John Douglas Edward Henry Campbell, 7th Duke of Argyll, (21 December 1777 – 25 April 1847), known as Lord John Campbell until 1839, was a Scottish peer and Whig politician.

Background

Campbell was born in London, the third son of

John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll Field Marshal John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll (June 1723 – 24 May 1806), styled Marquess of Lorne from 1761 to 1770, was a Scottish soldier and nobleman. After serving as a junior officer in Flanders during the War of the Austrian Succ ...

. His mother was

Elizabeth Campbell, 1st Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon Elizabeth Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, 1st Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon ( December 1733 – 20 December 1790), earlier Elizabeth Hamilton, Duchess of Hamilton, Gunning, was a celebrated Anglo-Irish beauty, lady-in-waiting to Charlotte of Mec ...

, who had been ennobled in her own right in 1776. Campbell was baptised on 18 January 1778 at

St James's St James's is a district of Westminster, and a central district in the City of Westminster, London, forming part of the West End of London, West End. The area was once part of the northwestern gardens and parks of St. James's Palace and much of ...

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

. He was educated privately and later attended

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

.Thorne (1986), p. 375 In 1803, he travelled to Paris, where he met Talleyrand as well as

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

; Campbell returned to England the following year. He succeeded his older brother

George Campbell, 6th Duke of Argyll George William Campbell, 6th Duke of Argyll, (22 September 1768 – 22 October 1839), styled Earl of Campbell from 1768 to 1770 and Marquess of Lorne from 1770 to 1806, was a Scottish Whig politician and nobleman. Background Argyll was the el ...

in his titles in 1839.

Career

Campbell was commissioned into the British Army in 1797 as an ensign of the

3rd Foot Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642 in the Kingdom of Scotland, although ...

, commanded by his father. He purchased a lieutenancy in 1799 and shortly afterwards became a captain. During the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...

, Campbell served in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

under orders of

Sir Ralph Abercromby Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, (7 October 173428 March 1801) was a British Army officer, politician and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Trinidad in 1797. Rising to the rank of lieutenant general in the British ...

.Douglas (1904), p. 388 He retired in 1801 forced by ill health and after two years was appointed lieutenant-colonel and commandant of the Argyll Volunteers. Following the rearrangement of the country's militias in 1809, he became colonel of the Argyll and Bute Militia. He entered the

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...

in 1799, having been elected for

Argyllshire Argyll (; archaically Argyle; , ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 and most of the area now forms part of ...

as replacement for his uncle

Lord Frederick Campbell Lord Frederick Campbell (20 June 1729 – 8 June 1816) was a British politician. He was Lord Clerk Register of Scotland, 1768–1816; Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Burghs (1761–1780) and for Argyllshire (1780–1799). Biography ...

. After the Act of Union 1801, he continued to represent the constituency also in the new

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace ...

until 1822. He was elected a fellow of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

in 1819. Campbell was nominated

Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland The keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: ''Neach-gleidhidh Seula Mòr na h-Alba'') is one of the great officers of state in Scotland held concurrently with the post of first minister of Scotland. The office holder is the keeper ...

in 1841, an office he held for the next five years.Cokayne (1910), p. 211

The British American Colonization Association

In 1841, the 7th Duke of Argyll, along with other British and Irish noblemen, established the British American Colonization Association, also known as the British American Association. This entity was involved in monetising the migration of foreign populations to

British North America British North America comprised the colonial territories of the British Empire in North America from 1783 onwards. English colonisation of North America began in the 16th century in Newfoundland, then further south at Roanoke and Jamestown, ...

, which was not without controversy: Upon bankruptcy of the association, it was established that the Duke of Argyll was aware of the economic bubble created by the association, which resulted in lost wages for workers, and non-existent provisions for the migrants who participated in his colonization scheme.

Marriages and children

Argyll married firstly Elizabeth, eldest daughter of William Campbell against the wishes of his father in 1802.Burke (2001), p. 141 They were divorced six years later having had no children. Argyll married Joan, only daughter of John Glassel in 1820. They had three children:The Peerage, entry for 7th Duke of Argyll
/ref> * John Henry Campbell, Earl of Campbell (11 January 1821 – 27 May 1837) * George Douglas Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll (30 April 1823 – 24 April 1900) he married Lady Elizabeth Leveson-Gower (30 May 1824 – 25 May 1878) on 31 July 1844. They had twelve children. He remarried Amelia Claughton (12 April 1843 – 4 January 1894) on 13 August 1881. He remarried, again, Ina McNeill on 30 July 1895 * Lady Emma Augusta Campbell (1825 – 30 May 1893) she married Rt. Hon. Sir John McNeill on 26 August 1870. After his second wife's death in 1828, Argyll married thirdly Anne, eldest daughter of John Cuninghame in 1831. She was the widow of George Cunningham Monteath. Argyll died, aged 69, in

Inveraray Castle Inveraray Castle (pronounced or ; Scottish Gaelic ''Caisteal Inbhir Aora'' ) is a country house near Inveraray in the county of Argyll, in western Scotland, on the shore of Loch Fyne, Scotland's longest sea loch. It is one of the earliest ex ...

in ArgyllshireRivington (1848), p. 225 and was buried at Kilmun Parish Church. Having been predeceased by his older son John in 1837, he was succeeded in the dukedom and his other titles by his second son George.Douglas (1904), p. 389 He was survived by his third wife until 1874.

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