John Campbell, 1st
Earl of Loudoun
Earl of Loudoun (pronounced "loud-on" ), named after Loudoun in Ayrshire, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1633 for John Campbell, 2nd Lord Campbell of Loudoun, along with the subsidiary title Lord Tarrinzean and Mauchli ...
(1598 – March 1662) was a
Scottish politician and
Covenanter
Covenanters ( gd, Cùmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. The name is derived from ''Covenan ...
.
As a young man Campbell travelled abroad. In 1620 married the heiress of the barony of Loudoun; in his wife's right, took his seat in the
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland ( sco, Pairlament o Scotland; gd, PÃ rlamaid na h-Alba) was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 13th century until 1707. The parliament evolved during the early 13th century from the king's council o ...
. In 1622 his patent for an earldom stopped by Charles I because of his strenuous opposition to episcopacy. In 1633 he took a leading part in organising the Covenant, 1637-1638. He was a leader of the armed insurrection in Scotland in 1639 and an envoy from Scotland to
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
in 1640. He was imprisoned in the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
but was freed and joined the Scottish army of invasion in August 1640. He was sent again as an envoy to London and was made
Lord Chancellor of Scotland
The Lord Chancellor of Scotland, formally the Lord High Chancellor, was a Great Officer of State in the Kingdom of Scotland.
Holders of the office are known from 1123 onwards, but its duties were occasionally performed by an official of lower s ...
from 1641-1660. In 1641 he was also created Earl of Loudoun. During the years 1642–1647 he was frequently envoy to Charles I from the Parliament of Scotland. In 1650 he was present at the coronation of
Charles II of Scotland and
fought at Dunbar. He joined the Highland rising of 1653, but submitted to General
Monck when it became obvious that further resistance was futile. He was excepted from
Cromwell's Act of Grace
Cromwell's Act of Grace, or more formally the Act of Pardon and Grace to the People of Scotland, was an Act of the Parliament of England that declared that the people of Scotland (with certain exceptions) were pardoned for any crimes they migh ...
in 1654 and heavily fined by Charles II in 1662.
Biography
Campbell, was the eldest son of Sir
James Campbell of Lawers, and his wife, Jean, daughter of
James, Lord Colville of Culross. He was born in 1598, and on his return from travelling abroad was knighted by
James VI of Scotland.
In 1620 Campbell married Margaret, the eldest daughter of George Campbell, master of Loudoun. Upon the death of her grandfather,
Hugh Campbell, 1st Baron Loudoun, in December 1622, she became baroness Loudoun, and her husband took his seat in the
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland ( sco, Pairlament o Scotland; gd, PÃ rlamaid na h-Alba) was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 13th century until 1707. The parliament evolved during the early 13th century from the king's council o ...
in her right. He was created
Earl of Loudoun
Earl of Loudoun (pronounced "loud-on" ), named after Loudoun in Ayrshire, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1633 for John Campbell, 2nd Lord Campbell of Loudoun, along with the subsidiary title Lord Tarrinzean and Mauchli ...
, lord Farrinyeane and Mauchline by patent dated at
Theobalds
Theobalds House (also known as Theobalds Palace) in the parish of Cheshunt in the English county of Hertfordshire, was a significant stately home and (later) royal palace of the 16th and early 17th centuries. Set in extensive parkland, it was a r ...
on 12 May 1633, but in consequence of his joining with the
George Leslie, Earl of Rothes and others in parliament in their opposition to the court with regard to the act for empowering King
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
to prescribe the apparel of churchmen,
[ cites ''Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland'', v. 20–21] the patent was by a special order stopped at the chancery, and the title superseded. Soon after the passing of this act, the Scottish bishops resumed their episcopal costume, and in 1636 the
Book of Canons Ecclesiastical and the order for using the
new service-book were issued upon the sole authority of the King without consulting the general assembly. By his opposition to the policy of the court, Loudoun became a favourite of the adherents of the popular cause; and on 21 December 1637, at the meeting of the
Privy Council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...
at
Dalkeith
Dalkeith ( ; gd, Dail Cheith, IPA: ˆt̪alˈçe is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1540. The settlement of Dalkeith grew southwestwards from its 12th-cent ...
, in an eloquent speech, he detailed the grievances of the "
Supplicants
Supplication (also known as petitioning) is a form of prayer, wherein one party humbly or earnestly asks another party to provide something, either for the party who is doing the supplicating (e.g., "Please spare my life.") or on behalf of someon ...
", and presented a petition on their behalf.
In 1638 the "tables" were formed and the covenant renewed. In these proceedings Loudoun took a very prominent part, and being elected elder for the
Burgh of Irvine
A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burg ...
in the general assembly, which met at Glasgow in November 1638, he was appointed one of the assessors to the
Moderator. In the following year, with the assistance of his friends, he seized the castles of
Strathaven
Strathaven (; from gd, Strath Aibhne ) is a historic market town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland and is the largest settlement in Avondale. It is south of Hamilton. The Powmillon Burn runs through the town centre, and joins the Avon Water to the ...
,
Douglas
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
* Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
*Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civi ...
, and
Tantallon, and garrisoned them for the popular party. He marched with the Scottish army, under
General Leslie, to the border, and acted as one of the Scottish commissioners at the short-lived
Pacification of Berwick
The Treaty of Berwick (also known as the Peace of Berwick or the Pacification of Berwick) was signed on 19 June 1639 between England and Scotland. It ended minor hostilities the day before. Archibald Johnston was involved in the negotiations befo ...
, which was concluded on 18 June 1639.
On 3 March 1640 Loudoun and the
Charles Seton, Earl of Dunfermline, as commissioners from
the estates, had an interview with Charles I at
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It is the main ...
, and remonstrated against the prorogation of the Parliament of Scotland by the king's commissioner (
John, Earl of Traquair) before the business which had been brought before them had been disposed of. No answer was given to the remonstrance, but a few days after Loudoun was committed to the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
upon acknowledging that a letter produced by the Earl of Traquair was in his own handwriting. This letter was addressed "Au Roy", and requested assistance from the French king. It was signed by the Earls of
Montrose,
Rothes
Rothes (; gd, RÃ thais) is a town in Moray, Scotland, on the banks of the River Spey, south of Elgin. The town had a population of 1,252 at the 2011 Census. A settlement has been here since AD 600.
History and castle
At the south end of the ...
, and
Mar
Mar, mar or MAR may refer to:
Culture
* Mar or Mor, an honorific in Syriac
* Earl of Mar, an earldom in Scotland
* MAA (singer) (born 1986), Japanese
* Marathi language, by ISO 639-2 language code
* March, as an abbreviation for the third mon ...
, Lords Loudoun, Montgomery, and Forester, and
General Leslie, but was not dated. Loudoun protested without avail that it had been written before the pacification of Berwick, that it had never been sent, and that if he had committed any offence, he ought to be questioned for it in Scotland and not in England. According to Dr. Birch, a warrant was made out for Loudoun's execution without trial, but this has not been sufficiently corroborated, and after some months' confinement in the Tower he was liberated upon the intercession of
James, Marquis of Hamilton, and returned to Scotland.
On 21 August in the same year the Scottish army entered England, and Loudoun with it. He took part in the
Battle of Newburn on 28 August, and was one of the Scottish commissioners at
Ripon
Ripon () is a cathedral city in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. The city is located at the confluence of two tributaries of the River Ure, the Laver and Skell. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the city ...
in the following October. Having come to an agreement for the cessation of hostilities on the 25th of the same month, the further discussion of the treaty was adjourned to London, where the Scottish commissioners "were highly caressed by the parliament".
In August 1641 the King opened the Parliament of Scotland in person, the treaty with England was ratified, and offices and titles of honour were conferred on the "prime covenanters who were thought most capable to do him service". Accordingly, "the principal manager of the rebellion", as
Clarendon calls him, was appointed
Lord Chancellor of Scotland
The Lord Chancellor of Scotland, formally the Lord High Chancellor, was a Great Officer of State in the Kingdom of Scotland.
Holders of the office are known from 1123 onwards, but its duties were occasionally performed by an official of lower s ...
on 30 September 1641, and on 2 October took the oath of office, and received from the King the
Great Seal, which, since the resignation of
John Spottiswoode
John Spottiswoode (Spottiswood, Spotiswood, Spotiswoode or Spotswood) (1565 – 26 November 1639) was an Archbishop of St Andrews, Primate of All Scotland, Lord Chancellor, and historian of Scotland.
Life
He was born in 1565 at Greenbank in ...
, the
Archbishop of St. Andrews
The Bishop of St. Andrews ( gd, Easbaig Chill Rìmhinn, sco, Beeshop o Saunt Andras) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews in the Catholic Church and then, from 14 August 1472, as Archbishop of St Andrews ( gd, Àrd-easbaig ...
, had been kept by the Marquis of Hamilton. A pension of £1,000 a year was also granted him, and his title of
Earl of Loudoun
Earl of Loudoun (pronounced "loud-on" ), named after Loudoun in Ayrshire, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1633 for John Campbell, 2nd Lord Campbell of Loudoun, along with the subsidiary title Lord Tarrinzean and Mauchli ...
was allowed him, with precedency from the date of the original grant. When the king found that the estates would not give their consent to the nomination either of the Earl of Morton or of Lord Almond, as lord high treasurer, the treasury was put into commission, and Loudoun appointed the first commissioner.
In 1642 Loudoun was sent by the conservators of the peace to offer mediation between the king and the English parliament. He had several conferences with Charles at York, but, failing in the object of his mission, returned to Scotland. After the outbreak of the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Loudoun was sent to Oxford as one of the commission to mediate for peace. Charles, however, would not admit that the act of pacification gave the Scottish council any authority to mediate, and refused to allow the commissioners to proceed to London for that purpose. In 1643 Loudoun was again chosen elder for the burgh of Irvine to the general assembly, but this time declined the nomination. In the same year he was with the other Scottish commissioners invited to attend the discussions of the assembly of divines at Westminster. In 1645 he was appointed one of the Scottish commissioners to the
treaty of Uxbridge
The Treaty of Uxbridge was a significant but abortive negotiation in early 1645 to try to end the First English Civil War.
Background
Parliament drew up 27 articles in November 1644 and presented them to Charles I of England at Oxford. Much inpu ...
, and though he did his best to convince Charles I of the impolicy of holding out any further against the parliamentary demands, his efforts were unavailing. At Newcastle he again unsuccessfully attempted to persuade Charles, then virtually a prisoner of the Scottish army. In 1647 Loudoun, with the Earls of
Lauderdale
Lauderdale is the valley of the Leader Water (a tributary of the Tweed) in the Scottish Borders. It contains the town of Lauder, as well as Earlston. The valley is traversed from end to end by the A68 trunk road, which runs from Darlington to ...
and
Lanark
Lanark (; gd, Lannraig ; sco, Lanrik) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a population of 9 ...
, was sent to treat with Charles at
Carisbrooke Castle
Carisbrooke Castle is a historic motte-and-bailey castle located in the village of Carisbrooke (near Newport), Isle of Wight, England. Charles I was imprisoned at the castle in the months prior to his trial.
Early history
The site of Carisb ...
where they entered into the
"Engagement" with Charles. On his return from England he was chosen president of the parliament which met on 2 March 1648. Persuaded by the more violent party of the Covenanters, who denounced the "Engagement" as "an unlawful confederacy with the enemies of God", he changed sides and opposed the measure. He was, however, obliged to do public penance in the
High Church of Edinburgh for the part which he had originally taken. When Montrose was brought to the bar to receive sentence, Loudoun commented with severity upon his conduct. As Lord Chancellor he assisted at the coronation of
Charles II at
Scone
A scone is a baked good, usually made of either wheat or oatmeal with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often slightly sweetened and occasionally glazed with egg wash. The scone is a basic component ...
on 1 January 1650, and was present at the
Battle of Dunbar, where some of his letters to Charles II fell into
Cromwell's hands. These letters were afterwards published by the order of the English Parliament.
After the
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 in and around the city of Worcester, England and was the last major battle of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A Parliamentarian army of around 28,000 under Oliver Cromwell d ...
(September 1651) Loudoun retired into the
highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Albania
* Dukagjin Highlands
Armenia
* Armenian Highlands
Australia
*Sou ...
, and in 1653 joined
William, Earl of Glencairn and other
Cavaliers
The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ). It ...
who had risen in the King's favour. Divisions arising among the leaders, Loudoun left them and retired further north. He at length surrendered to General
George Monck
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle JP KG PC (6 December 1608 – 3 January 1670) was an English soldier, who fought on both sides during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A prominent military figure under the Commonwealth, his support was cruc ...
, whose brilliant success had demonstrated the uselessness of further resistance on the part of the Royalists. Loudoun and his eldest son,
Lord Mauchline, were both excepted out of
Cromwell's act of indemnity, by which £400 was settled on the Countess Loudoun and her heirs out of her husband's estates. Upon the
Restoration
Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to:
* Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage
** Audio restoration
** Film restoration
** Image restoration
** Textile restoration
* Restoration ecology
...
, notwithstanding all that Loudoun had suffered for the royal cause, he was deprived of the chancellorship, which had been granted to him "''ad vitam aut culpam''"; his pension, however, was still continued to him.
In the first session of parliament in 1661 he spoke strongly in defence of his friend, the
Archibald Campbell, Marquess of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, Marquess of Argyll, 8th Earl of Argyll, Chief of Clan Campbell (March 160727 May 1661) was a Scottish nobleman, politician, and peer. The ''de facto'' head of Scotland's government during most of the conflict of the 1640s and ...
, who was then under an impeachment for high treason. Argyll was executed, and Loudoun became apprehensive lest he too might share the same fate. In the following year, by an act "containing some exceptions from the Act of Indemnite", he was fined £12,000 (Scottish pounds). He died at Edinburgh on 15 March 1663, and was buried in the
Loudoun Kirk
Loudoun ( gd, Lughdan) is a parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland and lies between five and ten miles east of Kilmarnock. The parish roughly encompasses the northern half of the Upper-Irvine Valley and borders Galston Parish (which encompasses th ...
, in what is now
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 ...
.
Several of his speeches were printed in the form of pamphlets, and will be found among the political tracts in the British Museum.
Family
With his wife, Margaret, who survived him, Loudoun had two sons and two daughters. His eldest son,
James
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguati ...
, succeeded to the title, and died at Leyden. On the death of James, the fifth earl (a grandson of the second earl), the title descended to his only daughter, Flora, who married
Francis, 2nd Earl of Moira, afterwards 1st
Marquis of Hastings
Marquess of Hastings was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 6 December 1816 for Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 2nd Earl of Moira.
History
The Rawdon family descended from Francis Rawdon (d. 1668), of Rawdon, Yorkshire. H ...
. Upon the death of
Henry, 4th Marquis of Hastings, in 1868, his eldest sister Edith became the
Countess of Loudoun, and the title passed to her son
Charles, 11th Earl of Loudoun.
Bibliography
*George Crawfurd's Lives and Characters of the Officers of the Crown and State in Scotland (1726), i. 195–216
*Sir R. Douglas's Peerage of Scotland (1813), ii. 148–9
*Brunton and Haig's Senators of the College of Justice (1832), pp. 300–5
*Clarendon's History (1826)
*Sir James Balfour's Historical Works (1825), vols. ii. iii. iv.
*Letters and Journals of Robert Baillie (Bannatyne Club Publications, No. 71), 3 vols
References
Citations
Sources
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Attribution
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Loudoun, John Campbell, 1st Earl Of
1598 births
1661 deaths
Earls of Loudoun
Peers of Scotland created by Charles I
Presidents of the Privy Council of Scotland
Chancellors of the University of St Andrews
Covenanters
Scottish Commissioners at the Westminster Assembly
Commissioners of the Treasury of Scotland
Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1625
Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1630
Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1639–1641
Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1643–44
Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1644–1647
Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1648–1651