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Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll

Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll was a Scottish peer and soldier. The hereditary chief of Clan Campbell, and a prominent figure in Scottish politics, he was a Royalist supporter during the latter stages of the Scottish Civil War and its aftermath. Born at Newbattle Abbey, Edinburghshire, the son of Archibald Campbell, Lord Lorne and later eighth earl and marquess of Argyll (1605x7–1661), and his wife, Lady Margaret (1610–1678), daughter of William Douglas, earl of Morton (1582–1648). At the age of four he was, in accordance with Gaelic tradition, fostered with a kinsman, Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy, living mainly at Balloch, Perthshire. After his father had inherited the earldom in 1638 he was known by the courtesy title Lord Lorne, and he returned to his family at Inveraray Castle in 1639. He was sent to the University of Glasgow in 1642, but he did not graduate.

Married:  (1) 13 May 1650 Lady Mary Stewart (d. May 1668), 1st dau. of James Stewart, 4th Earl of Moray, by his wife Lady Margaret Home, 1st dau. by his second wife of Alexander Home, 1st Earl of Home

Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll, with his second wife Anna; unknown artist; National Portrait Gallery, London.
Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll, with his second wife Anna; unknown artist; National Portrait Gallery, London.

Children:  by first wife

1. Hon Archibald Campbell, later 10th Earl of Argyll later 1st Duke of Argyll
2. Hon John Campbell of Mamore, sentenced to death 1685 for his part in his father's rebellion but pardoned 1689, Groom of the Bedchamber, Member of Parliament (Scotland) for Argyllshire 1700, and for Dumbarton (GB) 1708-22 and 1722-27 (d. 7 Apr 1729), Married:  1692 Hon Elizabeth Elphinstone (b. 24 May 1673; d. 13 Apr 1758), 1st dau. of John Elphinstone, 8th Lord Elphinstone, and had issue:
1a. John Campbell, later 4th Duke of Argyll
2a. Capt Charles Campbell of Auchnacreive, Member of Parliament for Argyllshire 1736-42 (d. Jan 1742)
3a. Neil Campbell (d. after 27 Jun 1721)
4a. William Campbell, of Liston Hall, co. Suffolk (d. 8 Sep 1787), Married:  (1) ..... Barnard; and (2) 7 Apr 1762 Bridget Firebrace (widow of (1) Philip Evers, of Ipswich, co. Suffolk, and (2) Sir Cordell Firebrace, Bt. MP, of Melford Hall, co. Suffolk; d. 3 Jul 1782), 3rd dau. of Philip Bacon, of Ipswich, co. Suffolk, and had issue by his first wife
1a. Mary Campbell (b. c.1694; d. 11 May 1756), Married:  James Primrose, 2nd Earl of Rosebery, and had issue
2a. Anne Campbell (d. 2 Nov 1785), Married:  after 4 Oct 1716 Archibald Edmonstone of Duntreath (d. 1768)
3a. Isabella Campbell (d. 3 Jan 1786), Married:  Capt William Montgomery of Rosemount (d. 1743), and had issue
4a. Jean Campbell, Married:  9 Dec 1725 Capt John Campbell of Carrick (d. 1745 at the Battle of Fontenoy), and had issue
5a. Primrose Campbell (b. c. 1710; d. 23 May 1796), Married:  1 Jul 1733 as his second wife Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, and had issue
6a. Elizabeth Campbell
3. Hon Charles Campbell, forfeited for his part in his father's rebellion but pardoned 1689, Member of Parliament (Scotland) for Campbelltown 1700, Married:  1678 his father's step-daughter Lady Sophia Lindsay (dsp. 1698), 2nd dau. of Alexander Lindsay, 1st Earl of Balcarres, and (2) Bettie Bowles, and had issue by his second wife
4. Col Hon James Campbell of Burnbank and Boquhan, Member of Parliament for Renfrew 1699-1707 and for Ayr 1708-10, Married:  Hon Margaret Leslie (d. 17 Apr 1755), 4th dau. of David Leslie, 1st Lord Newark, and had issue
1. Lady Mary Campbell (b. 17 Jul 1657)
2. Lady Anne Campbell (b. c.1658; d. 18 Sep 1734), Married:  (1) 1 Jul 1678 Richard Maitland, 4th Earl of Lauderdale, and (2) her cousin Charles Stewart, 6th Earl of Moray, and had issue by her first husband
3. Lady Jean Campbell (d. 31 Jul 1712), Married:  30 Jun 1685 her cousin William Kerr, 2nd Marquess of Lothian, and had issue

Married:  (2) 28 Jan 1670 Lady Anne Lindsay (widow of her cousin Alexander Lindsay, 1st Earl of Balcarres;  bur. 29 May 1707), 2nd dau. of Colin Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth, by his wife Lady Margaret Seton, 3rd dau. by his first wife of Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline

Born: 26 February 1629

Died: Executed 30 Jun 1685

Succeeded by: Eldest son by first wife, Archibald Campbell, 10th Earl of Argyll later 1st Duke of Argyll

Note: Privy Councillor 1664;  extraordinary Lord of Session 1674-81;  refused to subscribe to the Test Act and was found guilty of High Treason 19 Dec 1681 and sentenced to death;  escaped and subsequently led an abortive invasion of Scotland.

Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll "escaping [sic] from Edinburgh Castle on 20 December 1681 with the help of his stepdaughter Sophia Lindsay, the success of his disguise as a page no doubt being helped by his short stature."

Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll was "executed and [sic] As his head fell, his body, in a macabre spasm, jumped upright on its feet, spouting blood ‘like a cascade or jette d'eau' before being held down by the executioners." (Lauder, Historical Observes, 193). His head, like that of his father before him, was displayed on a spike on the top of Edinburgh Tolbooth, while his body was buried at Newbattle Abbey, where he had been born. The head was reunited with the body in 1689 when his eldest son, Archibald Campbell (d. 1703), was restored as tenth earl, and in 1704 they were taken to his family's burial place at Kilmun.

 

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