Daniel Campbell (d. 1753)
Encyclopedia
Daniel Campbell or Donald Campbell, of Shawfield and Islay
, was a leading Glasgow
merchant and member of parliament, nicknamed “Great Daniel” because of his size and great wealth.
Campbell's birth, and the latter that of his grandson Daniel Campbell's death.
, before settling in Glasgow, where he traded tobacco for iron ore. He also engaged in the slave trade and in finance. He was very successful as a merchant, and in 1707 purchased the estate of Shawfield or Schawfield, in Rutherglen
, from Sir James Hamilton. He also came to possess the valuable estate of Woodhall, near Holytown
.
, he represented Inverary in the Scottish parliament
from 1702 till the union
, and was one of the commissioners who signed the treaty. He also sat in the first Parliament of Great Britain
, 1707-8, and represented the Glasgow burghs
from 1716 to 1734. In 1711 he built, for his town residence in Glasgow, Shawfield mansion, which became famous in connection with the Shawfield riots in 1725.
tax in Scotland, and on this account the mob, after taking possession of the city and preventing the officers of excise from collecting it, proceeded to the Shawfield mansion and completely demolished the interior. The provost and magistrates were arrested on the ground of having favoured the mob, and Campbell received £9,000 from the city as compensation for the damages caused by the riot. Soon afterwards he purchased the island of Islay
, the sum obtained from the city forming a large part of the money paid for it.
.
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
, was a leading Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
merchant and member of parliament, nicknamed “Great Daniel” because of his size and great wealth.
Dates
Campbell was the eldest son of Walter Campbell of Skipnish, and was born about 1671. In many books of reference he is stated to have been born in 1696 and to have died in 1777, the former date being that of his son JohnCampbell's birth, and the latter that of his grandson Daniel Campbell's death.
Merchant
At the age of 22 he set up business in New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, before settling in Glasgow, where he traded tobacco for iron ore. He also engaged in the slave trade and in finance. He was very successful as a merchant, and in 1707 purchased the estate of Shawfield or Schawfield, in Rutherglen
Rutherglen
Rutherglen is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. In 1975, it lost its own local council and administratively became a component of the City of Glasgow. In 1996 Rutherglen was reallocated to the South Lanarkshire council area.-History:...
, from Sir James Hamilton. He also came to possess the valuable estate of Woodhall, near Holytown
Holytown
Holytown is a small village outside Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.-History:The area was born and grew on the back of the nearby coal mining industries in the 18th century, although the roots of the town stretch back to at least the 17th Century, where records show that a meeting house...
.
Member of Parliament
A follower of the Duke of ArgyllJohn Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll
Field Marshal John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, 1st Duke of Greenwich KG , known as Iain Ruaidh nan Cath or Red John of the Battles, was a Scottish soldier and nobleman.-Early Life:...
, he represented Inverary in the Scottish parliament
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
from 1702 till the union
Acts of Union 1707
The Acts of Union were two Parliamentary Acts - the Union with Scotland Act passed in 1706 by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland - which put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union that had been agreed on 22 July 1706,...
, and was one of the commissioners who signed the treaty. He also sat in the first Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
, 1707-8, and represented the Glasgow burghs
Clyde Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Clyde Burghs, also known as Glasgow Burghs, was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
from 1716 to 1734. In 1711 he built, for his town residence in Glasgow, Shawfield mansion, which became famous in connection with the Shawfield riots in 1725.
The Shawfield Riots and the purchase of Islay
Campbell had voted for the imposition of the maltMalt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
tax in Scotland, and on this account the mob, after taking possession of the city and preventing the officers of excise from collecting it, proceeded to the Shawfield mansion and completely demolished the interior. The provost and magistrates were arrested on the ground of having favoured the mob, and Campbell received £9,000 from the city as compensation for the damages caused by the riot. Soon afterwards he purchased the island of Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
, the sum obtained from the city forming a large part of the money paid for it.
Family
Campbell died on 8 June 1753, aged 82. By his first marriage to Margaret Leckie (the daughter of John Leckie of Newlands) he had three sons and three daughters, and by his second to Catherine Denham one daughter. On his death, having been pre-deceased by his eldest son, he was succeeded by his grandson, Daniel Campbell of Shawfield and Islay (c 1737-1777). Another grandson was Walter Campbell of ShawfieldWalter Campbell of Shawfield
Walter Campbell of Shawfield , the grandson of Daniel Campbell , was Rector of the University of Glasgow from 1789 to 1791. He was also the Laird of Islay, Scotland....
.