Cameron McLeod
Birth: 7/19/1809, Torrance, Scotland (1)
Baptism: 8/6/1809
Marriage: 11/30/1841 at St. James Anglican, Orillia, Simcoe County, Ontario
Spouse: Janet Litster (3/19/1818 – 7/11/1887)
Death: 7/12/1906, buried in Esson Cemetery, Oro Township, Ontario, Canada
Biography:
Cameron McLeod was born on July 19, 1809 in Torrance Scotland to Malcom McLeod and Catherine Cameron [1]. Cameron was christened by the Reverend Dr. Rapsleigh of Glasgow on August 6, 1809 [1,15]. Cameron joined the famous “Black Watch” regiment when he was about 18 years of age and served for about three years [7]. 1n 1829, he went down to bid his brother John and his wife and child farewell as they were leaving for Canada. While there, Cameron decided he would go with his brother and family to Canada [7]. They, along with their brother Malcom, boarded the brig “Amity” in Gloucester and set sail for Quebec, Canada [6,7]. They arrived in Quebec on September, 25th 1829. From Quebec, they boarded the St. Lawrence on September 30, 1829 bound for Montreal [6]. While in Montreal, Cameron clerked for Hart Logan and Company (an import house and also a shipowner and shipbuilder – see: http://biographi.ca/en/bio.php?id_nbr=2873), but soon was lured to the waters of the Great Lakes and worked for two seasons aboard the “Traveller” on Lake Huron with Captain Richards [7,15]. He then spent one season on Lake Erie with Captain Robertson and six seasons on the “John Colbourne” on Lake Simcoe with Captain McKay [7,15]. Cameron then spent three years working with Mr. Thomas Dallas in Orillia and purchased 100 areas of land for $400 (Lot 12-3, Orillia Township, now known as the Asylum property). He cleared the land and built a one story log cabin. On November 30, 1841, Cameron married Janet Litster, daughter of Henry Litster and Margaret Rutherford, at St. James Anglican Church in Orillia. Cameron and Janet sold the 100 acres in Orillia and moved to the 10th in Oro near Rugby, close to his brother John. At the new property in Oro, Cameron cut down trees and hewed out the logs by hand and built a two story log home. Cameron and Janet began farming the land and raised a family of 12 children (6 sons and 6 daughters) [7]. Cameron passed on July 12, 1906, just a week short of his 97th birthday. He is buried in Esson Cemetery, Oro Township, Simcoe County, Ontario [7].
Cameron McLeod 1809 & Janet Litster Family Tree
Stories:
Cameron McLeod was intelligent above the average, and retained his faculties of memory and speech bright and clear to the very end. He was a Presbyterian, a Liberal of the old school, and never entertained the remotest doubt but that he was right in his convictions. – The Orillia Packet, July 19, 1906
Cameron was a man who kept up with the news and got his newspaper (The Globe) from the store at Rugby – when he got older his grandson or granddaughter would pick up the paper on their way home fro school – but when the school would close for the summer months he would still send them down to get the paper which by the way was no short walk, and he always took great interest in the Government of Canada; this was one of his choicest treasures – politics. – Kith ‘N Kin, page 269
