History of the Campbell Family

The following information comes from the book The Clans of Scotland: An Introductory Account of Celtic Scotland; Clanship, Chiefs, their Dress, Arms, Etc., and with Historical Notes of Each Clan, which was written by James Grant in 1886:

THE CLAN CAMPBELL OF ARGYLL THE Campbell Clan, the most powerful in Scotland, rose upon the ruins of the MacDonalds, and their whole policy for ages, says a writer, was to supplant and ruin that race. The county of Argyll was for ages, and is still to a very considerable extent, inhabited by this great clan, whose duty it was to rally round the MacCailean Mhor, as their chief was designated; and many branches of the tribe were war-like and titled barons, who were bound to assist him in his feuds, without inquiring into his motives. The earliest spelling of the name, in the Ragman Roll of 1292-6, is Cambel and Kambel, hence the alleged Norman Campobello origin is a baseless fiction, and the Gaelic for it is Caimbal; but, prior to the dates given, we find in Douglas, Duncan and Colin Campbell of Lochawe, who lived respectively in the reigns of Malcolm IV. and William the Lion; and Gillespie Campbell of Lochawe in the time of Alexander II. Sir Colin Mhor Campbell, dominus de Lochaw, was knighted in 1280 by Alexander III., “and from him,” says Douglas, “the head of the family of Argyll is called Maccalean Mhor, in the Highlands to this day. By the time of Robert I.,” he adds, “the clan had become so numerous that, unless locally designated, it was not easy to distinguish them, and many of the name basely swore fealty to Edward of England.”

In Robertson's “Index of Missing Charters,” by Robert I., there are two to Duncan and Dougal Campbell, “of sundry lands in Argyll;” one to the latter, of the Isle of Torsa, in Nether Lorn. “The first crown charter of the Argyll, or MacCailean Mhor branch of the name,” says James Robertson, “for lands in Argyleshire, was one by King Robert Bruce to his nephew, Sir Colin, whose name is therein written Cambel – it is for the lands of Ardsonnachan, and dated at Arbroath, 10th February 1316;” and the clan gradually increased in power, till by conquest and marriage, it became the most influential in the kingdom.

During the minority of David II., Sir Colin Campbell of Lochawe stormed the Castle of Dunoon from the English, and was made governor thereof. His grandson, also Sir Colin, reduced the Western Highlands to the royal authority, and according to Martin's “Genealogical Collections,” was the immediate progenitor of the families of Ardkinglass, Ardentinie, Dunoon, Carrick, Skipness, Blytheswood, etc.

The first of the family ennobled was Sir Duncan, who assumed the designation of Argyll, and was raised to the Peerage in 1445, by James II., as Lord Campbell. His grandson, Colin, second Lord Campbell, was ambassador to England, 1471-4, and was created Earl of Argyll in 1480.

The whole of the clan have another designation than Campbell in Gaelic, namely, the Clan Diarmed Na’n Torc, or Diarmed of the wild boar, from an ancient Pictish hero, on which account all the Campbells carry the boar's head for their crest. This Diarmed was the Achilles of Fingalian heroes.

Archibald, second Earl of Argyll, led the vanguard at Flodden, and lost his life with his royal master; Archibald, fourth Earl, opposed strenuously the proposed marriage of Queen Mary to Edward VI.,” as derogatory to the honour of his country,” and distinguished himself, by his valour, at Pinkie in 1547.

Archibald, seventh Earl, fought at Glenlevat in 1594; suppressed the MacGregors in 1603, and the MacDonalds, in the Western Isles in 1614, for which he obtained a grant of the whole country of Kintyre, which gave the title of lord to his son, James, who served Louis XIII. in his war with the Spaniards. His son, the eighth Earl, lost his head in 1661, for intriguing with Cromwell in preceding years. But to relate all that is connected with the long and brilliant line of Argyll would be to write a history of the realm.

His son, Lord Lorn, commanded the Scots Foot Guards from 1641 till 1650, when the regiment was cut to pieces at the battle of Worcester, and like his father, he lost his head in 1685, a victim of misrule rather than misjudgment. His son, Archibald, tenth Earl, after the Revolution, was Colonel of the Scots Horse Guards, and in 1701 was created Duke of Argyll, Marquis of Kintyre and Lorne, Viscount Lochow, Lord Inverary, etc., etc., by a patent dated at Kensington, 23rd June.

His son, John, second Duke, became a field -marshal, and was one of the best soldiers of his time, and deserved the character given of him by Pope as–

“Argyll the state's whole thunder born to wield, And shake alike the senate and the field.”

He signalised himself at the battles of Ramilies and Oudenard, and the sieges of Lisle, Ghent, and Bruges. He commanded in Spain in 1710, and five years after, he fought for the last time, in the drawn battle of Sheriffmuir. He had the Dukedom of Greenwich, which died with him in 1743, when the Scottish titles went to his brother, Archibald, third Duke, who served under Marlborough, at the head of the 36th foot, was Governor of Dumbarton, and High Treasurer of Scotland. He died in 1761, and was laid in Kilmun, the burial place of his family. Being without issue, the title devolved on his cousin, General John Campbell of Mamore (second son of Archibald, ninth Earl), whose line is now represented by the present family. The fighting force of the Campbells was estimated at 5000 claymores in 1745.

“There are some particular observances at Highland funerals,” says Logan, “such as those of the Campbells of Melfort, Duntroon, and Dunstaffnage, who took the following method of cementing their friendship. When the head of either family died, the chief mourners were always to be the two other lairds.” A writer in 1838, stated that he saw, in Kilmun, the coffins of several of the Argyll family; long lists of titles, with “the high puissant, and noble,” were blazoned on them, and on one he saw a coronet and rusted sword lying, which, he adds, seemed to say to the senses – ‘the head that wore, and the hand that wielded – where are they now?‘ ”