Agnes Campbell, Lady Roseburn (1637 — 24 July 1716), Scottish businesswoman, was "Scotland's wealthiest early modern printer."

Early life

Agnes Campbell was the daughter of Isobel Orr and James Campbell. Her father was a merchant in

Edinburgh, Scotland Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. She was baptised on 1 September 1637.Jane Rendall
"Agnes Campbell (Lady Roseburn)"
in Elizabeth Ewan, Sue Innes, and Sian Reynolds, eds., ''The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women'' (Edinburgh University Press 2006): 61-62.

Career

Agnes Campbell married the printer Andrew Anderson in 1656. In 1663, Anderson became printer to the Edinburgh Town Council, and in 1671, he was named

King's Printer The King's Printer (known as the Queen's Printer during the reign of a female monarch) is typically a bureau of the national, state, or provincial government responsible for producing official documents issued by the King-in-Council, Ministers o ...

for Scotland. When her husband died in 1676, 38-year-old Agnes took over the exclusive licence and built the largest printing business in Edinburgh. Agnes Campbell remarried in 1681. In 1693, her petition to Parliament was granted, and Agnes Campbell's printing business remained independent from her second husband Patrick Telfer's financial oversight. She was

Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its ...

's Scottish printer, and published a folio edition of his poem "Caledonia." In 1709, she launched a paper mill at

Penicuik Penicuik ( ; sco, Penicuik; gd, Peighinn na Cuthaig) is a town and former burgh in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River North Esk. It lies on the A701 midway between Edinburgh and Peebles, east of the Pentland Hills. Na ...

, the first paper mill on the River Esk. She was appointed printer to the

General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body.''An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland'' by A. Gordon McGillivray ...

in 1712, around the same time that the King's Printer appointment expired and was granted to one of her rivals.

Personal life

Agnes Campbell was Presbyterian in religious affiliation. She purchased an estate, Roseburn, in 1704, and was thereafter known as Lady Roseburn. She married twice, and had at least eight children. She died in July 1716, age 78, in Edinburgh, and left a significant fortune to her heirs. A short biography of Lady Roseburn was published in 1925.John A. Fairley
''Agnes Campbell, Lady Roseburn, Relict of Andrew Anderson, the King's Printer: A Contribution to the History of Printing in Scotland''
(D. Wyllie & Son 1925).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Agnes 1637 births 1716 deaths Businesspeople from Edinburgh 17th-century Scottish businesspeople Scottish printers 17th-century businesswomen