Walter Campbell of Shawfield

Walter Campbell, 3rd of Shawfield and Islay and 9th of Skipness was a Scottish landowner, advocate and Rector of Glasgow University.

Early life

Campbell was born on 29 December 1741 into the Skipness branch of Clan Campbell which descends from the 2nd Earl of Argyll. He was a son of John Campbell of Shawfield and Lady Henrietta Cunningham, who married in 1735. His father had been previously married, without issue, to Lady Margaret Campbell. His older brothers were Daniel Campbell, 2nd of Shawfield and John Campbell, 8th of Skipness.
His maternal grandparents were William Cunningham, 12th Earl of Glencairn and Lady Henrietta Stewart. His cousins James and John both became Earls of Glencairn. His paternal grandparents were Margaret Campbell and Daniel Campbell, a follower of the Duke of Argyll who represented Inverary in the Scottish parliament from 1702 until the union. He sat in the first Parliament of Great Britain and represented the Glasgow Burghs from 1716 to 1734. In 1711, he built Shawfield Mansion, his residence in Glasgow which became famous in connection with the Shawfield riots in 1725.

Career

His father died in 1746, predeceasing his grandfather, who died in 1753. Therefore, Walter's elder brother Daniel was their grandfather's heir. When Daniel died, unmarried and without issue, in 1777, Walter inherited the estate and became 3rd of Shawfield and Laird of Islay, Scotland.
He qualified as an advocate in 1763 and was Sheriff-Depute of Kincardineshire from 1767 to 1777. He was recognised by Lord Lyon King of Arms, and matriculated his arms at the Lyon Court in 1777.
He was Rector of the University of Glasgow from 1789 to 1791.

Personal life

Campbell was married twice. His marriage was to Eleanor Kerr on 9 March 1768. She was a daughter of Robert Kerr of Newfield and Eleanora Kerr. Her grandparents were Lord Charles Kerr and the former Janet Murray. Together, Eleanor and Walter were the parents of:

John Campbell, 4th of Islay and of Woodhall, who was an army officer and a Member of Parliament who married Lady Charlotte Bury, a daughter of John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll and Elizabeth Hamilton, 1st Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon.
Agnes Campbell, who married John Macliver.
Katherine Campbell, who married Sir Charles Jenkinson, 10th Baronet, a cousin of Lord Liverpool, the Prime Minister from 1812 to 1827.
Margaret Campbell, who married Francis Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss.
Robert Campbell, 10th of Skipness, who married Eugenia Josephine Wynne, daughter of Richard Wynne, in 1806.
Colin Campbell of Ardpatrick, an Admiral in the Royal Navy who married Harriet Royds in 1826, a daughter of James Royds of Falinge.
Walter Campbell, of Sunderland House on Islay, who married Mary Ann King, daughter of John King, in 1814.
Daniel Campbell, who died young.
Eleanor Campbell, who died unmarried.
Harriet Campbell, who married Daniel Hamilton of Gikerscleugh.
Glencairn Campbell, who married Francis Carter of Edgcott.
Elizabeth Campbell, who married Stuart Moncrief of Thriepland, advocate general at Bombay.

He married, secondly, Mary Hay, the daughter of William Nisbet of Dirleton and Mary Nisbet. His wife, the widow of Major William Hay, was the sister and heiress of MP William Hamilton Nisbet. Together, Mary and Walter were the parents of:

Mary Hamilton Campbell, who married James Ruthven, 7th Lord Ruthven of Freeland.
Hamilton Campbell, who married Robert Hamilton, 8th Lord Belhaven and Stenton.
William Campbell, who died unmarried.

Campbell died on 19 October 1816.

Descendants

Through his son John, he was a grandfather of Walter Frederick Campbell, an MP for Argyllshire who inherited Islay in 1816 upon his grandfather's death. He was also the grandfather of John George Campbell, Eliza Maria Campbell Eleanora Campbell, Harriet Charlotte Campbell, Emma Campbell,
Adelaide Campbell, and Julia Campbell.
Through his daughter Agnes, he was a grandfather of Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde who was adopted by his uncle John after his parents death. He served as Commander-in-Chief, India from 1857 to 1861.
Through his daughter Katherine, he was a grandfather of Katherine Jenkinson and Eleanor Jenkinson.
Through his daughter Margaret, he was a grandfather of eight, including Lady Eleanor Charteris, Francis Wemyss-Charteris, 9th Earl of Wemyss, and Lady Katherine Charteris Wemyss.
Through his son Robert, he was a grandfather of Col. Walter William Thomas Beaujolois Campbell, 11th of Skipness, who lived at Skipness Castle and married Anna Henrietta Loring, a daughter of Lt.-Col. Robert Loring, in 1838.
Through his son Colin, he was a grandfather of Colin Glencairn Campbell, who married Octavia Helen Workman-Macnaghten, daughter of Sir Edmund Workman-Macnaghten, 2nd Baronet.