The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (Commonwealth English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific Style ...

Alexander Hume-Campbell KC (15 February 1708 – 19 July 1760), of Birghamsheil, Berwickshire, was a Scottish lawyer and politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

almost continuously from 1734 to 1760. Hume-Campbell was the second surviving son of Alexander Hume-Campbell, 2nd Earl of Marchmont and his wife Margaret Campbell, daughter of Sir George Campbell of Cessnock. He was educated at a private school in London from 1716 until possibly 1721. He was in the Netherlands in Utrecht and Franeker between 1721 and probably 1725. He attended the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

and became an advocate in 1729. He entered

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

and was called to the bar in 1731. He married Elizabeth Pettis of Savile Row, London on 16 July 1737. At the

1734 British general election The 1734 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of Great Britain, House of Commons of the 8th Parliament of Great Britain to be summoned, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scot ...

, Hume-Campbell was returned as Member of Parliament for

Berwickshire Berwickshire (; ) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. The county takes its name from Berwick-upon-Tweed, its original county town, which was part of Scotland at the ...

at the same time as his twin brother

Lord Polwarth Lord Polwarth, of Polwarth in the County of Berwick, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1690 for Sir Patrick Hume of Polwarth, 2nd Baronet, Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1696 to 1702 (the baronetcy had been created in ...

was elected MP for

Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...

. There was a double return at the

1741 British general election The 1741 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 9th Parliament of Great Britain to be summoned, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. The election saw suppo ...

and he was eventually declared elected on 19 January 1742. He was Solicitor-general to the Prince of Wales from December 1741 to January 1746. He was returned again for Berwickshire in 1747. For most of the time from 1734 to 1754 he was in opposition, and during that time he built up a considerable practice at the English bar. Hume Campbell was returned again for Berwickshire at the 1754 general election and took a very active part ... in support of the King's measures’. He was willing to connect himself with Newcastle in return for help against Pitt over the subsidy treaties. The brothers sought full support for their Berwickshire interest. In 1756 he was appointed

Lord Clerk Register The office of Lord Clerk Register (Scottish Gaelic: ''Clàr Morair Clèireach'') is the oldest remaining Great Officer of State in Scotland, with origins in the 13th century. It historically had important functions in relation to the maintenanc ...

of Scotland and held the post for the rest of his life. Hume-Campbell died without issue on 19 July 1760.

References

Sources

* "Marchmont And The Humes of Polwarth By one of Their Descendants". 1894. 1708 births 1760 deaths British MPs 1734–1741 British MPs 1741–1747 British MPs 1747–1754 British MPs 1754–1761 Younger sons of earls Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies {{Scotland-GreatBritain-MP-stub