Name George Cameron | ||
George Cameron (c. 1768 – 20 June 1823) was an English hairdresser and songwriter from Tyneside.
Life
He was born c. 1768, possibly on Tyneside.
Very little is known of Cameron's life, except that at some stage he worked as a hairdresser, with a business in the Cloth Market, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Around this period, Napoleon had gathered his armies and was threatening Britain and all over the country volunteer regiments (a sort of Home Guard) were being recruited. Cameron served as a sergeant in one such regiment formed to defend Newcastle upon Tyne.
Cameron wrote his first (and it appears his only) song "The Pitman's Revenge (against Bonaparte)" during this period, c. 1804. He first performed the song at a meeting of his regiment at the Three Indian Kings on Newcastle's Quayside, and despite being met with much approval this appears to have been the only song he wrote.
He died, age 55, on 20 June 1823 and is buried in St. Nicholas' Churchyard.