and settled on lot 21, Con4. He was killed by a falling free in 1809, and was the first white mankilled in Finch Township The body was carried from Finch Township on theboughs of the tree that killed him to the Cameron cemetery on SouthBranch Road. As the remains were being carried through bush land, fireswere made at night to keep the bearers warm and protect the body fromwild animals"
From Finch Booklet by A Empey 2001 (page 12) (Sent by Margaret Cameron)

From Margaret Cameron, Box 621, Long Sault, Ontario KOC 1PO
"My gtgt grandfather, Donald Cameron (Clunes), who was killed March 1809just after he and his brother, Allan, 'went north' to Finch from the'front' at Cornwall was not related to any of the other Cameron familieswhich had settled in Finch Township. His tragedy has been well recorded.The Cameron farm (Cameron School), Lot 21-4 Finch, was in the familyuntil the late l950s. "

[Donald and his brother, Allan, 'went north' to Finch Township in 1808.(recorded)(not 1814 as stated in Belden Atlas 1879) Donald was killedbefore his only son was one year of age.]

"Unfortunately, many local (SDG) genealogists/authors have produced manypublications in which 'Donald's tragedy was recited' although many errorshave been made in these writeups. The most shocking error was in renaming"Donald" to HUGH(no author /gen. ever seemed to check out the Abstracts,etc.).

My gtgt grandfather Cameron's tragedy is well recorded and was very wellknown within Finch Township. So, about one year ago, I began to makepostings on GenForum, etc., in order to correct the errors. Donald(killed March 1809) was married to Ann (Nancy) Cameron who was thedaughter of John Cameron (Inveruiskavouline, Glenloy) and her parentsmig. from Greenock c. 1804. It wasn't hard for local authors/gen. to makeerrors when delving into he history of my Cameron/MacMillan family "
From Margaret Cameron, Long Sault, Ontario

"Mrs. Eamon's history of Finch is excellent with a few errors (ie. -about my Duncan Cameron, gtgt; and about Peter McLean who mig,. withHector and Lachlan), otherwise, giving a good overview of Finch Township.The Cameron families (two of them) at Camerontown west of Finch Villagewere 'connected' to Roderick Cameron's family of Williamstown (Glengarry)who were originally 'McSorlie' Camerons of Glennevis who had latersettled in Glenmorriston. Some in this family of Camerons stated theywere 'connected' to the Camerons of Cameron School (my family) but it wasa distant connection through, I think, marriage into theInveruiskavouline family a branch of which had settled on the River Roadbetween Williamstown and the village of Martintown. (My gtgt Nancy'sfamily, like her husband's (Donald) were from the 'front' near Martintown(known as the Dougal Camerons of Williamstown/Martintown(Inveruiskavouline). Douglas Cameron (now deceased) called me acousin(through his grandmother he descended from the Dougal Camerons onRiver Road/Martintown, and through his father from the "John the Wise'Cameron family!! Roderick Cameron had founded the first clipper shipservice between New York and Australia. My Dad used to take me often intothe Williamstown graveyard to show me 'family gravestones (i.e. AllanGlenpean; Duncan Cameron the fur trader, and his son, Roderick)."( 2002)
From Margaret Cameron, Long Sault, Ontario


"What I have sent to you has been typed from family records. I was'creative' about the name of Donald Cameron's(my gtgt)and his wife's(Nancy's) one daughter who married John MacMillan, son of Angus MacMillanof Callich, Lot 20-1 Finch, because she was described only 'as thedaughter of'' my gtgts. Christian's name is correct. She was known asChristy Ann.(Duncan's (my gt) older sister.) I think that the olderdaughter's name was 'Mary'(It was either Mary, Marjory or Nancy). Otherthan the name 'Mary' all the other information is from the older membersof my family and is correct." (19 Feb 2003)
from Margaret Cameron, Box 621, Long Sault, Ontario KOC 1PO


See also in this file:
In Notes under the name "(Stormont Co Ontario Early History A) Finch"
the "EARLY HISTORY OF FINCH VILLAGE AND TOWNSHIP IS RECALLED" By MrsGladstone Maclean. From "Cornwall Freeholder" 1951

In Notes under the name "(Stormont Co Ontario Early History B) Finch"
THE EARLY HISTORY OF FINCH TOWNSHIP
Interesting Paper Read at District Annual of Women's Institute at MooseCreek. from the Cornwall Freeholder, July 1951(?)

In Notes under the name "Hector (of Donalda) Maclean" (1824 -1898)
LETTER IN THE MONTREAL WITNESS by HECTOR MAC LEAN
Under date of March 10, 1896. Describing the journey on the "Catherineof Belfast "and "THE JOHN ROBERTSON" of Belfast and their arrival inFinch.

One of the reasons for making this information available "on line" is tohelp to set the record straight about this Cameron and other relatedlines (such as the connected Macmillan and Maclean lines). It seems thatover the years a number of well meaning, but inaccurate, versions haveappeared (particularly with regard to the descendents of Donald (Clunesof 21-4 Finch) Cameron who was killed in 1809). Some of these versionshave been published in book and other, apparently authoritative, forms,and so unwittingly led to misunderstandings. The information I presenthere is from Margaret Cameron, the gt. gt. granddaughter of the abovementioned Donald Cameron. Margaret Cameron grew up knowing much of thisinformation, as it was past on to her by her father, Joseph GeorgeCameron, who was very proud, and knowledgeable, of his ancestry, andseems to have made sure that it was accurately past on. This has beenadded to and further back up over many years and from many sources, suchas family papers, gravestones, the Registry Office, various olderhistorical records, etc. So, thanks to her efforts, I believe that thisis an accurate record of these family's ancestors and descendents (as fardown the line as those are shown).

Donald + Ann (Nancy) "The Red Widow" Cameron. Ann (daughter of John (8Th of Inveruiskavouline Glenloy) Cameron and Marjory Cameron) was born in 1779; died about 1858; was buried in St Luke's Cem. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"Nancy (Ann) Cameron (b. 1779(census - l851 Finch - d. c 1858), my gtgt(Marjory's sister (married to Alex MacMillan) was buried in St Luke'sCem. Unfortunately, her tombstone was destroyed in this old cem. when thetownship decided to place tombstones in 'wall', thus destroying many ofthem. "
From Margaret Cameron, Box 621, Long Sault, Ontario KOC 1PO

"My gtgt Nancy's family, like her husband's (Donald) were from the'front' near Martintown (known as the Dougal Camerons ofWilliamstown/Martintown (Inveruiskavouline). "
"Donald's wife's parents mig. in 1804, landing in Montreal in Septemberof that year."
From Margaret Cameron, Box 621, Long Sault, Ontario KOC 1PO

"Life in the bush was hard,... In March 1809 Nancy hiked out along theblazed Indian Trail through the bush to Summerstown on the river in orderto buy seed potatoes for the Spring planting and supplies. She wasvisiting her relatives near Martintown when she heard about her husband'sdeath by the falling tree when a neighbour ran out along the trail tofind her. It took three days and nights to take Donald's body out alongthe Indian trail to his father's farm (Lot 6-4 Cornwall) to be buried.Fires had to be kept going on the hilloch where he was buried in order tothaw the snow covered ground in order to dig the grave. Nancy's fatherwas lost in the bush c 1827 so I was told.
I grew up listening to my Grandmother Cameron tell me how terrible 'theSassenachs' were (meaning the lowlanders), and of the terrible tragediesthat befell the family.
The relationship of my branches of Camerons to Roderick's family wasthrough marriage (Nancy's nephew, Dougald Cameron (Paul's son) married afirst cousin to Roderick , Margaret McDonell (her mother was a Cameron),although there was a distant relationship through the Glennevis Camerons.Nancy kept in close touch her family. Dougald Cameron (b.1885) adescendant of Dougald Cameron and Margaret McDonell, who had been a clerktreas. of Charlottenburg Township(Glengarry) and my Dad were closefriends and he called my Dad a cousin (he was father to the Douglas Imentioned). Dougald Cameron (b 1885) descended through 'male' line fromJohn 'the Wise' Cameron at Summerstown, but through his grandmother fromthe Inveruiskavouline Camerons!! Hamish, I keep referring to Lot numbersetc., and dates, in order to separate out these different branches but itis still a 'muddle' for you probably.
My Dad took such pride in his descent from the Lochiel Camerons and theGlennevis Camerons but for anyone who doesn't know these differentfamilies it is hard to untangle, because Camerons married Camerons, etc.,and, likewise, MacMillans/MacLeans. Nothing is straight forward asusually is the case in English families. .
From the time I was very small I heard about how 'Donald and his brother,Allan, 'went north' to Finch in 1808. The farm (Lot 21-4 Finch) was inthe family from 1808, but, from what I was told, there was a propertymixup(i.e. - the four Camerons who had trekked in from Lochiel -Alexander Cameron and his four sons --also with the names Allan Donaldetc)with the Camerons in the concession south of them(the four who hadhiked in from Lochiel Township). But my Dad's first cousins were relatedto that Cameron family through their 'grandmother' not through the maleline from 'OUR Donald, and this has been a mix for the local gen."
From Margaret Cameron, Box 621, Long Sault, Ontario KOC 1PO (7th Oct 2002


THE FREE SPIRIT OF THE PIONEER WOMAN
By Margaret Cameron

One doesn't have to visit Upper Canada Village to experience the culturalshock of stepping back in time, using kerosene lamps and cooking bywoodstove. Ever since I decided to leave the city ten years ago to returnto my 'roots' I never regretted my decision.

Every family is knit into history by the strong strands of familyreminiscences, and, in my case, it is easy to see why so many of mygrand-aunts and grand-uncles lived well into their nineties as healthy,useful citizens.

Nancy Cameron from Summerstown married Donald Cameron and they settled inFinch Township in 1808, where a small clearing was made and a log cabinbuilt.

During the early spring time of 1809, Nancy Cameron hiked down a blazedIndian trail to the 'front' where at Summerstown she visited relatives.On her return home she was to carry supplies, but when she was away herhusband was killed by a falling tree.

According to family records "Rthe men carried the body down the trailfrom Finch to Lot 6 Concession 4, Cornwall from Lot 21 Concession 4Finch. Fires had to be made when they stopped at night to keep the wolvesaway from the body. The younger men or boys kept a large fire going inthe cemetery on the hill off South Branch Road to get the frost out ofthe ground, so a grave could be dug for the burial.'

Donald Cameron's wife became known as "The Red Widow Cameron" because ofthe color of her hair. She was left not only to cope with the wildernessbut also with four young children, the youngest being a not a year old.Duncan grew into a man of six feet five, and the family was referred toas "the Donald Big Duncans'. Eventually, land from the farm was donatedfor a school, the Cameron Schoolhouse.

Among pioneer families the women always took risks and did hard workalongside the men in a wilderness beset with frigid winters, the wolvesand other wild animals being a constant threat to the pioneers.

When I was a child I played in the log cabin Donald built, and I saw thetree which had grown from the stump of the one which fell on him, and Iwondered how his wife ever survived in such a lonely spot. Hardship?Living by kerosene lamp and eating food cooked on a woodstove is adelight in this year of bicentennial when one considers the number ofpeople who go camping and eat food cooked on open barbecues, while modernconveniences overflow in ultra modern country kitchens.

My great-great-grandfather, Donald Cameron, did not survive in thewilderness although his widow along wither four children lived longenough to see the forest retreat..

By simple enduring day to day like our pioneer ancestors did, searchingout the answers to the dilemma which is life itself the free spirit ofthe pioneer woman still exist in her descendents.

"The South Branch Road is really the 4th Conc. road. The original farmwas at the corner of McConnell Avenue(Cornwall, Ontario) and the SouthBranch Road(4th), at the extreme northeast corner of the town.. "
From Margaret Cameron, Box 621, Long Sault, Ontario KOC 1PO (23 February2003)