→ Duncan Cameron (12 October 1825 – 19 February 1901) was a Scottish businessman, owner of ''The Oban Times'' newspaper and the inventor of the "''Waverley''" pen-nib.

Life

Duncan Cameron, along with his brothers John and Donald Cameron, were the owners of the Edinburgh-based printing and stationery firm of Macniven and Cameron. Duncan Cameron joined the firm in 1850, and in 1865 received a patent for the "''Waverley''" nib for the company. The popular "''Waverley''" was unique in design with a narrow waist and an upturned tip. The tip's design made the ink flow more smoothly on the paper. The "''Waverley''" was named after the Waverley novels of

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...

(1771–1832), which were still hugely popular at the time. In 1882, Cameron purchased ''

The Oban Times ''The Oban Times'' is a local, weekly newspaper, published in Oban, Argyll and Bute on a Thursday. It covers the West Highlands and Islands of Scotland, reporting on issues from the Mull of Kintyre to Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland, to the Inne ...

'' newspaper for £4,000 following the death of its founder, James Miller. Cameron appointed his twenty-one-year-old son, also named Duncan Cameron, as the editor. The senior Cameron's oldest daughter, Flora Macaulay, became the paper's editor when her brother Duncan left for

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

to join the family's

stationery Stationery refers to commercially manufactured writing materials, including cut paper, envelopes, writing implements, continuous form paper, and other office supplies. Stationery includes materials to be written on by hand (e.g., letter pape ...

business and another brother, Waverley, drowned at Lismore. Flora stayed involved with ''The Oban Times'' until her death at 99 in 1958. She was succeeded as editor by her nephew, Alan Cameron. In 1884 he commissioned the

architect, Sir James Gowans to create a villa named "Waverley", formerly 82 Colinton Road, but converted to retirement flats in the 1990s and now named Perdrixknowe.Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, by Gifford, McWilliam and Walker The house contains numerous odd details, such as the stair banisters being in the form of pens and the chimney pots being based on pen-nibs. Duncan Cameron died at Waverley on 19 February 1901 in Edinburgh, Scotland and is buried in the family plot in Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh, which lies on the obscured lower southern terrace, towards the east end.

Personal life

Duncan Cameron married Mary Brown Small on 25 June 1858 in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland. Cameron's wife was a member of the Smalls of

Dirnanean Dirnanean House is part of a private, traditional Highland estate located near Enochdhu in Moulin parish, Blairgowrie and Rattray, Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross, Scotland, 10 miles ENE of Pitlochry. The Dirnanean estate is situated adjacent to ...

A younger daughter, Mary Cameron, was a Scottish portrait artist of some renown. On the death of his son Waverley Cameron erected a memorial in his name on Lismore. The inscription at the base of the cross reads: Robert Blair, a Scottish minister at Cambuslang, Scotland, was Cameron's son-in-law.

References

External links

Duncan Cameron on Find A GravePhoto of Macniven & Cameron, Edinburgh
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, Duncan 1825 births 1901 deaths Businesspeople from Edinburgh Burials at the Dean Cemetery Scottish printers Scottish inventors 19th-century Scottish businesspeople