Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll (c. 1433 – 10 May 1493) was a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

Scottish

nobleman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteris ...

, peer, and politician. He was the son of Archibald Campbell, Master of Campbell and Elizabeth Somerville, daughter of

John Somerville, 3rd Lord Somerville John Somerville, 3rd Lord Somerville (died 1491) was the son of William Somerville, 2nd Lord Somerville and Janet Mowat. He was a member of the Parliament of Scotland, Scottish Parliament. In 1449 he fought with the Scots who defeated the Englis ...

. He had the

sobriquet A sobriquet ( ), or soubriquet, is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another, that is descriptive. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym, as it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name, without the need of expla ...

Colin Mulle, Bold Earl Colin.

Biography

Colin Campbell's father, Archibald Campbell Master of Campbell, died in 1440 and young Colin became the heir of his grandfather

Duncan Campbell, 1st Lord Campbell Duncan Campbell, 1st Lord Campbell (Classical Gaelic ''Donnchadh mac Cailein'', and also called Donnchadh na-Adh ( en, Duncan the fortunate) of Loch Awe, (died 1453), was a Scottish nobleman and politician. He was an important figure in Scottish a ...

. When his grandfather died in 1453, Colin succeeded him to become 2nd Lord Campbell. Colin was still a minor and was placed in the custody of his uncle, Colin Campbell, 1st of Glenorchy. In 1457, he was created

Earl of Argyll Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Old Norse, Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "Germanic ch ...

by King

James II of Scotland James II (16 October 1430 – 3 August 1460) was King of Scots from 1437 until his death in 1460. The eldest surviving son of James I of Scotland, he succeeded to the Scottish throne at the age of six, following the assassination of his father. ...

, who was grateful for the loyalty of his father during the troubles early in his reign. In 1460, Campbell had a commission as

Bailie A bailie or baillie is a civic officer in the local government of Scotland. The position arose in the burghs, where bailies formerly held a post similar to that of an alderman or magistrate (see bailiff). Baillies appointed the high constables ...

Cowal Cowal ( gd, Còmhghall) is a peninsula in Argyll and Bute, in the west of Scotland, that extends into the Firth of Clyde. The northern part of the peninsula is covered by the Argyll Forest Park managed by Forestry and Land Scotland. The Arroch ...

. His uncle Colin arranged his marriage with Isabella Stewart, daughter and co-heiress of John Stewart, Lord Lorne (d.1463). Through this marriage, he received Castle Gloom (he would change the name of the castle to "Castle Campbell" in February 1490), and the neighboring estate in the parish of

Dollar Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, ...

Clackmannanshire Clackmannanshire (; sco, Clackmannanshire; gd, Siorrachd Chlach Mhannainn) is a historic county, council area, registration county and Lieutenancy area in Scotland, bordering the council areas of Stirling, Fife, and Perth & Kinross and the ...

. Castle Campbell then became the primary seat of the Earls and Dukes of Argyll for the next two centuries. The exact date of the marriage is unknown, but in 1460, shortly after the boy-king,

James III of Scotland James III (10 July 1451/May 1452 – 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 until his death at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. He inherited the throne as a child following the death of his father, King James II, at the siege of Roxburgh C ...

, came to the throne, Campbell was called upon to intervene in a feud in his wife's family. Allan MacDougall (called Allan of Lorne of the Wood), desiring to hold the estates belonging to his elder brother, John Ker of Lorne, seized his brother and imprisoned him in a dungeon on the island of

Kerrera Kerrera (; gd, Cearara or ''Cearrara'') is an island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, close to the town of Oban. In 2016 it had a population of 45, divided into two communities in the north and south of the island. Geology The oldest bedrock ...

, with the intention of starving him to death. Campbell appeared with a fleet of war galleys and completely defeated MacDougall, burning his fleet, killing most of his men, and restoring the elder brother to his rightful inheritance.

Servant of James III

Colin Campbell was often sent on diplomatic missions, the first in 1463, when King James III sent him to negotiate a

truce A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state ac ...

with King

Edward IV of England Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in Englan ...

. One of the main terms was that neither king would support the enemies of the other. In 1464, Campbell was made master of the King's household. In 1465, he was appointed Lord Justiciary of Scotland, south of the

Firth of Forth The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south. Name ''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...

, a position he held in conjunction with

Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd (died 1482) was a Scottish statesman, Lord Chamberlain of Scotland from 1467. Biography Robert Boyd was knighted, and was created a Peer of Parliament (Lord Boyd) by James II of Scotland at some date between 1451 and 1 ...

, until Boyd fell out with the King and fled to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

later in 1469, at which time, Campbell held the position alone. In 1466, he founded a chapel dedicated to

St. Ninian Ninian is a Christian saint, first mentioned in the 8th century as being an early missionary among the Pictish peoples of what is now Scotland. For this reason he is known as the Apostle to the Southern Picts, and there are numerous dedicatio ...

Dunure Dunure (Scottish Gaelic: ''Dùn Iùbhair'', meaning Yew Hill) is a small village in the South Ayrshire area of Scotland about from Ayr, Scotland. It is located on the coast of the Firth of Clyde, and is near to Maybole, south of Ayr. The villa ...

Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of ...

. As a result of his marriage with Isabel Stewart, Campbell acquired the title

Lord Lorne Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

in 1469, which had previously been held by his wife's uncle, John Stewart. In exchange for this title, Campbell gave Stewart other lands, and Stewart received the title

Lord Innermeath Lord Innermeath is an extinct title in the Peerage of Scotland created c. 1471 for Walter Stewart, 1st Lord Innermeath. Stewart had previously been Lord of Lorne, but resigned that title - which came with substantial comital power - under pressur ...

. Having received the title Lord Lorne, Campbell took the symbol of the

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be u ...

from the Lorne

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...

as part of his Achievement. In the event that he might never have a male heir, he

entailed In English common law, fee tail or entail is a form of trust established by deed or settlement which restricts the sale or inheritance of an estate in real property and prevents the property from being sold, devised by will, or otherwise alien ...

the

lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage ...

ship of Lorne to his uncle Colin; if his uncle were to die, to his other uncle, Duncan Campbell; then to Colin Campbell of Arduquholm and to the heirs male of his body, which failing, then to his brothers, Archibald and Robert. In 1471, he received the heritable offices of Justiciary and

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

of Lorne. On 15 January 1472, King James III granted

Dunoon Castle Dunoon Castle is a ruined castle located at Dunoon on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The castle sat upon a cone-shaped hill of about 80 feet high, a volcanic plug. Very little remains of the castle's structure today. Castle H ...

to Campbell and his heirs, with the power to appoint

constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

porters Porters may refer to: * Porters, Virginia, an unincorporated community in Virginia, United States * Porters, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community in Wisconsin, United States * Porters Ski Area, a ski resort in New Zealand * ''Porters'' (TV seri ...

, jailers,

watermen A waterman is a river worker who transfers passengers across and along city centre rivers and estuaries in the United Kingdom and its colonies. Most notable are those on the River Thames and River Medway in England, but other rivers such as t ...

, and other necessary offices. At the same time, he granted him the lands of Borland. On 20 February 1473, Campbell was made Justiciar, Chamberlain, Sheriff, and Bailie within the King's lordship of Cowal. Then on 8 May 1474, he received a charter to erect his town of

Inverary Inveraray ( or ; gd, Inbhir Aora meaning "mouth of the Aray") is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, and on the A83 road. It is a former royal burgh, the traditional county town of ...

into a burgh of barony. In 1474, Campbell was again sent as a commissioner to treat with King Edward IV, regarding breaches of the truce. In the resulting pact, which was to endure until July 1483, a marriage was arranged between Prince James Stewart of Scotland (King James III's son) and Princess Cecily of England (King Edward IV's daughter), a match which did not come to pass due to continued hostilities between the two nations. In 1475, when King James III was trying to subjugate

John of Islay, Earl of Ross :''This article refers to John II, Lord of the Isles; for John I, see John of Islay, Lord of the Isles'' John of Islay (or John MacDonald) (1434–1503), Earl of Ross, fourth (and last) Lord of the Isles, and ''Mac Domhnaill'' (chief of Clan ...

, Campbell was given a commission of lieutenancy to execute the forfeiture of the Earl of Ross' lands. In 1479, he was confirmed in the offices of Lieutenant and

Commissary A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop. In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...

Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...

, which had been held by his ancestors, Gillespic and Colin Campbell, since 1382. Further favors came to the Earl of Argyll in 1480, when the King granted him 160

markland Markland () is the name given to one of three lands on North America's Atlantic shore discovered by Leif Eriksson around 1000 AD. It was located south of Helluland and north of Vinland. Although it was never recorded to be settled by Norsemen, ...

s of the lordship of Knapdale, including the keeping of

Castle Sween Castle Sween, also known as Caisteal Suibhne, and Caistéal Suibhne, is located on the eastern shore of Loch Sween, in Knapdale, south of the forestry village of Achnamara on the west coast of Argyll, Scotland. Castle Sween is thought to be o ...

, for one silver penny in blench farm, i.e., nominal rent. This property had formerly belonged to the Earl of Ross. Early in 1483, King James III appointed Campbell as

Lord High 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 st ...

and awarded him the lands of Pinkerton in the

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

Dunbar Dunbar () is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately east of Edinburgh and from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Dunbar is a former royal burgh, and gave its name to an ...

, probably for Campbell's loyalty to the King during the rebellion of

Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, 1st Earl of Ormond (1609–1655) was the eldest son of William Douglas, 1st Marquis of Douglas, from whom he obtained the courtesy title of Earl of Angus.Vian in the DNB spells the title Earl of Ormonde. Lee in t ...

, which had led to the murder of some of King's favorites, after the confrontation at

Lauder The former Royal Burgh of Lauder (, gd, Labhdar) is a town in the Scottish Borders in the historic county of Berwickshire. On the Southern Upland Way, the burgh lies southeast of Edinburgh, on the western edge of the Lammermuir Hills. Etymo ...

in 1482. These lands had previously been held by the King's brother, Prince

Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany (7 August 1485), was a Scottish prince and the second surviving son of King James II of Scotland. He fell out with his older brother, King James III, and fled to France, where he unsuccessfully sought help. In 1 ...

, who was in league with the Earl of Angus. In 1484, Campbell was active in diplomatic campaigns. In July, he was sent as a commissioner to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

to renew the "ancient league" between

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and Scotland, a mission completed on 9 July. Then on 21 September, once King James III had gotten the upper hand against the rebels, he was part of the delegation who met with King

Richard III of England Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Ba ...

Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...

to conclude peace, a treaty which was to run until September 1487. He was also appointed to periodically meet with the English at Berwick to determine whether or not the stipulations in the treaty were being followed. To strengthen the resolve of the parties and to keep the truce, a second marriage was arranged, between Prince James Stewart and Lady Ann de la Pole (1476–1495), daughter of

John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, KG (27 September 1442 – 14–21 May 1492), was a major magnate in 15th-century England. He was the son of William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, and Alice Chaucer, the daughter of Thomas Chauce ...

, and a niece of King Richard III. This second marriage negotiation collapsed as a result of King Richard's defeat at the

Battle of Bosworth The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the houses of Lancaster and York that extended across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 Au ...

in 1485.

Rebellion against James III

Campbell threw in with the rebels, after

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

had strengthened King James's hand against the rebellious nobles in October 1487. At about this time, the King forced Campbell out of the chancellorship, in favor of

William Elphinstone William Elphinstone (143125 October 1514) was a Scottish statesman, Bishop of Aberdeen and founder of the University of Aberdeen. Biography He was born in Glasgow. His father, also William Elphinstone, later became the first Dean of the Fa ...

Bishop of Aberdeen The Bishop of Aberdeen (originally Bishop of Mortlach, in Latin Murthlacum) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Aberdeen, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th-century cleric named Nec ...

. In 1488, Campbell was not present at the

Battle of Sauchieburn The Battle of Sauchieburn was fought on 11 June 1488, at the side of Sauchie Burn, a stream about south of Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinbur ...

on 11 June, or in the days following, because he was in England on an embassy to King

Henry VII of England Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henry's mother, Margaret Beauf ...

, having been sent there on behalf of Prince James Stewart and the rebels to seek English help against King James III. After Prince James was crowned as "James IV", he restored Campbell to the position of High Chancellor. Furthermore, the new king gave him the lands of Rosneath in

Dunbartonshire Dunbartonshire ( gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann) or the County of Dumbarton is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbartonshire borders Pe ...

on 9 January 1490, which remained in the Campbell family until 1939. Campbell continued in favor with King James IV, and on 21 December 1491, he was one of the conservators of the truce between England and Scotland, which was extended to 1496. One author has claimed that, one reason James III of Scotland has long had a sinister reputation is that "such accounts as we have of him are written by the partisans of his unruly nobles, such as the Earls of Argyll, Lennox, and Angus". Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll, died in 1493, and was buried at Kilmun Parish Church on

Peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on a ...

. He was succeeded by his eldest son,

Archibald Campbell Archibald Campbell may refer to: Peerage * Archibald Campbell of Lochawe (died before 1394), Scottish peer * Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll (died 1513), Lord Chancellor of Scotland * Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll (c. 1507–1558) ...

Family

By his wife, Isabel Stewart, Campbell had two sons and seven daughters: *

Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll Gillespie Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll ( – 9 September 1513) was a Scottish nobleman and politician who was killed at the Battle of Flodden. Biography Archibald was the eldest son of Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll and Isabel Ste ...

Thomas Campbell Thomas Campbell may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Thomas Campbell (poet) (1777–1844), Scottish poet * Thomas Campbell (sculptor) (1790–1858), Scottish sculptor * Thomas Campbell (visual artist) (born 1969), California-based visual artist ...

, ancestor of the Campbells of

Lundie Lundie is a parish and small settlement in Angus, Scotland, northwest of Dundee, situated at the head of the Dighty valley in the Sidlaws, off the A923 Dundee to Coupar Angus Coupar Angus (; Gaelic: ''Cùbar Aonghais'') is a town in Perth ...

Forfarshire Angus ( sco, Angus; gd, Aonghas) is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross. Main industries include ag ...

. * Margaret Campbell, married to

George Seton, Lord Seton George Seton, Lord Seton, Master of Winton (15 May 1613 – 4 June 1648) was a Scottish landowner. He was the eldest surviving son of George Seton, 3rd Earl of Winton and Anna Hay. He continued the family's long-standing Roman Catholic traditi ...

. * Isabel Campbell, married to William Drummond, Master of Drummond, grandmother of David Drummond, 2nd Lord Drummond of Cargill, ancestor of the Earls of Perth. * Helen Campbell, married to

Hugh Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Eglinton Hugh may refer to: *Hugh (given name) Noblemen and clergy French * Hugh the Great (died 956), Duke of the Franks * Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France under his father, Robert II * Hugh, Duke of Alsace (died 895), modern-day ...

. * Elizabeth Campbell, married to

John Oliphant, 2nd Lord Oliphant John Oliphant, 2nd Lord Oliphant (died 1516) was a Scottish landowner. He was the eldest son of Laurence Oliphant, 1st Lord Oliphant and Elizabeth Hay, a daughter of William Hay, 1st Earl of Erroll. He is sometimes regarded as the 5th Lord Oliph ...

. * Mary Campbell, married to Aonghas MacDonald, natural son and heir of

. * Agnes Campbell, said to have been married to

Alexander Mackenzie of Kintail Alexander Mackenzie (before 1436 - after 1471), known as "Ionraic" (or "the Upright"), traditionally counted as 6th of Kintail, was the first chief of the Clan Mackenzie of whom indisputable contemporary documentary evidence survives. During his l ...

, though some state this is disproved. * Catharine Campbell, married first

Lachlan Og Maclean Lachlan Óg Maclean, was the 8th Chief of Maclean. Biography He was the son of Lachlan Bronneach Maclean. Lachlan Og was called Lachlan the Younger to distinguish him from his father. He was Lord of Duart and Chief of Clan MacLean when politi ...

and second

Torquil MacLeod Torquil MacLeod ( Scottish Gaelic: Torcall mac Murchaidh, and Torcall MacLeòid) ('' fl.'' 14th century) was a Hebridean lord and is today considered to be the founder of the MacLeods of Lewis, who are known in Gaelic as ''Sìol Torcaill'' ("seed ...

Clan MacLeod of Lewis Clan MacLeod of The Lewes, commonly known as Clan MacLeod of Lewis ( gd, Clann Mhic Leòid Leòdhais), is a Highland Scottish clan, which at its height held extensive lands in the Western Isles and west coast of Scotland. From the 14th century up ...

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Argyll, Colin Campbell, 1st Earl Of 1430s births 1493 deaths Scottish landowners Lord chancellors of Scotland 1 C 15th-century Scottish peers