Islay and the Campbells
Wednesday, February 28 2007
During a visit to Islay the name Campbell pops up just about everywhere, not in the first place of course during a visit at Bowmore Round Church, where several Campbells are buried or commemorated by monuments or plaques. Eleanor, the wife of Walter Frederick Campbell finds her last resting place here, she died in 1832. Walter Frederick Campbell, being devastated by the loss of his wife, commemorated her in a plaque above the entrance door of the Port Ellen Lighthouse at Carraig Fhada.
Furthermore a monument can be found in the entrance hall of Bowmore Church commemorating Walter Campbell, not to be confused with Walter Frederick Campbell, his grandfather.
John Francis Campbell, heir of Walter Frederick Campbell, was probably best remembered as folklorist and it was John Frances Campbell who was commemorated by the Glasgow Islay Association by means of an obelisk overlooking Loch Indaal at Bridgend carrying the following inscription:
JOHN FRANCIS CAMPBELL OF ISLAY
AN EMINENT CELTIC SCHOLAR LINGUIST SCIENTIST AND TRAVELLER.
A TRUE AND PATRIOTIC HIGHLANDER.
LOVED ALIKE BY PEER AND PEASANT.
BY HIS
‘POPULAR TALES OF THE WEST HIGHLANDS’,
‘LEABHAR NA FEINNE’
AND OTHER LITERARY WORKS,
HE PRESERVED AND RENDERED CLASSIC THE
FOLK-LORE OF THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
HE LIES BURIED IN CANNES IN FRANCE
HIS MEMORIES LIVES IN THE HEARTS OF HIS COUNTRYMEN
BORN 1821 – DIED 1885
But what about the other Campbells? There were quite a few. For a better understanding it is good to explain there were several branches of the Campbells who owned and ruled Islay. The Cawdor Campbells were the first to own Islay, after the downfall of the MacDonalds, from the early 1600s to the early 1700s. They ruled Islay for 112 years and were followed by the successful Campbells of Shawfield. Daniel Campbell or Great Daniel was Islay's Laird from 1726 to 1753 and his grandson Daniel Campbell the Younger succeeded him until 1777. He was not the last Campbell on Islay, other Campbells succeeded the two Daniels and I have created a complete overview of the Campbells on Islay on the Islayinfo Website.
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