Sir James Campbell, 2nd Baronet of Ardkinglass, ( 1666 – 5 July 1752) was a British Army officer and Scottish politician who sat in the

Parliament of Scotland In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

from 1703 to 1707 and in 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 ...

from 1707 to 1741.

Early life

Campbell was the son of Sir Colin Campbell, 1st Baronet, of Ardkinglass and his wife Helen Maxwell, daughter of Patrick Maxwell, of Newark, Renfrew who was MP in the Parliament of Scotland. The family seat was

Ardkinglas Castle Ardkinglas House is a Listed buildings in Scotland, Category A listed country house on the Ardkinglas Estate in Argyll, Scotland. The estate lies on the eastern shore of Loch Fyne, and the house is located close to the village of Cairndow. Datin ...

, which stood on the shore of

Loch Fyne Loch Fyne (, ; meaning "Loch of the Vine/Wine"), is a sea loch off the Firth of Clyde and forms part of the coast of the Cowal, Cowal Peninsula. Located on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, west of Scotland. It extends inland from the Sound o ...

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 ...

, Scotland. The castle was built in the form of a quadrangle around an inner courtyard measuring 98 ft in each direction. There were large turrets on three of the corners and to the front was a large gate tower with two flanking defensive turrets. It was surrounded by beautiful gardens and parkland and the vast Ardkinglas estate. By 1697, Campbell had married Margaret Campbell, daughter of Adam Campbell of

Gargunnock Gargunnock is a small village in the Stirling council area with an active community trust, west of Stirling, in Scotland. The census population was 912. It is situated on the south edge of the Carse of Stirling, at the foot of the Gargunnock ...

, Stirling and, around 1700, acquired Dunderave Castle and estate. His wife who inherited the Gargunnock estate in 1704.

Political and military careers

Campbell was a commissioner justiciary for the Highlands in 1701 and 1702. In the Scottish election of 1702 he succeeded his father in the Parliament of Scotland as Commissioner for Argyllshire. In 1704 he became a burgess of Edinburgh and also joined the British Army as a lieutenant in the Life Guards. After the Act of Union he was chosen as one of the 60 Scottish representatives to serve for

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

in the 1707 Parliament. He was one of dependants of the Duke of Argyll and supported the bill to complete the Union, which other Campbells opposed. He was promoted to captain in March 1708 and guidon and major in June 1708. At the 1708 general election he was returned unopposed as Member of Parliament for

. In 1709 he succeeded to the estates and

baronetcy A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

on the death of his father. In Parliament he was on the drafting committee for the East Tarbert harbour bill and voted for the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell. He was returned unopposed for Argyllshire again in the

1710 British general election The 1710 British general election produced a landslide victory for the Tories. The election came in the wake of the prosecution of Henry Sacheverell, which had led to the collapse of the previous government led by Godolphin and the Whig Junto. ...

, and became major in 1710 and lieutenant-colonel from 1711. His affiliations were unclear but was a Whig when returned again for Argyllshire at the

1713 British general election The 1713 British general election was held on 22 August 1713 to 12 November 1713, to elect members of the House of Commons, the lower house of the Parliament of Great Britain. It produced further gains for the governing Tory party. Since 1710 R ...

. He voted against the expulsion of Richard Steele on 18 March 1714, and spoke in the debate on the succession, but was generally more concerned with Scottish business. In 1715, Campbell left the army on being appointed the first deputy

Governor of Stirling Castle The Governor of Stirling Castle was the military officer who commanded Stirling Castle, in Scotland. Control of the castle frequently passed between the Scots and the English during the Wars of Scottish Independence. The castle's military characte ...

and held the post until March 1717. He was returned for Argyllshire in the

1715 Events For dates within Great Britain and the British Empire, as well as in the Russian Empire, the "old style" Julian calendar was used in 1715, and can be converted to the "new style" Gregorian calendar (adopted in the British Empire in ...

1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel '' Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), ...

and

1727 Events January–March * January 1 – (December 21, 1726 O.S.) Spain's ambassador to Great Britain demands that the British return Gibraltar after accusing Britain of violating the terms of the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Britain ...

general elections. He made a second marriage on 21 November 1732 to Anne Callander, the daughter of John Callander, Laird of Craigforth, and widow of Colonel John Blackadder who had succeeded him as Deputy Governor of Stirling Castle. At the 1734 general election he was returned as MP for

Stirlingshire Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling ( ) is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of Scotland. Its county town is Stirling.Registers of Scotland. Publications, leaflets, Land Register Counties. It borders Perthshir ...

. Also in 1734 he was appointed Muster Master of Scotland. He did not stand at the 1741 general election and resigned or was dismissed from his post as Muster Master probably in 1742.

Death and legacy

Campbell died on 5 July 1752, aged 86. He and his first wife Margaret had a son and eight daughters, but their only son drowned and the baronetcy became extinct. Their eldest daughter, Helen Campbell, married Sir James Livingston, 2nd Baronet of Glentirran and Dalderse. The Ardkinglas estate passed to their son Lt.Col. Sir James Campbell, 3rd Baronet, formerly James Livingstone. The Callander of Craigforth family later succeeded to the Ardkinglas estate.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, James 1660s births 1752 deaths Nobility from Argyll and Bute Baronets in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies Place of birth missing Shire Commissioners to the Parliament of Scotland Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1702–1707 British MPs 1707–1708 British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1713–1715 British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741 British Life Guards officers