In July 1963, Russell Wortley recorded the song “The Twelve Apostles” from Cameron at Yorkley Slade. In the 1970s, Richard Chidlaw visited Cameron to learn the song, although he was not able to make a recording of it.
As well as knowing the song “The Twelve Apostles”, Cameron knew the Yorkley Slade mummers play.
Cameron Riley Johnson was born in 1886 in the registration district of Monmouth. By 1891, aged 5, he was living in West Dean with his parents Alfred Johnson aged40, a grocer and draper’s clerk and Ann Johnson aged 41 and siblings William aged 18, a steam engine fitter, Gilbert P. Aged 13, Ralph R. Aged 10, Bernice C aged 8, Vincent H. Aged 6 and Victor S aged 3.
In 1901 Cameron Johnson was aged 15 and living in Old Croft, West Dean, with his parents Alfred Johnson aged 50, a grocer’s and draper’s bookkeeper and wife Ann aged 51 and his siblings Bernice aged 18, Horace aged 16 and Victor aged 13. Cameron and Horace were working as scrap bundlers in line plate work.
Cameron Riley Johnson’s marriage to a Miss Morris was registered In Westbury on Severn registration district in 1913. The death of Cameron Riley Johnson was registered in 1976 in the Forest of Dean Registration District.
Note by Gwilym and Carol Davies November 2011