Author: Cameron, William
Biography:
CAMERON, William (fl 1822-36)
Cameron is identified by Langdon as a tailor from Scotland who began following Robert Owen in 1822 and was associated with his failed community at Motherwell near Glasgow. Although a committed follower of Owen, Cameron developed his own theory about the organisation of a community. In London in about 1832 he established the Philosophical and Cooperative Land Association; his book The First Trumpet; an Address to the Followers of Robert Owen (1832) outlines his ideas. The association held weekly meetings; it is not known when it was dissolved. Cameron is known to have been involved with the Community Friendly Society in 1836. His name is a common one and no public records that can be linked to him with any certainty have been located; his birth and death dates are not known. He was strongly associated with Glasgow where he was known as "Hawkie" and Hunter includes colourful accounts of his preaching and of conversations with him. Cameron told Hunter that he had his education in a "tailor's garret." (ODNB [for Robert Owen] 30 Oct. 2023; John C. Langdon, “Pocket Editions of the New Jerusalem: Owenite Communitarianism in Britain 1825-55,” unpublished dissertation online at core.ac.uk; John Kelso Hunter, Life Studies of Character [1871, 2nd edn]) SR