William Justin Beauchamp Cameron - HELP!!

[MarieC]

The one important missing fact about my ggrandfather WJB Cameron (generally known as Beauchamp Cameron) is how, when and where he arrived in Australia!

He was born in Ireland in 1845, and family records say that he was sent to join his Cox uncles in Australia at the age of fourteen.  He died in 1928, and the death cert (for which the informant was one of his daughters) said that he had spent  "70 years in South Australia and Queensland".

I am not aware of his being anywhere other than Queensland.  However, I guess it is possible that he landed in Sth Aus, or indeed anywhere!

I've looked at eastern States records as well as I can without finding him, and posted a request on the now locked Sth Aus lookup thread, which didn't produce any information.

I don't know whether the Society of Genealogists in Sydney would have anything, but I am not likely to be able to get there in the foreseeable future.

The Queensland State Library tell me that their shipping records from 1860 were destroyed in a flood, but he should have been here before that (in 1858-1859).  I'm beginning to wonder if he swam here!

Any help gratefully received!

MarieC

[NSWlandrecords]

Hi MarieC,

Have you identified who "his COX uncles" were and where they lived? This might at least get you into the right area of Australia as a starting point to refine your search.

Have you looked at the Library Catalogue of The Society of Australian Genealogists which is now online at  www.sag.org.au ? There are a number of publications which might be worth you looking at.  They do provide a research service for those who can't attend in person.

There were CAMERONs in Broken Hill which is not far from South Australian border.

What was his occupation?

Helen

[MarieC]

Hi Helen

His Cox uncles were Dillon and Pryce Cox.  He quarrelled with them shortly after arriving, and they parted ways.  I know very little about the Coxes, except that Dillon drowned off Townsville in 1875.  As far as I know they were both in Queensland.  I don't think that will be a very fruitful line of enquiry.

I will have a look at the SAG catalogue online.  What I really need is to find him on a shipping record, but I have so far spent hours to no avail!

The Broken Hill Camerons aren't mine.  By the time he married and raised a family, he was squarely in Queensland.

He knocked about quite a bit early on, doing various jobs, but in later years he was a pastoralist.

MarieC

[PrueM]

Hi Marie,
I found a passenger list for an 1866 Brisbane arrival at the National Archives office in Brissie.  The website doesn't seem to be working just at the mo' but it might be worth contacting them to see what other years they hold.
Prue

[MarieC]

Hi Prue!

Thanks for that - I'll take a look when the website is working. 1866 would have been too late - all the evidence I have points to an arrival in 1858-59.  But where? when? how?  If they have those years it will be great.  But I somehow fear it is one of those things that won't be easily found! 

The SAG website wouldn't work properly for me either - kept giving me blank pages on the library catalogue.  Maybe there is a website-destroying gremlin abroad today!  So I can't completely tell whether they will have any stuff which could be useful.  Hey-ho!

MarieC

[deeiluka]

Marie, eventually you will probably be able to see S A passenger lists for the years you want on
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~dicummings/
but at present 1858 and 1859 have only one or two ships covered.

Sorry I don't live in the city or I would go to the library and check for you.

.....dee

[MarieC]

Thanks for that, Dee!  I'll keep that link and keep checking it.  He must be there SOMEWHERE!!

MarieC

[PrueM]

Hi again Marie,
 I know mine was a bit later than yours, but as we are always thinking "pre-Federation records are with state records offices" I thought I'd mention my find because that rule obviously doesn't apply to everything!  If they had 1866 it is possible they have other years too - I will check tomorrow when I'm at work (If I remember    I still owe a lookup to Jenn!!    )
Prue

[MarieC]

Great, Prue!!  Much obliged! 

Marie