Lieutenant-Colonel James Campbell (1787 – 7 July 1858) was a

lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

of the British army who distinguished himself in the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

. He emigrated to New Zealand and was appointed as a land commissioner, and later as

Registrar of Deeds A registrar is an official keeper of records made in a register. The term may refer to: Education * Registrar (education), an official in an academic institution who handles student records * Registrar of the University of Oxford, one of the sen ...

, in

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

British Army career

Campbell was born in 1787. He descends from the Campbells of Skerrington at

Cumnock Cumnock (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cumnag'') is a town and former civil parish located in East Ayrshire, Scotland. The town sits at the confluence of the Glaisnock Water and the Lugar Water. There are three neighbouring housing projects which lie just o ...

East Ayrshire East Ayrshire ( sco, Aest Ayrshire; gd, Siorrachd Àir an Ear) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquart ...

, Scotland. Campbell was an officer with the 45th and the

50th Regiment of Foot The 50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 97th (The Earl of Ulster's) Regiment of Foot to form the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment ...

, serving in the 3rd Division and the 7th Division. He joined the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

at a young age, purchasing

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

and

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

commissions with the 45th Regiment on 2 October 1801. He was appointed as an

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

on 12 November 1803,

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 29 December 1808,

brevet major In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...

on 3 March 1814 and

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

on 21 January 1819. In 1806 Campbell sailed with the 45th regiment as part of

Major-general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Robert Craufurd's unsuccessful campaign to South America as part of the

British invasions of the River Plate The British invasions of the River Plate were two unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of areas in the Spanish colony of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata that were located around the Río de la Plata in South America – in p ...

. In 1807 he was taken prisoner during the second battle of

Buenos Ayres Buenos Ayres is a town in Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in southwestern Trinidad, north of Erin and southeast of Point Fortin. Buenos Ayres is the hometown of the calypsonian Cro Cro. The Erin Savannas, one of the last remaining natural ...

(Argentina); he was released and (after 75 weeks away from home) evacuated back to Ireland when the commanding officer

Lieutenant-general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

John Whitelocke John Whitelocke (1757 – 23 October 1833) was a British Army officer. Military career Educated at Marlborough Grammar School and at Lewis Lochée's military academy in Chelsea, Whitelocke entered the army in 1778 and served in Jamaica and in S ...

surrendered and agreed to withdraw from the River Plate and

Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...

(Uruguay). In 1808 he sailed with his regiment to

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

for the

on the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

and saw action in the battles of

Roliça Bombarral () is a municipality in the District of Leiria in Central Portugal. The population in 2011 was 13,193, in an area of . It includes four civil parishes ( pt, freguesia) that provide local services. History It is known that the area of ...

(17 August 1808),

Vimeiro Vimeiro () is a freguesia (civil parish) in the municipality of Lourinhã in west-central Portugal. It is in the District of Lisboa. The population in 2011 was 1,470,Talavera (July 1809), after which he returned to England for a short period. In 1810 he returned to

with the 45th Regiment and, as part of the 3rd Division commanded by

Sir

Thomas Picton Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Picton (24 August 175818 June 1815) was a British Army officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. According to the historian Alessandro Barbero, Picton was "respected for his courage and feared for his irascible t ...

, fought in the battles of Bussaco (September 1810),

Sabugal Sabugal () is a city and a municipality in the District of Guarda, Portugal. A border municipality with Spain, the population of the municipality in 2011 was 12,544, in an area of 822.70 km2. The city proper, located along the Côa river, has ...

(April 1811),

Fuentes de Oñoro Fuentes de Oñoro is a village and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the province of Salamanca (province), Salamanca, western Spain, part of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located from the ...

(May 1811), El Bodón (September 1811),

Ciudad Rodrigo Ciudad Rodrigo () is a small cathedral city in the province of Salamanca, in western Spain, with a population in 2016 of 12,896. It is also the seat of a judicial district. The site of Ciudad Rodrigo, perched atop a rocky rise on the right bank ...

(January 1812),

Badajoz Badajoz (; formerly written ''Badajos'' in English) is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana. The population ...

(March – April 1812, where he was appointed as

brigade major A brigade major was the chief of staff of a brigade in the British Army. They most commonly held the rank of major, although the appointment was also held by captains, and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section direct ...

for

Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Sir

James Kempt General Sir James Kempt, ( – 20 December 1854) was a British Army officer, who served in the Netherlands, Egypt, Italy, the Peninsula, and British North America during the Napoleonic Wars. He led a British brigade at the Battle of Waterloo and ...

's brigade),

Salamanca Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritag ...

(July 1812), and

Buen Retiro Palace Buen Retiro Palace (Spanish: ''Palacio del Buen Retiro'') in Madrid was a large palace complex designed by the architect Alonso Carbonell (c. 1590–1660) and built on the orders of Philip IV of Spain as a secondary residence and place of recrea ...

(Madrid, August 1812, where a significant French garrison was surrendered). Serving in the 3rd Division in the same brigade, now commanded by

Sir

Thomas Brisbane Major General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet, (23 July 1773 – 27 January 1860), was a British Army officer, administrator, and astronomer. Upon the recommendation of the Duke of Wellington, with whom he had served, he was appoint ...

, he fought in the battles of

Vitoria Vitoria or Vitória may refer to : People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Steven Vitória (b ...

(June 1813), the Pyrenees (July – August 1813),

Nivelle Nivelle () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department * Nivelle Offensive The Nivelle offensive (16 April – 9 May 1917) was a Franco-British operation on the Western Front ...

(November 1813),

Nive The Nive (; eu, Errobi; oc, Niva) is a French river that flows through the French Basque Country. It is a left tributary of the river Adour. It is long. The river's source in the Pyrenees in Lower Navarre. The river Nive was made famous by th ...

(December 1813),

Orthez Orthez (; eu, Ortheze; oc, Ortès, ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, and region of New Aquitaine, southwestern France. It lies 40 km NW of Pau on the Southern railway to Bayonne. The town also encompasses the sma ...

(February 1814, where he was promoted to the rank of

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

), and

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

(April 1814). After

Napoleon's Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

surrender in April 1814, Campbell sailed from

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...

for North America to serve in the

American War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It ...

. As

for

Sir

's brigade, he took part in the

Battle of Plattsburgh The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final British invasion of the northern states of the United States during the War of 1812. An army under Lieutenant General Sir George Prévost and a naval squadro ...

in September 1814. In July 1815 he returned to France and was

for a brigade in the 7th Division and, on the formation of the Army of Occupation in France, to the 1st brigade in the 3rd Division. When the occupation force was reduced in 1817 he returned to Ireland. According to Burnham and McGuigan Campbell was one of only 15 men to receive 14 or more clasps on the

Military General Service Medal __NOTOC__ The Military General Service Medal (MGSM) was a campaign medal approved in 1847 and issued to officers and men of the British Army in 1848.Including officers and men of the King's German Legion, Brunswick Oels and Chasseurs Britanniques, ...

. His obituary in the ''Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle'' states:

''"The ranks of
Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
and
Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
were successively conferred on him for his services in the field, and he had also the honour of receiving a war medal different from those usually conferred, and no fewer than fourteen clasps, (being one more than any officer in the British service had been honoured with)."''

In 1840, Campbell published the book ''A British army, as it was, – is, – and ought to be'', which recounts some of his experience in the

and the

(see

Bibliography Bibliography (from and ), as a discipline, is traditionally the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology (from ). English author and bibliographer John Carter describes ''bibliography ...

below). In Volume 1 of ''Excursions, Adventures, and Field-sports in Ceylon'' Campbell notes that, from the start of his service in the army, he was in the habit of keeping a journal. However the night before the

Battle of Talavera The Battle of Talavera (27–28 July 1809) was fought just outside the town of Talavera de la Reina, Spain some southwest of Madrid, during the Peninsular War. At Talavera, a British army under Sir Arthur Wellesley combined with a Spanish ar ...

, thinking that he would be likely to die the next day and not wanting his journal to fall into enemy hands, he burnt it, and thus destroyed the record of events from the previous eight years. In February 1819, after promotion to the rank of

, Campbell sailed with a command of 300 men to

Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. For two years he was the commander of the

Galle District Galle ( si, ගාල්ල දිස්ත්‍රික්කය ''gālla distrikkaya''; ta, காலி மாவட்டம் ''Kāli māvattam'') is a district in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. It is one of 25 districts of Sri Lanka, th ...

and then for a further period he was commander and Judicial Officer (Magistrate) of the Sath (Seven) Korles district. He repeatedly became ill in Ceylon from

jungle fever ''Jungle Fever'' is a 1991 American romantic drama film written, produced and directed by Spike Lee. The film stars Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, Lee, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Samuel L. Jackson, Lonette McKee, John Turturro, Frank Vincent, ...

and had to return England, where he sold his commission and retired from the army.

Family and post-army life

Campbell was married to Charlotte Alicia (1793 – 5 January 1860) and had two children, a son and a daughter. His son, Major Francis Eastwood Campbell (1823–1911), was

Clerk of the New Zealand House of Representatives The clerk of the New Zealand House of Representatives is an officer of the New Zealand House of Representatives and is the principal officer (chief executive) of the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Role The clerk of the ...

for 35 years. Campbell's granddaughter from his Son's marriage to Elizabeth ("Eliza") Susan Downing was Jessie Mary, who married Arthur Hylton Brisco, son of Sir Robert Brisco the 3rd Brisco Baronet of Crofton Place. Campbell's daughter, Blanche Emily, married AG Anderson. Campbell's granddaughter from his daughter's marriage was Dame Adelaide Mary Anderson. After Campbell returned from

(around 1823) he resided at Ravensdale Estate in the parish of

Ballaugh Ballaugh ( ; , ) is a small village on the Isle of Man in the parish of Ballaugh (parish), the same name, in the sheading of Michael (parish), Michael. It is the only village in the parish. The parish adjoins Jurby to the north, Lezayre to the e ...

on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

, where he was appointed as a magistrate. Around 1846

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

John Ready John Ready ( – 10 July 1845) was a British Army officer, who served as Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island from 1824 to 1831 and also as Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man from 1832 to 1845. Career Ready joined the British Ar ...

selected Campbell to serve as a member of the

House of Keys The House of Keys () is the directly elected lower house of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man, the other branch being the Legislative Council. History The oldest known reference to the name is in a document of 1417, written in ...

. However Campbell refused to attend the

swearing in Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to ...

Castle Rushen Castle Rushen ( gv, Cashtal Rosien) is a medieval castle located in the Isle of Man's historic capital, Castletown, in the south of the island. It towers over the Market Square to the south-east and the harbour to the north-east. The castle is ...

as he disagreed with the way in which members of the

were appointed, having previously been a signatory to a petition to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

requesting that she change the appointment process. During this period Campbell wrote books on the British army (published 1840),

(two volumes in 1843) and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

(published 1847). See

below for further details.

Emigration to New Zealand

Campbell had mixed fortunes after leaving the army. He became interested in matters relating to British colonization of lands such as New Zealand. In ''Excursions, Adventures, and Field-sports in Ceylon'' (Preface and Appendix O of Volume 1 and chapter 13 of Volume 2 – see

below) he set out his views on colonization, including the merits of providing colonists with cheap passage, land and labour (including convict labour). Campbell was appointed to the Committee of Management of the Society of Canterbury Colonists when it was formed in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on 25 April 1850. The Society was formed ''"for the purpose of making suggestions and expressing the opinions of the Colonists upon matters relating to the welfare of the proposed Colony"'' being established by the

Canterbury Association The Canterbury Association was formed in 1848 in England by members of parliament, peers, and Anglican church leaders, to establish a colony in New Zealand. The settlement was to be called Canterbury, with its capital to be known as Christchurch. ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. The other members of the Society's first Committee of Management were

Guise Brittan William Guise Brittan (3 December 1809 – 18 July 1876), mostly known as Guise Brittan and commonly referred to as W. G. Brittan, was the first Commissioner of Crown Lands for Canterbury in New Zealand. Biography Brittan was born in Gloucester, ...

(Chairman), James FitzGerald, Rev Dr Thomas Rowley, Henry Phillips,

Henry Sewell Henry Sewell (7 September 1807 – 14 May 1879) was a prominent 19th-century New Zealand politician. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand self-government, and is generally regarded as having been the country's first premier (an office th ...

, Conway Lucas Rose and Edward Ward (brother of

Crosbie Ward Crosbie Ward (10 February 1832 – 10 November 1867) was a 19th-century member of parliament in New Zealand. Early life Ward was born in Killinchy in County Down, Ireland, in 1832. His father was Rev. Henry Ward. His paternal grandfather was ...

), who was appointed secretary of the society. After elections on 18 July 1850 C L Rose and Rev Dr Thomas Rowley were replaced on the Committee by

George Leslie Lee George Leslie Lee (1814 – 15 September 1897) was a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council from 24 July 1862 to 8 November 1870, when he resigned. Lee represented the Oxford electorate on the Canterbury Provincial Council The Canterbu ...

, Charles Maunsell, John Watts Russell, Henry John Tancred, James Townsend and

Felix Wakefield Felix Wakefield (30 November 1807 – 23 December 1875) was an English colonist. Early life Felix Wakefield was born in 1807, the seventh child and sixth son of Edward Wakefield (1774–1854), a distinguished surveyor and land agent, and Susa ...

; however, Lee and Sewell immediately vacated their appointments. Later in 1850 Campbell fell out with the Society of Canterbury Colonists.Lyttleton Times, 12 February 1853, page 10
/ref> On 17 August 1850

Edward Gibbon Wakefield Edward Gibbon Wakefield (20 March 179616 May 1862) is considered a key figure in the establishment of the colonies of South Australia and New Zealand (where he later served as a member of parliament). He also had significant interests in Britis ...

wrote to

John Robert Godley John Robert Godley (29 May 1814 – 17 November 1861) was an Anglo-Irish statesman and bureaucrat. Godley is considered to be the founder of Canterbury, New Zealand, although he lived there for only two years. Early life Godley was born in Dubli ...

, calling Campbell a ''"mere self-seeker, but hardly a respectable, perhaps a very discreditable one: all wrong about money-matters, and very incompetent to boot"'' and advising Godley to keep Campbell ''"at full arms length"''. On 1 November 1851 the

Lyttelton Times The ''Lyttelton Times'' was the first newspaper in Canterbury, New Zealand, publishing the first edition in January 1851. It was established by the Canterbury Association as part of its planned settlement of Canterbury and developed into a libera ...

(under the editorship of James FitzGerald) reported that Campbell:Lyttelton Times, 1 November 1851, page 4
/ref>

''"joined the Canterbury scheme... in the hope of obtaining appointment of Resident Magistrate in the settlement; he professed himself a warm advocate of the plan of the colony, and announced his intention of purchasing land largely; he even took cabins in , which were retained for him for a considerable time; he was in constant communication with the colonists for many weeks; and
hen Hen commonly refers to a female animal: a female chicken, other gallinaceous bird, any type of bird in general, or a lobster. It is also a slang term for a woman. Hen or Hens may also refer to: Places Norway *Hen, Buskerud, a village in Ringer ...
he was not recommended to the appointment he wished to obtain, or any other appointment,... he ceased to frequent the colonists' rooms in London, gave up his cabins, bought no land, and in a short time after the sailing of the first four ships, he left England, and was lost sight of until he turned up in Auckland."''

Campbell boarded the ''Victory'' in

on 10 October 1850, arriving in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

on or about 1 February 1851. He was accompanied on the voyage by his wife, son Francis Eastwood Campbell, his daughter Blanche Emily and a servant.

Controversial commissionership appointments

Campbell came to New Zealand with recommendations from the British government. On 27 September 1851

Governor of New Zealand The governor-general of New Zealand ( mi, te kāwana tianara o Aotearoa) is the viceregal representative of the monarch of New Zealand, currently King Charles III. As the King is concurrently the monarch of 14 other Commonwealth realms and liv ...

George Grey Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Go ...

appointed him as a

Magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

of the Province of New Munster, and to the three separate commissionerships within the "''Middle District of the Middle'' .e. South''Island''": Commissioner of

Crown Land Crown land (sometimes spelled crownland), also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. ...

s under the Crown Lands Ordinance (excluding the Canterbury District), Commissioner for hearing claims under the

New Zealand Company The New Zealand Company, chartered in the United Kingdom, was a company that existed in the first half of the 19th century on a business model focused on the systematic colonisation of New Zealand. The company was formed to carry out the principl ...

's Land Claimant's Ordinance and Commissioner for investigating and reporting upon claims to Land under the Land Claims Ordinance. As a result of the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...

passing the

New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 (15 & 16 Vict. c. 72) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that granted self-government to the Colony of New Zealand. It was the second such Act, the previous 1846 Act not having been fully i ...

the

Provinces of New Zealand The provinces of the Colony of New Zealand existed as a form of sub-national government. Initially established in 1846 when New Zealand was a Crown colony without responsible government, two provinces (New Ulster and New Munster) were establi ...

came into effect on 17 January 1853. The boundaries of the

Canterbury Province The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. Its capital was Christchurch. History Canterbury was founded in December 1850 by the Canterbury Association of influential En ...

were gazetted on 28 February 1853 and Campbell then became the ''"Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Province of Canterbury, exclusive of the Canterbury Block"'' Campbell's commissionership appointments gave him responsibility for adjudicating land claims for around half of the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

; from Kaikoura and Westport in the north, to

Glenavy Glenavy () is a village and civil parish in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, 17 kilometres north west of Lisburn on the banks of the Glenavy River. In the 2011 Census it had a population of 5,697 people. In early documents it was known as Lena ...

and

Cascade Point A Cascade point is a projectile point associated with the Cascade phase, an ancient culture of Native Americans that settled in the Pacific Northwest that existed from 9000 or 10000 BC until about 5500 BC. The Cascade (Bipointed) point is typical ...

in the south. He also had responsibility for issuing pasturage licences on

outside the block of land purchased by the

(the "Canterbury Block"). As Commissioner of Crown Lands he issued over 50 pasturage licences covering an area of over one million acres. Unfortunately these licences were later declared invalid and quashed, creating considerable confusion and litigation. His outward letter-book contains more than 200 letters covering the period October 1851 to November 1853. It is possible that Grey's antipathy towards the Canterbury Association led him to appoint Campbell in order to frustrate the plans of the Colonists and delay the settlement of claims and the issuing of pasturage licences. Certainly Campbell, and

's appointment of him as Commissioner, were strongly criticised by

the press ''The Press'' is a daily newspaper published in Christchurch, New Zealand owned by media business Stuff Ltd. First published in 1861, the newspaper is the largest circulating daily in the South Island and publishes Monday to Saturday. One comm ...

and prominent colonists. The

and the

Daily Southern Cross ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspapers ...

published articles stating:

''"There never was a more unfortunate or more offensive appointment than that of Col. Campbell... he was considered by all who came in contact with him to be wholly incompetent to discharge the duties of any responsible station... there could hardly have been found another man whose presence within this settlement, as an official, would have been so offensive to its inhabitants."''

An editorial in the

Otago Witness The ''Otago Witness'' was a prominent illustrated weekly newspaper in the early years of the European settlement of New Zealand, produced in Dunedin, the provincial capital of Otago. Published weekly it existed from 1851 to 1932. The introduction ...

expressed similar views about Campbell and added that his ''"gross ignorance"'' and ''"hostility to the anterburyscheme"'' made him ''"an object of derision, sorrow and dislike"''. The Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle complained about the large area of land that Campbell was expected to administer and that his office was in Christchurch, while the

harshly criticised the language and grammar Campbell used in his official notices.

described Campbell on 21 April 1853 as that:

''"doited old idiot who is about as fit to be Crown Commissioner as he is to be
Lord Chancellor The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. The ...
. He is in truth a compound of conceit, stupidity, ignorance and self importance, with a total incapacity for business of the meanest kind; withal he is mischievous and malignant; altogether as great an infliction on the poor Province of Canterbury as could have been sent, and for this Canterbury has to thank the tender mercies of Sir Geo. Grey."''

William Travers sarcastically referred to him as a ''"genius"'' and

Charlotte Godley Charlotte Godley (14 November 1821 – 3 January 1907) was a New Zealand letter-writer and community leader. Family She was born as Charlotte Griffith-Wynne in Voelas House (subsequently demolished) in Denbighshire, Wales in 1821. She was the ...

(the wife of "father of Canterbury"

) described Campbell in letters to her mother by saying:

''"There is a certain old Colonel Campbell, who had many dealings with the C. Assoc. in early days, and ended by quarrelling with everyone and writing an insulting letter to Lord Lyttelton, after innumerable statements on his part had turned out to be perfectly false... He is naturally predisposed to dislike the plan, and the Colonists, and goes about abusing the place, the land, and all belonging to it, to anyone who will listen to him. The new-comers are his especial prey...he is a very bad element in our society. He is now going over to
Akaroa Akaroa is a small town on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand, situated within a harbour of the same name. The name Akaroa is Kāi Tahu Māori for "Long Harbour", which would be spelled in standard ...
to decide summarily certain claims of some of the old settlers there, and my husband intends to go over and watch what he is about; he can hardly help making mistakes, as he has no knowledge whatever of his subject... vexatious, underhand way of doing business... an overweening idea of his own importance..."''

Howard Jacobson, owner of the ''Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser'' (father of Ethel May Jacobson), later wrote:

''"Colonel Campbell did not make things at all pleasant for the Canterbury Association settlers. He was a disappointed man, having taken great interest in the foundation of the settlement when in London, and fully expected to be appointed first agent, a post that was afterwards given to Mr. Godley.''"

Alfred Hamish Reed Sir Alfred Hamish Reed (30 December 1875 – 15 January 1975), generally known as A.H. Reed, was a New Zealand publisher, author and entrepreneur. Early life Alfred Hamish Reed was born at Hayes, Middlesex, in England on 30 December 1875, the ...

notes that Campbell:

''"was looked upon by his fellows as a renegade. He had further aroused the hostility of the leaders of the settlement by his decisions on certain "pre-Adamite"'' [i.e. settlers that had arrived before the first
Canterbury Association The Canterbury Association was formed in 1848 in England by members of parliament, peers, and Anglican church leaders, to establish a colony in New Zealand. The settlement was to be called Canterbury, with its capital to be known as Christchurch. ...
ships in December 1850] ''Banks Peninsula land claims, and by his support for Sir
George Grey Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Go ...
's cheap land policy."''

Johannes Carl Andersen Johannes Carl Andersen (14 March 1873 – 19 June 1962) was a New Zealand clerk, poet, ethnologist, librarian, editor and historian. Andersen was born in Klakring (now Hedensted), Denmark, on 14 March 1873. His family emigrated to New Zealand ...

notes that at least some of the Canterbury Colonists' criticism of Campbell appears to have been warranted:

''"The Colonel wrote in a very minute, nervous hand and his letters were extraordinarily diffuse, even as compared with other letters in those days of formal long-drawn-out and often tedious official correspondence... He located his office at
Akaroa Akaroa is a small town on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand, situated within a harbour of the same name. The name Akaroa is Kāi Tahu Māori for "Long Harbour", which would be spelled in standard ...
'' (some 50 miles by bush track from the main settlement at
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
) ''and sometimes published instructions to Canterbury stock-owners in the Wellington Spectator"'' (i.e. in the New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, a
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
publication).

Candidacy for the first election for
Superintendent Superintendent may refer to: Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator *Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...
of the
Canterbury Province The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. Its capital was Christchurch. History Canterbury was founded in December 1850 by the Canterbury Association of influential En ...

In February 1853 Campbell stood for election to the newly created office of

Superintendent Superintendent may refer to: *Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank *Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator *Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...

of the

. He campaigned strongly, his catchcry being "cheap land, cheap bread and no Chinese labour". The price of land was the dominant election issue: The business strategy of the Canterbury Association was to sell land at a price that was sufficient to finance all the development that was necessary for the new settlement. The other two candidates, James FitzGerald and Henry Tancred, were therefore both proponents of a high land price. Campbell on the other hand was in favour of setting a low price for land outside the Canterbury Block. Hence there was a real possibility that

vote splitting Vote splitting is an electoral effect in which the distribution of votes among multiple similar candidates reduces the chance of winning for any of the similar candidates, and increases the chance of winning for a dissimilar candidate. Vote spl ...

would result in neither Tancred nor FitzGerald being elected. Resident Magistrate for

Akaroa Akaroa is a small town on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand, situated within a harbour of the same name. The name Akaroa is Kāi Tahu Māori for "Long Harbour", which would be spelled in standard ...

John Watson removed Campbell from the electoral roll on the grounds that he did not believe Campbell met the property qualifications to either vote or stand for election. Captain Charles Simeon, returning officer for the election, allowed Campbell to be nominated, but at the same time impressed on electors the fact that if Campbell received the most votes he would not be declared as superintendent. Simeon stated that ''"all votes for Colonel Campbell would be thrown away"''. The New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian stated: ''"This seems to have acted very prejudicially to Colonel Campbell in the Christchurch District, where the declaration was made, and to have lost him his election."'' The election result was: Fitzgerald 135 votes, Campbell 94 votes and Tancred 89 votes. Campbell was supported by the French settlers at

, where he topped the poll. He just headed off FitzGerald at Lyttelton, but the majority of Christchurch voters favoured FitzGerald. Campbell claimed he had been unfairly beaten and took the matter of his eligibility to stand as a candidate to court. However his protest came to nothing, and Fitzgerald was declared the first Superintendent of the Canterbury Province.

Removal from office

Campbell's handling of land issues resulted in

receiving a large number of complaints about Campbell, as well as voluminous correspondence from him about colonists and run-holders. Campbell did not acknowledge James FitzGerald as superintendent and, despite repeated requests, refused to provide FitzGerald a return of revenue from land leases.

Gerald Hensley Gerald Christopher Philip Hensley (born 4 December 1935) is a former New Zealand diplomat and public servant. Biography Born in Christchurch, Hensley was educated at St Bede's College, Christchurch and Canterbury University College where he too ...

points out that Campbell was ''"maintaining with a splendid inconsistency that he had not received the Governor's dispatch instructing him to do so, even while quoting parts of it in his long and argumentative letters."''Hensley GC, 1971, A History of Canterbury, Vol II, W J Garner (ed), Whitcombe and Tombs, page 40 During late 1853 there was a heated exchange of letters between the two men, into which Governor Grey was copied. On 5 October 1853

Alfred Domett Alfred Domett (20 May 18112 November 1887) was the fourth premier of New Zealand, a close friend of the poet Robert Browning and author of the epic poem ''Ranolf and Amohia, a South Sea Day Dream''. Born in England, he emigrated to New Zealan ...

, who was at that time Civil Secretary for central government, told Campbell that he was relieved of his commissionerships and that he was to hand over his records to William Guise Brittan, who had been appointed in his place (Brittan was already Commissioner within the Canterbury Block so this effectively amalgamated the two Canterbury Land Offices). Campbell was instead appointed as ''"Registrar of Deeds for the Province of Canterbury"'', replacing Brittan in this role. On 11 November 1853 the

Canterbury Provincial Council The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. Its capital was Christchurch. History Canterbury was founded in December 1850 by the Canterbury Association of influential Eng ...

, apparently unaware that Campbell had already been removed from the land commissionerships (probably because Campbell took no action to relinquish office while he appealed to the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

), adopted the following resolution agreeing to ask the

to remove Campbell from office:Government Gazette of the

Province of Canterbury The Province of Canterbury, or less formally the Southern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces which constitute the Church of England. The other is the Province of York (which consists of 12 dioceses). Overview The Province consist ...

, vol 1, number 4, 31 December 1853, page 6

''"This Council, having taken into account the various papers upon their table in reference to the proceedings of the Commissioner of Crown Lands: resolve; That the Commissioner of Crown Lands, having as it appears to this Council, acted in disregard of the law, and having refused to afford this Council any information on the affairs of his office, and having otherwise shown himself wholly incompetent to the discharge of the duties thereof, an address be presented from this Council to His Excellency the Governor, praying His Excellency to be pleased to remove Colonel Campbell from the office of Commissioner of Crown Lands."''

On 23 November 1853 the

discussed Campbell's appointment as Registrar of Deeds.

John Hall John Hall may refer to: Academics * John Hall (NYU President) (fl. c. 1890), American academic * John A. Hall (born 1949), sociology professor at McGill University, Montreal * John F. Hall (born 1951), professor of classics at Brigham Young Unive ...

stated Campbell was ''"even less qualified to be Registrar of Deeds, an office which particularly required to be filled by a person of business habits."'' The Council then adopted the following resolutions asking Governor Grey to remove Campbell as Registrar of Deeds and to combine registration of deeds with that of births, deaths and marriages in the same office under the Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court:

''"1. That this Council has learned with great surprise and regret that Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, after having been removed from the office of Commissioner of Crown Lands, has been appointed as Registrar of Deeds for this Province. 2. That, considering how largely the interest of individuals may be affected by the Acts of the Registrar, and the extensive evil which may result from incompetence or mal-administration: this Council are of opinion that that office ought to be entrusted only to some person possessing the fullest confidence of the public. 3. The Council are of opinion that the office of Registrar of Deeds is one which ought, if possible, be filled by a person having a legal education, and that for the purposes of economy its duties might for the present be most conveniently performed by the Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court.."''

Campbell refused to register any land deeds and, when the Provincial Council complained, Campbell ''"denounced them as calumniators and prepared to sue the Superintendent and executive on an extraordinary variety of grounds ranging from usurpation to illegal absence from the province... ndthat the whole provincial establishment was illegal"'' In December 1854 (after

had completed his first term as

) the central Government finally agreed to the removal of Campbell from office. The grounds for his removal were ''"general unfitness for the duties of his office, willful and continued neglect of duty and a determined spirit of opposition and resistance to the Provincial Government, and disrespect towards its executive officers."'' Superintendent James FitzGerald appointed lawyer and court registrar Christopher Alderson Calvert as Registrar of Deeds in place of Campbell.

Further litigation, retirement and death

Campbell went on to sue Superintendent of the Province of Canterbury James FitzGerald for libel on the grounds that he had been defamed in FitzGerald's letter to

while seeking Campbell's removal from office. Fitzgerald's letter to the Governor said ''"I request the removal of an officer who has been condemned by the united voice of the public as wholly unfit to be entrusted with any public office whatever"''. Campbell initially won the case but the verdict was overturned on appeal on the basis that FitzGerald's letter to the Governor was privileged, that Campbell had not proven that FitzGerald acted in malice, and that Campbell had misstated the alleged libel. After removal as Land Commissioner Campbell is reported to have lived at Isabella ( AKA Isabel) Lodge, an ''"elegant and commodious house"'' located on Isabel Farm on Ferry Road, Christchurch, the property of Alexander 'Russian' Sherwood Jackson and his wife Isabella Mary Jackson. Campbell died in Christchurch aged 71, on 7 July 1858. The cause of death was stated as

apoplexy Apoplexy () is rupture of an internal organ and the accompanying symptoms. The term formerly referred to what is now called a stroke. Nowadays, health care professionals do not use the term, but instead specify the anatomic location of the bleedi ...

He is buried with his wife at Barbadoes Street Cemetery

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

. Obituaries appeared in several papers.

Bibliography

* * For a synopsis see the Foreign and Colonial Quarterly Review, Volume 2, 1843.Foreign and Colonial Quarterly Review, Volume 2, 1843, page 502
/ref> *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, James 1787 births 1858 deaths Sherwood Foresters officers New Zealand public servants Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment officers