James Cameron (missionary)
Encyclopedia
James Cameron was a 19th century Scottish
artisan
missionary
with a background in carpentry
who, over the course of twenty-three years of service in Madagascar
with the London Missionary Society
(1826–1835; 1861–1875), played a major role in the Christianization and industrialization of that island state, then under the rule of the Merina monarchy
.
, Scotland
on January 6, 1800. The LMS mission in Madagascar, established in 1820, accepted Cameron's petition to serve five years later when he was 25 years of age. Prior to arriving in Madagascar in September 1826 during the reign of the progressive King Radama I, he spent a year in Manchester assisting with the development of machinery which would eventually be installed at Amparibe, Madagascar, to modernize the production of cotton yarn.
that was widely adopted throughout the Highlands of Madagascar. Cameron's brick house in Ambatonakanga would serve as a model for the new architectural style. He was instrumental in overseeing the installation of the first printing press on the island, which was used to print a translation of the Bible
in the Malagasy language
. Cameron was also a key contributor to the manufacture of gunpowder in Imerina and the introduction of hydraulic power drawn Lake Anosy, a man-made lake in the center of modern-day Antananarivo created for this purpose.
Upon the death of Radama I in 1828, the accession of his wife, Queen Ranavalona I
, to the throne, and her subsequent attempt to rid the island of foreign influence, Christian proselytizing was forbidden and those practicing the new faith were actively persecuted. According to a speech delivered at Cameron's funeral, it was thanks to his intervention that the LMS was able to maintain a presence on the island until 1835, restricted though it might have been:
In 1835, pressure on the missionaries had increased to the point that the entire LMS team left the island.
in South Africa
, where he lived with his wife, children and grand-children, engaged in commerce and worked as a surveyor to the Corporation of Cape Town. In 1853 the government of Mauritius
employed Cameron to successfully negotiate with Ranavalona I
regarding the terms of an agreement to restore trade between Madagascar and Mauritius that had been disrupted in 1845 by French
and English
attacks on the eastern Malagasy trading port of Toamasina
.
compound in Antananarivo
, including the Manampisoa (1866), a royal tomb (1868) and the stone shell of the Queen's Palace (the Manjakamiadana) in 1869. He oversaw the construction of the Memorial Church at Faravohitra and another at Analakely, a hospital, several mission houses and village churches, and a water wheel to supply the munitions factory at Anosimahavelona. He was also the first to survey and map Imerina and the region around Fianarantsoa
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
artisan
Artisan
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
with a background in carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
who, over the course of twenty-three years of service in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
with the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
(1826–1835; 1861–1875), played a major role in the Christianization and industrialization of that island state, then under the rule of the Merina monarchy
Merina Kingdom
The Merina Kingdom was a pre-colonial south-eastern African state that dominated most of what is now Madagascar. It spread outward from Imerina, the central highlands region primarily inhabited by the Merina ethnic group with a modern and historic political capital at Antananarivo and a spiritual...
.
Early life
Cameron was born in Little Dunkeld in PerthshirePerthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
on January 6, 1800. The LMS mission in Madagascar, established in 1820, accepted Cameron's petition to serve five years later when he was 25 years of age. Prior to arriving in Madagascar in September 1826 during the reign of the progressive King Radama I, he spent a year in Manchester assisting with the development of machinery which would eventually be installed at Amparibe, Madagascar, to modernize the production of cotton yarn.
First mission to Madagascar
From Cameron's residence at Ambatonakanga where he constructed the first Christian temple and the first Western-style school in Madagascar, he employed and educated 600 young Malagasy in the construction of machinery and other public works projects. He introduced brick-making in 1826, a technology that was later to be used in a new Malagasy architectural styleArchitecture of Madagascar
The architecture of Madagascar is unique in Africa, bearing strong resemblance to the construction norms and methods of Southern Borneo from which the earliest inhabitants of Madagascar are believed to have emigrated...
that was widely adopted throughout the Highlands of Madagascar. Cameron's brick house in Ambatonakanga would serve as a model for the new architectural style. He was instrumental in overseeing the installation of the first printing press on the island, which was used to print a translation of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
in the Malagasy language
Malagasy language
Malagasy is the national language of Madagascar, a member of the Austronesian family of languages. Most people in Madagascar speak it as a first language as do some people of Malagasy descent elsewhere.-History:...
. Cameron was also a key contributor to the manufacture of gunpowder in Imerina and the introduction of hydraulic power drawn Lake Anosy, a man-made lake in the center of modern-day Antananarivo created for this purpose.
Upon the death of Radama I in 1828, the accession of his wife, Queen Ranavalona I
Ranavalona I
Ranavalona I , also known as Ranavalo-Manjaka I, was a sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861...
, to the throne, and her subsequent attempt to rid the island of foreign influence, Christian proselytizing was forbidden and those practicing the new faith were actively persecuted. According to a speech delivered at Cameron's funeral, it was thanks to his intervention that the LMS was able to maintain a presence on the island until 1835, restricted though it might have been:
In 1835, pressure on the missionaries had increased to the point that the entire LMS team left the island.
Years in South Africa
From 1835 to 1863, Cameron continued his missionary activities at the Cape of Good HopeCape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where he lived with his wife, children and grand-children, engaged in commerce and worked as a surveyor to the Corporation of Cape Town. In 1853 the government of Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
employed Cameron to successfully negotiate with Ranavalona I
Ranavalona I
Ranavalona I , also known as Ranavalo-Manjaka I, was a sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861...
regarding the terms of an agreement to restore trade between Madagascar and Mauritius that had been disrupted in 1845 by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
attacks on the eastern Malagasy trading port of Toamasina
Toamasina
Toamasina , meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French also Tamatave, is a city on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated northeast of its capital and biggest city Antananarivo, near the centre of the eastern coast...
.
Second mission to Madagascar
Ranavalona's death in 1861 and her succession by her illegitimate son Radama II reopened Madagascar to foreign influence and the activities of Christian missionaries there. Cameron immediately returned and once again undertook a wide variety of secular activities in addition to his continued activities as a missionary. He constructed several buildings on the RovaRova of Antananarivo
The Rova of Antananarivo is a royal palace complex in Madagascar that served as the home of the sovereigns of the Kingdom of Imerina in the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as the rulers of the Kingdom of Madagascar in the 19th century...
compound in Antananarivo
Antananarivo
Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
, including the Manampisoa (1866), a royal tomb (1868) and the stone shell of the Queen's Palace (the Manjakamiadana) in 1869. He oversaw the construction of the Memorial Church at Faravohitra and another at Analakely, a hospital, several mission houses and village churches, and a water wheel to supply the munitions factory at Anosimahavelona. He was also the first to survey and map Imerina and the region around Fianarantsoa
Fianarantsoa
Fianarantsoa is a city in south central Madagascar.Fianarantsoa is the capital of Haute Matsiatra Region. It was built in the early 19th century by the Merina as the administrative capital for the newly conquered Betsileo kingdoms....
.