Richard Vary Campbell

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

FSA (1840–1901) was a Scottish advocate and author of legal books, who rose to be Sheriff of

Roxburgh Roxburgh () is a civil parish and formerly a royal burgh, in the historic county of Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was an important trading burgh in High Medieval to early modern Scotland. In the Middle Ages it had at leas ...

. He was also a Commissioner of the

Northern Lighthouse Board The Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) is the general lighthouse authority for Scotland and the Isle of Man. It is a non-departmental public body responsible for marine navigation aids around coastal areas. History The NLB was formed by Act of P ...

Life

Richard Campbell was born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

on 4 August 1840, the son of David Campbell, a wine and spirit merchant from a

Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...

family, and Jane Vary, he was educated at Glasgow High School. He then studied Philosophy at

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

(graduating MA in 1861) and began a legal apprenticeship with Robert Lamond before moving to

Edinburgh 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 ...

to study Scots Law and Civil Law, graduating LLB. He then studied further at

Heidelberg University } Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...

before being appointed to the Scottish Bar. He became an advocate in 1864. He rose to be

Sheriff of Dumfries and Galloway The Sheriff of Dumfries and Galloway, was historically the royal official responsible for enforcing law and order in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Prior to 1748 most sheriffdoms were held on a hereditary basis. From that date, following the J ...

in 1890 and from 1896 was

Sheriff of Roxburgh, Berwick and Selkirk The Sheriff of Roxburgh was historically the royal official responsible for enforcing law and order in that area of Scotland. Prior to 1748 most sheriffdoms were held on a hereditary basis. From that date, following the Jacobite uprising of 1745 ...

. In 1886, Richard unsuccessfully stood as the

Liberal Unionist Party The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington (later the Duke of Devonshire) and Joseph Chamberlain, the party established a political ...

's candidate to be

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for the Glasgow College constituency, losing to Sir Charles Cameron. Richard was an expert on Church Law and addressed 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 ...

on several occasions. He was Chairman of the Edinburgh Street Tramways Association and a Commissioner of the Northern Lighthouse Board. He was later elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

in 1898, his proposers including Sir

Stair Agnew Sir Stair Agnew (6 December 1831 – 12 July 1916) was a Scottish public official. He served as Registrar General for Scotland. Life He was born at Lochnaw Castle in the parish of Leswalt in Dumfries and Galloway, the fifth son of Sir And ...

. Richard later died at his home, 37 Moray Place in

, at 10am on 10 November 1901, ten days after catching a cold whilst attending a wedding in

Peebles Peebles ( gd, Na Pùballan) is a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was historically a royal burgh and the county town of Peeblesshire. According to the 2011 census, the population was 8,376 and the estimated population in June 2018 wa ...

. Richard is buried in

Dean Cemetery The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and on ...

in western Edinburgh. The grave lies facing the southern path of the northern Victorian extension.

Family

Campbell married exceptionally late in life. He married at

Stow Stow may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Stow, Lincolnshire or Stow-in-Lindsey, a village * Stow of Wedale or Stow, Scottish Borders, a village * Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, a small town * Stow, Shropshire or Stowe, a village * Stow ...

on 21 March 1900 Janet Jamieson (1840–1914), widow of Alexander Wylie, Writer of the Signet. She is buried with him.

Publications

*''Registration Law'' *''Lectures on Mercantile Law'' (1890) *''The Reform Act of 1868''

References

1840 births 1901 deaths People associated with Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Liberal Unionist Party parliamentary candidates {{Scotland-law-bio-stub