Sir Marshall Campbell
Encyclopedia
Sir Marshall Campbell was a Natal
pioneer of the sugar industry and parliamentarian concerned with Bantu affairs.
The Conquering Hero, a brig
of 320 tons under Captain Cockburn, sailed from the Clyde (Glasgow
/Greenock
) with 127 settlers on 29 March 1850. Marshall Campbell landed in Durban
on 28 June 1850 with his parents, William John and Agnes Campbell. They had come under the Byrne Settler scheme, which, between 1849 and 1851, brought some 2 500 English emigrants to Natal.
Shortly after their arrival in Durban, Marshall's father was awarded a contract to construct the harbour's North Pier. This enabled him to buy land on the Umdhloti River, and develop his farm which he called Muckleneuk, Scots for 'great bend'. The house was designed by Frank Fleming, one of Herbert Baker
's partners. By the time he died in 1865 aged 44, he had become a prominent sugar cane planter and miller.
Marshall also turned to sugar cane farming and in 1895 founded Natal Estates Limited, and two years later South Africa's first sugar refinery. He married Ellen Blamey, daughter of another sugar pioneer, in 1877 and settled at Mount Edgecombe, raising a family of four children. Being active in local business and politics, he became a member of the Natal Legislative Council, later being appointed Senator for Natal. In 1915 he received a knighthood for services to the country.
A Black township outside Durban is named Kwa Mashu, Zulu for 'the place of Marshall'. Of interest is that he played a part in 1892 in introducing rickshaws to Durban, a mode of transport that has become very popular with sight-seeing tourists.
Two of his children, Margaret ('Killie') and William, were instrumental in founding The Killie Campbell Collection of Africana housed at Muckleneuk.
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
pioneer of the sugar industry and parliamentarian concerned with Bantu affairs.
The Conquering Hero, a brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
of 320 tons under Captain Cockburn, sailed from the Clyde (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...
/Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
) with 127 settlers on 29 March 1850. Marshall Campbell landed in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
on 28 June 1850 with his parents, William John and Agnes Campbell. They had come under the Byrne Settler scheme, which, between 1849 and 1851, brought some 2 500 English emigrants to Natal.
Shortly after their arrival in Durban, Marshall's father was awarded a contract to construct the harbour's North Pier. This enabled him to buy land on the Umdhloti River, and develop his farm which he called Muckleneuk, Scots for 'great bend'. The house was designed by Frank Fleming, one of Herbert Baker
Herbert Baker
Sir Herbert Baker was a British architect.Baker was the dominant force in South African architecture for two decades, 1892–1912....
's partners. By the time he died in 1865 aged 44, he had become a prominent sugar cane planter and miller.
Marshall also turned to sugar cane farming and in 1895 founded Natal Estates Limited, and two years later South Africa's first sugar refinery. He married Ellen Blamey, daughter of another sugar pioneer, in 1877 and settled at Mount Edgecombe, raising a family of four children. Being active in local business and politics, he became a member of the Natal Legislative Council, later being appointed Senator for Natal. In 1915 he received a knighthood for services to the country.
A Black township outside Durban is named Kwa Mashu, Zulu for 'the place of Marshall'. Of interest is that he played a part in 1892 in introducing rickshaws to Durban, a mode of transport that has become very popular with sight-seeing tourists.
Two of his children, Margaret ('Killie') and William, were instrumental in founding The Killie Campbell Collection of Africana housed at Muckleneuk.