Sir Charles Cameron, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Charles Cameron, 1st Baronet (18 December 1841 – 2 October 1924) was a Scottish doctor, newspaper editor and an advanced Liberal
politician.
Cameron was born at Dublin, the son of John Cameron newspaper proprietor of Glasgow and Dublin. He was educated at Madras Medical College
, St Andrew's, and at Trinity College, Dublin
. He also studied at medical schools in Paris
, Berlin
, and Vienna
, but never practised medicine. He became editor of the North British Daily Mail in 1864, and was managing proprietor of the paper from 1873.
At the 1874 general election
Cameron was elected as one of the three Members of Parliament
(MPs) for Glasgow
. The constituency was broken up under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
, and he was elected at the 1885 general election
as the MP for the new Glasgow College
constituency. He held the seat until his defeat at the 1895 general election
. Cameron was created baronet Cameron of Balclutha, Renfrew on 7 August 1893 for his journalistic and parliamentary services. He was subsequently elected as MP for Glasgow Bridgeton
at a by-election in February 1897, and held the seat until he stood down at the 1900 general election
.
Cameron was an active member of the House of Commons. He was responsible for the Inebriates Acts, secured various reforms in the Scottish Liquor Laws and was a member of the Royal Commission on the Liquor Licensing Laws in 1895. He was also behind laws conferring the municipal franchise on women, and acts abolishing imprisonment for debt in Scotland and was a member of the Departmental Committee on Habitual Offenders (Scotland) in 1894. His resolution led to the adoption of sixpenny telegrams and he was on the Committee on Transit of Cattle Coastwise in 1893. He wrote a number of pamphlets on medical, social, and political subjects.
He served as president of the Cremation Society of Great Britain
, as did his son and successor to the baronetcy.
Cameron lived at Glenridge, Virginia Water
, where he enjoyed motoring, riding, and travel. He died at the age of 82.
Cameron married firstly Frances Caroline Macaulay in 1869. Their son John succeeded to the baronetcy. Frances died in 1899, and he married secondly Blanche Perman.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Cameron was born at Dublin, the son of John Cameron newspaper proprietor of Glasgow and Dublin. He was educated at Madras Medical College
Madras Medical College
The Madras Medical College is an educational institution located in Chennai, India. It was established on February 2, 1835. It is the oldest medical college in India, along with the Medical College Kolkata.-History:...
, St Andrew's, and at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
. He also studied at medical schools in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, but never practised medicine. He became editor of the North British Daily Mail in 1864, and was managing proprietor of the paper from 1873.
At the 1874 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1874
-Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
Cameron was elected as one of the three Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MPs) for Glasgow
Glasgow (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1885. It returned two Member of Parliament until 1868, and then three from 1868 to 1885...
. The constituency was broken up under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equally populated constituencies, in an attempt to equalise representation across...
, and he was elected at the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
as the MP for the new Glasgow College
Glasgow College (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow College was a parliamentary constituency in Glasgow. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the plurality voting system.-History:...
constituency. He held the seat until his defeat at the 1895 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
. Cameron was created baronet Cameron of Balclutha, Renfrew on 7 August 1893 for his journalistic and parliamentary services. He was subsequently elected as MP for Glasgow Bridgeton
Glasgow Bridgeton (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Bridgeton was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Glasgow. From 1885 to 1974, it returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
at a by-election in February 1897, and held the seat until he stood down at the 1900 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
.
Cameron was an active member of the House of Commons. He was responsible for the Inebriates Acts, secured various reforms in the Scottish Liquor Laws and was a member of the Royal Commission on the Liquor Licensing Laws in 1895. He was also behind laws conferring the municipal franchise on women, and acts abolishing imprisonment for debt in Scotland and was a member of the Departmental Committee on Habitual Offenders (Scotland) in 1894. His resolution led to the adoption of sixpenny telegrams and he was on the Committee on Transit of Cattle Coastwise in 1893. He wrote a number of pamphlets on medical, social, and political subjects.
He served as president of the Cremation Society of Great Britain
Cremation Society of Great Britain
The Cremation Society of Great Britain is an special interest organisation that advocates cremation in the United Kingdom.-The beginnings:Cremation was not legal in Great Britain until 1885, but interest in this form of burial emerged during the second half of the 19th century from ideas that...
, as did his son and successor to the baronetcy.
Cameron lived at Glenridge, Virginia Water
Virginia Water
Virginia Water is an affluent village, a lake and, originally, a stream, the village being in the Runnymede Borough Council in Surrey and the bodies of water stretching over the borders of Runnymede, Old Windsor and Sunninghill and Ascot, England....
, where he enjoyed motoring, riding, and travel. He died at the age of 82.
Cameron married firstly Frances Caroline Macaulay in 1869. Their son John succeeded to the baronetcy. Frances died in 1899, and he married secondly Blanche Perman.