Cameron, Evan

CAMERON, Evan (c1816–1872), surveyor and draftsman, was born in British Guiana (now Guyana), second son of John Cameron and Elizabeth Sharp. John Cameron was in partnership with his elder brother Donald Cameron (1781–1848) as sugar planters and slave owners, at Berbice, British Guiana. In the 1830s they claimed almost £30,000 compensation for their 574 slaves. Elizabeth Sharp was a free coloured woman, born in Jamaica. She married John Cameron at Berbice in 1808. By 1825, the family had returned to Scotland where Evan may have trained as a surveyor before he returned to the West Indies. At New Amsterdam, Guiana he married Ann Longworth in May 1842. From 1843 to 1850 he was ‘a Colonial Surveyor in a British Possession’ possibly Barbados where some of their children were born. His male siblings all migrated to Australia, mostly living in Queensland. His younger brothers John (1821–1904) and Donald Charles Cameron (1828–1914) arrived in January 1845. Moving to Moreton Bay and after six months pastoral experience on Kilcoy Station they acquired the Tarampa pastoral run in 1846. When Evan and his family followed, they joined the Cameron brothers at Tarampa in 1856, before Evan commenced practice nearby as a surveyor and draftsman at Little Ipswich apparently with only limited success. In November 1857, shortly before he was declared insolvent, he was employed to manage Joseph Fleming’s timber yard at Ipswich. By then he had seven children, two of whom were born at Moreton Bay. After he was dismissed in May 1858, Fleming charged him with embezzlement but the charge was dismissed. Remaining at Ipswich as a surveyor, he applied unsuccessfully for positions in the Survey Office in 1860 as well as various positions with the Ipswich Municipal Council and also served as secretary for various local organisations. He died at Ipswich.

Employment

1843-

Colonial Surveyor, West Indies (?Barbados)

1857-

Manager, Joseph Fleming’s timber yard, Ipswich - 1858

1853-

Land Agent, Surveyor and Draftsman, Bremer St, Ipswich

Education

-?1842

Surveyor, Scotland

Migration and Travel

-?1825

British Guiana to Scotland

-1842

British Guiana

c1848

Berbice, British Guiana to ?London.

1850

25 Mar 1850: Dep London for Australia, passengers on “Francis Ridley”

1852

Ipswich, Queensland

Employed by:

Self-employment:

Genealogy

[F] John MacSorlie Cameron XIV of Glen Nevis (1782–1862) b. 10 Oct 1782, Kilmallie, Inverness Shire; d. 5 Nov 1862, Pimlico, Middlesex, Eng.

[S, 1808 / M] Elizabeth Sharpe (1775–1851) b.1775, b. Jamaica (birth registered in “sydney quadroon”) d.1851, Glen Nevis, Inverness-shire, Scotland

[7C/1-2G] Helen Cameron (1809–1884) b. 1809, Berbice, British Guiana; d. 22 Mar 1884, Jersey, Channel Islands, UK.
[7C/1-5B] Alexander Cameron (1812–1881) b.1812, Berbice British Guyana; d. 16 June 1881, Ipswich, Qld.
[7C/2-5B] Evan CAMERON(1816–1872) b.1816, New Amsterdam, East Berbice-Corentyne, British Guiana (now Guyana); d. 18 Feb 1872, Ellenborough St, Ipswich, Qld
- [S, May 1842, New Amsterdam, Guiana / M] Ann Longworth (c1817–?)
  - [8C/1-4B] John Baillie Cameron (1845–1906) b. 1845, Berbice, British Guiana; d. 2 Nov 1906, Wilcannia, NSW.
  - [8C/1-4G] Isabel Henrietta Cameron (c1846–1936) b. c1846, Berbice, British Guiana; d. 31 Jan 1936, Ipswich, Qld
  - [8C/2-4B] Evan Longworth Cameron (c1848–1928) born at sea, enroute Barbados-Eng; d. 20 D3ec 1928, Ithaca, Brisbane, Qld.
  - [8C/3-4B] Alexander Duncan Cameron (1850–1902) b. Stepney, London; d. 21 Sep 1902, Samwell St, Croydon, Qld.
  - [8C/2-4G] Annie Maude Cameron (1852–1925) b. 20 Feb 1852, Crown St, Woolloomooloo, NSW; d. 6 Apr 1925, Yangan, Qld.
  - [8C/3-4G] Charlotte Elizabeth Cameron (1854–1955) b. 14 Jan 1854, Ipswich, Qld; d. 21 May 1955, Toowoomba, Qld.
  - [8C/4-4G] Helen Grace Cameron (1856–1885) b. 22 May 1856, Tarampa Station, Qld; d. 1885, Ipswich, Qld.
  - [8C/4-4B] Donald Charles Cameron (1859–1931) b. 10 Jan 1859, Ipswich, Qld; d. 21 Aug 1931, Boggabri, NSW.
[7C/2-2G]
[7C/3-5B] John Cameron (1821–1904) b. 21.9.1821, New Amsterdam, Berbice, British Guiana; d. 26 Dec 1904, Leichhardt, NSW.
[7C/4-5B] Charles Matheson Cameron (1825–1907) b.1825, Inverness, Scotland; d. 11 Mar 1907, South Brisbane, Qld.
[7C/5-5B] Donald Charles Cameron (1828–1914) b. 28 May 1828, Berbice, British Guiana; d. 14 Apr 1914, Brisbane, Qld.

Other Activities

1864- Secretary, North Australia Club, Ipswich

1871- Secretary, Ipswich Hospital

References

Moreton Bay Courier, 15 Oct 1853, 3 and 4 Sep 1858, 2; North Australian, 11 Aug 1857, 1; Queensland Times: 12 Jan 1864, 2; 29 June 1871, 2; and 22 Feb 1872, 2; SUR/A, 1860/2321, QSA.