Rev James Campbell (1789–1861), born in Carsphairn, Kirkcudbrightshire to William Campbell and Agnes, née Riggs, was a Scottish clergyman and established Church of Scotland parish minister of Traquair in Peeblesshire.
Career After studying at the University of Glasgow, Campbell was tutor to the family of Robert Nutter Campbell of Kailzie, and to the Hart family of Castlemilk, with whom he travelled extensively throughout continental Europe.DAC, "Letter to William Campbell from his son 19th Oct 1812," Carsphairn Archive, accessed 2 March 2021, http://carsphairn.org/CarsphairnArchive/items/show/2007. In 1820, he was ordained to Traquair parish, serving there for forty-one years until his death, after which his son-in-law, Rev Jardine Wallace (1834-1910), who in 1861 married his daughter Agnes Mary, took over as his successor.
Letters from continental Europe Rev Campbell's invaluable contribution to Scottish history is the unique series of letters he wrote to his father and family. This correspondence, reposited in Dumfries and currently being digitised and transcribed by the Carsphairn Heritage Initiative charity, describes Campbell's travels to France, Italy, Spain and Holland with the Hart family, detailing their flight from France to Spain during the return to power of Napoleon in France, and discusses his search for a suitable parish and writing of sermons on his return to Edinburgh, 1812–1817.DAC, "Letter to William Campbell from his son 19th Oct 1812," Carsphairn Archive, accessed 2 March 2021, http://carsphairn.org/CarsphairnArchive/items/show/2007.
Toulouse, c. March/April 1815 DAC, "Letter to William Campbell from his son from Toulouse c. Mar/Apr 1815," Carsphairn Archive, accessed 7 April 2021, http://carsphairn.org/CarsphairnArchive/items/show/2012.
Leghorn (Livorno), 23 September 1815 DAC, "Letter to William Campbell from his son 23rd September 1815," Carsphairn Archive, accessed 3 April 2021, http://carsphairn.org/CarsphairnArchive/items/show/2016.
Account of the parish In 1834, James Campbell contributed a particularly detailed account of his parish in the Peeblesshire section of the New Statistical Account of Scotland.
Family Rev James Campbell married Mary, daughter of Matthew Combe, a Leith brewer, and had the following issue:
Julia Stewart Campbell (1822–23) William Campbell (1824-1902), settled in Australia Anne Bruce Campbell (1825–36) Rev George Campbell, parish minister of Eastwood in Renfrewshire James Campbell (1829–92), settled in Australia Agnes Mary Campbell (1833–81), wife of her father’s successor, Rev Jardine Wallace (1834–1910), editor of Poetical Works of Thomas Aird. Jane Campbell (1839–71)
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