Ewen Cameron

Sir Ewen Cameron was born on 23 June 1841 in Inverness-shire, Scotland. He was the son of William Cameron, a Gaelic-speaking tenant farmer, and his wife, Catherine Cameron. William Cameron claimed descent from the Camerons of Erracht. The family farm, Muckovie, was located near Culloden.

In 1859, Ewen Cameron began his career at the Caledonian Bank in Aberdeen, working as an accounting clerk. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, he was posted to the Bank of Hindustan, China and Japan. In 1866, Cameron was transferred to Hong Kong. His competence in banking was noted as "remarkable" by The Times. Following the liquidation of the Bank of Hindustan, Cameron secured a senior position with the newly established Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank (HSBC).

Cameron served as principal agent to the HSBC's Calcutta branch and later as manager of its Shanghai branch until 1890. His successful efforts in reorganizing the bank led to his appointment as a director of HSBC. Subsequently, he returned to Britain and became chairman of the bank in London.

In recognition of his services to overseas banking, Cameron was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) at the end of 1901. He was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in February 1902.

During 1904, Cameron participated alongside other prominent London financiers—including Lord Revelstoke of Baring Brothers, Arthur Francis Levita, W. M. Koch of Panmure Gordon, Sir Marcus Samuel of Samuel, Samuel & Co., Sir Carl Meyer, and Otto Kahn—in negotiations with Takahashi Korekiyo, a Japanese central banker who later became Prime Minister. These negotiations involved the sale of war bonds to finance Japan's military efforts during the Russo-Japanese War.

In 1878, Cameron married Josephine Elizabeth, born in 1857 at Shotford, Norfolk. Her parents were John Houchen of Thetford and Susannah Vautier. The couple had five children. Their eldest son, Ewen Allan Cameron, became a senior partner at Panmure Gordon & Co. and served on the Council of Foreign Bondholders. Ewen Allan Cameron died in Vienna on 14 November 1937. He was the great-grandfather of David Cameron, who served as Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016 and as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016.

Ewen Cameron experienced health issues in 1903 and at the end of 1904. He retired in February 1905 and later passed away at his home in Hampstead, NW3, on 10 December 1908, at the age of 67.