Chief Engineer
John CAMERON
Mercantile Marine
Died: 2nd October 1916 - Age: 44

Commemorated:

    

Awards & Titles:

 

Early Life :

It is thought John was born at Meigle, Perthshire in Scotland on 26.November 1872 to John and Isabella Cameron (nee Gray). In the census returns of 1881 the family are shown at Bridge of Crathie, Meigle, Pershire, his father John is shown as head of house age 48 a Millwright, Isabella is 46. John age 7 is a scholar with three female siblings, Jane 20, domestic servant, Mary 10 and Isobel 5. The following census of 1891 has the family address as Craithie House, Meigle, and John is now age 18 a millwright apprentice. Also present is Bella Cameron age 2, a granddaughter to John and Isabella.

In 1901 the census shows a 27 year old John Cameron, a Marine Engineer lodging at 956 Govan Road, Govan, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, the heart of the shipbuilding industry. He is within a large tenement building and lodging at the tenement of Glasgow born Ann Taylor, a widow age 72. The census has John as born Meigle, Perthshire. Every male in the building, except scholars, looks to be involved with the local shipyard. (census 642/2 , 70/1).

He may be aboard the SS Abeokuta in 1901 age 29 as 3rd Engineer residence 27 Walnut Terrace, in what looks likebe Edinburgh. His previous vessel given as the Athens, and his engineer’s certificate numbered 37899, 2C. The vessel which was newly built forwas on a voyage leaving Hamburg on 26 September 1901 via South Wales, where John joined at Barry Dock, and then to West Africa, returning via Liverpool, when John left on 12 January 1902. The ship had been built by Robert Duncan & Co, Port Glasgow for the Elder Dempster Line.

John married Annie Elizabeth Parkes at West Derby Liverpool in 1907 and she can be found on the 1911 census at 26 Rockland Road, Waterloo, age 44 and married for three years.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.:  

Action : Natural Causes 

Natural causes is attributed those deaths due to causes that were not directly associated with the war. Included in this are wartime deaths resulting from, for example, theSpanish Influenza pandemic and its associated pneumonia problems and other attributions such as age and exhaustion. It also groups those who through Post Traumatic Stress committed suicide as a result of their experiences.

Detail :

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo of 7 October 1916 in which it said the news was received by cable that he had died in a hospital at Singapore of peritonitis. It says that John Cameron of the Mercantile Fleet Auxiliaries, the beloved husband of Mrs. Cameron 36 Rockland Road, Waterloo, Chief Engineer on M.S. Glenartney, for sixteen years with Elder Dempster & Co., a member of Neptune Lodge No 1264 and Coronation Mark Lodge 563.

The “Glenartney” had been built in 1915 by Harland & Wolff at Irvine, Glasgow with a tonnage of 7263grt, with a length of 245ft 8in, and a beam of 35ft 2in having service speed of 12 knots. She was launched as the Montezuma for Elder, Dempster & Co but from the onset had engine problems. Transferred to Glen Line in September 1915 she was the company's first motor vessel. Just under two years after the death in Singapore of John Cameron, during a passage from Singapore to London, On 6th February 1918 she was torpedoed by UC-54 30 miles north-east of Cap Bon in the notorious narrows between Sicily and Tunisia where many merchant ships were to meet their end during both world wars.

The Glen Line Ltd was incorporated in 1910, and in the same year over at Royal Mail Sir Owen Philips purchased the late Sir Alfred Jones's holdings in Elder, Dempster & Co. giving him, together with Lord Pirie of Harland & Wolff, control of 109 ships. To consolidate the purchase Elder, Dempster & Co. Ltd was formed as an associate company of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. In 1911 Elder, Dempster Co. Ltd acquired all the shares in Glen Line, leaving the management with McGregor, Gow and Co., and Royal Mail purchased Brocklebank's remaining shares in the troubled Shire Line. As the two companies had been operating closely for many years, they were then integrated under the GLEN & SHIRE LINE banner but, although the brokers were merged as McGregor, Gow, Norris & Joyner Ltd, the ships remained under the ownership of the former companies.

The index of wills for 1916 for the National probate Calendar has; Cameron, John of 26 Rockland-road Waterloo Lancashire marine engineer died 2 October 1916 at the English Hospital Singapore Malaya Administration (with Will) Liverpool 20 November to Anne Elizabeth Cameron Effects £334 9s 11d. The two accounts of John in the Marine death registers give John as being born in Meigle, Scotland and living at 26 Rockland Road, a Chief Engineer aged 53, although crossed out and substituted with 43. He had entered hospital on 30 September and died 2 October due to Enteric fever, Perforation, and General peritonitis.

John Cameron is named on the headstone of the family grave in Meigle Churchyard, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The grave contains his father John 1833-1892, mother, Isabella 1835-1899 siblings Isabella Craig Cameron 1862-1865, Walter Cameron 1865-1865, Cecilia Craig Cameron 1867-1881 and Bella Cameron 1875-1882. For John it says John. Chief Engineer M.S. Glenartorey (sic) died at Singapore 2nd October 1916 aged 43 years.

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Neptune No. 1264 E.C.West Lancashire

Initiated
Passed
Raised
4th April 1910
1st May 1911
17th January 1913
 

John Cameron was initiated into Neptune Lodge No 1264 on 4 April 1910, a Chief Officer age 37 residing at 26 Rockland Road, Waterloo. passed 1 May 1911 raised in 2950 St Davids 17 Jan 1913 GLC 1 April 1913

He would later also become a member of Coronation Mark Masons Lodge 563.

Source :

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Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2021-02-24 14:30:17