John Gordon Drummond Campbell
Encyclopedia
John Gordon Drummond Campbell (15 February 1864 – 11 January 1935) was a British barrister and Conservative Party
politician who served from 1918 to 1922 as the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Kingston-upon-Thames
in Surrey.
He was the son of Colonel Archibald Neil Campbell of Craignish
and was educated at Charterhouse School
, from where he won a scholarship to Corpus Christi College, Oxford
, gaining a first-class degree in classics. He was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn
in 1890, and was one of His Majesty's Inspector of Schools from 1892 to 1909. He worked for two or three years as educational adviser to King Chulalongkorn
of Siam, writing a book Siam in the Twentieth Century (1902).
A strong unionist and tariff reformer, Campbell first stood for Parliament
at the January 1910 general election, when he was unsuccessful in the Mansfield division of Nottinghamshire
, which was then a safe seat
for the Liberal Party
. He contested the December 1910 election in the more-winnable Eccles division of Lancashire
, but failed to oust the sitting Liberal MP Sir George Pollard.
He won a seat on his third attempt, when he was elected at the 1918 general election
as the Coalition Unionist MP for the safe seat
of Kingston-upon-Thames
, replacing the Home Secretary
George Cave
who had been ennobled as Viscount Cave
. In August 1921, Campbell was one of 31 Unionist MPs dissatisfied with the Liberal-led Coalition Government who signed a manifesto pledging that after the next election they would hold themselves independent of any of the political parties on matters concerning the economy and finance.
By late 1922, Unionist discontent at the coalition led to a meeting at the Carlton Club in October 1922
where the Unionists decided to withdraw from the coalition. The collapse of the government triggered the 1922 general election
, when Campbell stood down from the House of Commons, due to ill-health.
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician who served from 1918 to 1922 as the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Kingston-upon-Thames
Kingston-upon-Thames (UK Parliament constituency)
Kingston-upon-Thames was a parliamentary constituency in the South-West London suburb of Kingston upon Thames which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
in Surrey.
He was the son of Colonel Archibald Neil Campbell of Craignish
Craignish
Craignish is a peninsula in Argyll, on the west coast of Scotland. It lies around south of Oban, and north of Lochgilphead. The peninsula is around long, and is aligned along a north-east to south-west orientation, in common with much of the landform of coastal Argyll. To the south is Loch...
and was educated at Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
, from where he won a scholarship to Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
, gaining a first-class degree in classics. He was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
in 1890, and was one of His Majesty's Inspector of Schools from 1892 to 1909. He worked for two or three years as educational adviser to King Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
of Siam, writing a book Siam in the Twentieth Century (1902).
A strong unionist and tariff reformer, Campbell first stood for Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
at the January 1910 general election, when he was unsuccessful in the Mansfield division of Nottinghamshire
Mansfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Mansfield is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundary review:...
, which was then a safe seat
Safe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
for the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
. He contested the December 1910 election in the more-winnable Eccles division of Lancashire
Eccles (UK Parliament constituency)
Eccles was a parliamentary constituency of the United Kingdom, centred on the town of Eccles in Greater Manchester, England. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.- History :The constituency...
, but failed to oust the sitting Liberal MP Sir George Pollard.
He won a seat on his third attempt, when he was elected at the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
as the Coalition Unionist MP for the safe seat
Safe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
of Kingston-upon-Thames
Kingston-upon-Thames (UK Parliament constituency)
Kingston-upon-Thames was a parliamentary constituency in the South-West London suburb of Kingston upon Thames which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
, replacing the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
George Cave
George Cave, 1st Viscount Cave
George Cave, 1st Viscount Cave GCMG, KC, PC was a British lawyer and Conservative politician. He was Home Secretary under David Lloyd George from 1916 to 1919 and served as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain from 1922 to 1924 and again from 1924 to 1928.-Background and education:Cave was born in...
who had been ennobled as Viscount Cave
Viscount Cave
Viscount Cave, of Richmond in the County of Surrey, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1918 for the lawyer and Conservative politician Sir George Cave, who later served as Lord Chancellor. On the day of his death in 1928 his resignation as Lord Chancellor had been...
. In August 1921, Campbell was one of 31 Unionist MPs dissatisfied with the Liberal-led Coalition Government who signed a manifesto pledging that after the next election they would hold themselves independent of any of the political parties on matters concerning the economy and finance.
By late 1922, Unionist discontent at the coalition led to a meeting at the Carlton Club in October 1922
Carlton Club meeting, 19 October 1922
The Carlton Club meeting on 19 October 1922 was a formal meeting of Members of Parliament who belonged to the Conservative Party, called to discuss whether the party should remain in government in coalition with a section of the Liberal Party under the leadership of Liberal Prime Minister David...
where the Unionists decided to withdraw from the coalition. The collapse of the government triggered the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
, when Campbell stood down from the House of Commons, due to ill-health.