Alexander Cameron S.J. (1701 – 19 October 1746) was a Scottish

nobleman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristi ...

, servant to Prince

Charles Edward Stuart Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (20 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, grandson of James II and VII, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland and ...

, and

Roman Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...

in the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

. After travelling in

Catholic Europe The Catholic Church in Europe is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See in Rome, including represented Eastern Catholic missions. Demographically, Catholics are the largest religious group in Europe. Demograph ...

and the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

, Cameron converted from the Non-Juring Anglican Communion to

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

and was ordained as a priest. Fr. Cameron ran a highly successful vicariate for the still illegal and underground

Catholic Church in Scotland The Catholic Church in Scotland overseen by the Scottish Bishops' Conference, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church headed by the Pope. After being firmly established in Scotland for nearly a millennium, the Catholic Church was outlawed fo ...

Lochaber Lochaber ( ; gd, Loch Abar) is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig, as they were before being reduced in extent by the creation ...

and

Strathglass Strathglass is a strath or wide and shallow valley in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland down which runs the meandering River Glass from the point at which it starts at the confluence of the River Affric and Abhainn Deabhag to the point where, ...

before joining the as a

military chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term ''cha ...

to the regiment of the Jacobite Army commanded by his brother,

Donald Cameron of Lochiel Donald Cameron of Lochiel (c. 1695 – 1748), popularly known as the Gentle Lochiel, was a Scottish Jacobite and hereditary chief of Clan Cameron, traditionally loyal to the exiled House of Stuart. His father John was permanently exiled after ...

, during the Uprising of 1745. After the

Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden (; gd, Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince Wi ...

, Fr. Cameron was captured by the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

and died of the hardships of his imprisonment while being held without trial aboard a

prison hulk A prison ship, often more accurately described as a prison hulk, is a current or former seagoing vessel that has been modified to become a place of substantive detention for convicts, prisoners of war or civilian internees. While many natio ...

anchored in the

Thames River The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

. He is currently being promoted by the

Knights of St Columba The Knights of St Columba is a fraternal service order affiliated with the Catholic Church in Scotland and in England and Wales. Founded in Glasgow in 1919, the Knights are named in honour of Saint Columba, a 6th-century missionary descended ...

for

Canonization Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of ...

by the Roman Catholic Church.

Early life

Alexander Cameron was born in September 1701 to John Cameron of Lochiel in Achnagarry, Scotland. He was the brother of Donald Cameron of Lochiel, who would later become the

Chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

Clan Cameron Clan Cameron is a West Highland Scottish clan, with one main branch Lochiel, and numerous cadet branches. The Clan Cameron lands are in Lochaber and within their lands lies Ben Nevis which is the highest mountain in the British Isles. The Chief ...

and lead a regiment in the

Jacobite Uprising of 1745 The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (20 December 1720 ...

. Alexander Cameron was raised as a Non-Juring

Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...

, and was educated in Achnagarry. He also attended a

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

in St. Ninian's near

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

. As a young man, Cameron travelled to the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

on family business, but did not enjoy it. He then joined the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...

, after which he travelled throughout Europe. After arriving in the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...

, Cameron became a servant in the household of Prince

, heir apparent to Prince

James Francis Edward Stuart James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 16881 January 1766), nicknamed the Old Pretender by Whigs, was the son of King James II and VII of England, Scotland and Ireland, and his second wife, Mary of Modena. He was Prince of Wales from ...

, the eldest son of

King James II James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...

and

pretender A pretender is someone who claims to be the rightful ruler of a country although not recognized as such by the current government. The term is often used to suggest that a claim is not legitimate.Curley Jr., Walter J. P. ''Monarchs-in-Waiting'' ...

to the English throne.

Conversion to Catholicism

During his time in Rome, where he was "one of the Bedchamber to the Pretender in Rome", Cameron converted to Catholicism. It is noted that he was heavily influenced by Fr. John Farqhuarson S.J. and his uncle Alan Cameron, who had played a great part in the

Jacobite rebellion of 1715 The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( gd, Bliadhna Sheumais ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts. At Braemar, Aberdeenshire ...

.Blundell, Catholic Highlands, 187. During this period, Alexander Cameron wrote his brother Donald to explain his reasons for converting :

″I doubt not that a piece of extraordinary news, as that of my being converted to the Catholick Faith, and quitting of the religion in which I was bred up, and educat, will at first surprise you and my Relations. I should be sorrie ever to do anything wherby I would run the risque of incurring the displeasure of a Brother whome I so much love and esteeme; but in an affaire of so great Consequence as this is, and wherupon alone my eetemall Salvation depends, my first duty is to God."'Cameron Memorandum', MS 20310 in vol. xiv of the National Library of Scotland's Catalogue of Manuscripts acquired since 1925.

Cameron's letters indicate that he understood his family would be upset with his religious conversion. He only asked that they would still remain in contact with him.

"I have seen most of the splendoure and riches of this World, and have had occasion to be in some of its most beautifull Countreys but never could find out real happiness or contentment in it: and I thank God for it, I only now can say that, I have founde reall riches in possessing nothing. I have no check of conscience and if I could with all this flatter myselfe that my Brothers and Relations had the same regard for me as formerly, my happiness would be compleate; if they have not God forgive them, I do. If I cannot have the pleasure of seeing you and liveing in the same Countrey with you, let me have the satisfaction, at a distance, of being loved by you as one Brother ought to be by an other; if we never are to meet let me at least have the pleasure of corresponding with you, and heareing from you. I have no other favoure nowe to aske of you and my Relations but the continuance of your love and affections to me as formerly; for money I neither want any at present, or ever will put you to any trouble upon that account."

In another letter, Alexander Cameron tells Donald why he thinks that the Cameron clan should convert to Catholicism. Cameron laments that their clan had broken ties with the Catholic Church. He reminded Donald that the penitent clan chief, Young

Ewen Cameron of Lochiel Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel (Scottish Gaelic: ''Eòghain Camshròn Mac Dhòmhnaill Dubh''; February 1629 – 12 June 1719) was a Scottish highland chief, soldier and courtier. He was the Chief of Clan Cameron – the 17th Lochiel, and was renow ...

, had built seven churches in

centuries before. Cameron also condemned what he called the tendency in the

protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

faiths to leave religion to the ministers, rather than encouraging people to seek God themselves and seek the truth in the world around them. Tournai, Jesuit church

Priestly Ministry

Alexander Cameron travelled to

Douai Douai (, , ,; pcd, Doï; nl, Dowaai; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord département in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe some from Lille and from Arras, D ...

in 1730. He entered the Society of Jesus at

Tournai Tournai or Tournay ( ; ; nl, Doornik ; pcd, Tornai; wa, Tornè ; la, Tornacum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies southwest of Brussels on the river Scheldt. Tournai is part of Euromet ...

on 30 September 1734 and took his first vows on 1 October 1736. He was ordained a Priest in 1740, and returned to Scotland in June 1741. Reports indicated that Cameron was very successful in his mission to the highland

vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...

iate . In a report to their General Assembly, the local

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

ministers noted that Cameron, who "hath lately setled in the part of Strathglass that pertains to Lord Lovet, and is employed as a Poppish Missionary in that neighbourhood and Glenstrathfarrar, ''and trafficks with great success''; and he hath great advantage by his connection with the inhabitants of Lochaber." Cameron lived in the vicariate with two other Jesuits: Fr. John Farqhuarson, who had influenced his conversion, and Fr. Charles Farqhuarson, John's brother. Dom. Odo Blundell of

Fort Augustus Abbey Fort Augustus Abbey, properly St. Benedict's Abbey, at Fort Augustus, Inverness-shire, Scotland, was a Benedictine monastery, from late in the nineteenth century to 1998 that also housed a school for young boys until 1993. Inception It owed it ...

stated that the priests' residence was located under the cliff of a big boulder at Brae of Craskie in Glenannich. This dwelling was the very centre of the Catholic mission in Lochaber at the time, where Cameron secretly ministered to the local Catholics. Cameron almost died at this residence due to its coldness. Cameron refused to retreat to

Beaufort Castle Beaufort Castle can refer to several places: * Beaufort Castle, Florennes, Belgium * Beaufort Castle, France, in the historical region of Auvergne * Beaufort Castle in Huy, Belgium * Beaufort Castle, Greece, a Frankish castle in Laconia * Beaufor ...

because he wanted to minister to the people of Glenannich throughout the winter.Blundell, Catholic Highlands, 187-8

Lord Lovat Lord Lovat ( gd, Mac Shimidh) is a title of the rank Lord of Parliament in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1458 for Hugh Fraser, 1st Lord Lovat, Hugh Fraser by summoning him to the Scottish Parliament as Lord Fraser of Lovat, altho ...

, himself a Catholic, wrote to Donald Cameron, begging him to order his brother to the castle, where Lovat would "furnish him with all the conveniences of Life". Cameron refused to go. Lovat frequently provided supplies for Cameron and the other local priests at Mass-houses that Lovat provided in Crochail and Strathfarrar. However, the Presbytery of Inverness eventually forced Lovat had to close them.

Capture and death

In 1745, Cameron enlisted as a

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

's Regiment. The regiment had three chaplains (a

Presbyterian minister Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or ...

, a Non-juring

clergyman, and a Catholic). On the evening before the

, Fr. Cameron offered the

Tridentine Mass The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass or Traditional Rite, is the liturgy of Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church that appears in typical editions of the Roman Missal published from 1570 to 1962. Celebrated almo ...

on the battlefield for his regiment, wearing a tartan

chasuble The chasuble () is the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian churches that use full vestments, primarily in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. In the Easter ...

– a fragment of which is preserved today. After the Jacobite defeat at Culloden, Cameron fled to escape the

. However, he was captured at

Morar Morar (; gd, Mòrar) is a small village on the west coast of Scotland, south of Mallaig. The name Morar is also applied to the northern part of the peninsula containing the village, though North Morar is more usual (the region to the south wes ...

, taken in captivity by Captain Ferguson, and later transferred with Fr. James Grant and other priests to '' HMS Furnace'', a

.SHS, Lyon in Mourning ii, 216. Reports are that Ferguson "brutalised" Cameron, placing him in iron chains among the ropes and cables of the Furnace. Cameron became seriously ill as a result of his imprisonment. After seeing a doctor's report,

Lord Albemarle Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or a ...

ordered Fr. Cameron taken ashore. Captain Ferguson ignored his command. Some others tried to prepared proper bedding for Fr. Cameron, to which Ferguson replied that he would sink this boat and theirs if anyone dared to aid Fr. Cameron. After the Furnace had anchored in the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

, Fr. Cameron died, with Fr. John Farquharson by his side.Blundell, Catholic Highlands, 188. Fr. Cameron was buried in the nearest cemetery to the ship.

Devotion and canonisation

The Knights of St. Columba at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

have launched a campaign to

canonize Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of s ...

Fr. Cameron, "with the hope that he will become a great saint for Scotland and that our nation will merit from his intercession." They erected a small petition book at their altar of St. Joseph in the University Catholic Chapel, Turnbull Hall. It is one of the necessary prerequisites for

Canonisation Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of s ...

in the Roman Catholic Church that there is a Cult of Devotion to the saint. The Knights distributed prayer cards for Cameron that were written by Jamie McGowan KSC. It reads:

O God, who will that every nation and people be converted unto you, you gave us Father Alexander Cameron as a preacher of the gospel, so that Scotland may once again love the Faith entire and true. May his example of humble ministry in the midst of greater danger stir up in us a zeal for the Gospel. May his capturing, enduring of torture, suffering and death be an example witness to the one true faith, so that by imitating his courage we might surrender to the Divine Will. Through his intercession, hear our petitions for the conversion of Scotland and for the conversion of our own hearts, so that brought to closer unity with you, we may more faithfully contemplate the truth and show forth the fruits of that contemplation. Father Alexander, please pray for this particular intention. Heavenly Father, grant that Father Alexander may be deemed worthy of canonisation, so that we may merit from his intercession, for the glory of your Church, the praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the evangelisation of our nation. Amen.

The image of Cameron is from a

tapestry Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads may ...

commissioned by the Lord Marquess of Bute entitled "The Prayer for Victory" by

William Skeoch Cumming William Skeoch Cumming (28 December 1864 Edinburgh – 10 April 1929 Edinburgh), was a Scottish watercolourist, mainly of portraits, military subjects and Scottish Military History. Between 1912 and his death, he turned his hand to the d ...

s. The tapestry depicts the Jacobite army kneeling in prayer before the

Battle of Prestonpans The Battle of Prestonpans, also known as the Battle of Gladsmuir, was fought on 21 September 1745, near Prestonpans, in East Lothian, the first significant engagement of the Jacobite rising of 1745. Jacobite forces, led by the Stuart exile C ...

. Cameron is shown

genuflecting Genuflection or genuflexion is the act of bending a knee to the ground, as distinguished from kneeling which more strictly involves both knees. From early times, it has been a gesture of deep respect for a superior. Today, the gesture is common ...

in the foreground.

Early life

Conversion to Catholicism

Priestly Ministry

Capture and death

Devotion and canonisation

References

See also