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John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane

1762 – 1834

British Army general

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About John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane

Lived 1762 – 1834 (aged 71). John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane was a British military leader and politician.

Lieutenant-General John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane, FRS (30 March 1762 – 29 March 1834), known as John Campbell until 1782 and as The Earl of Breadalbane and Holland between 1782 and 1831, was a British military officer and landowner.

Background and education Campbell was the son of Colin Campbell of Carwhin by Elizabeth Campbell, daughter of Archibald Campbell, of Stonefield. He was a great-grandson of Colin Campbell of Mochaster, younger son of Sir Robert Campbell, 3rd Baronet, of Glenorchy, and uncle of John Campbell, 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland. He was educated at Winchester.

Career

In January, 1782, at age 19, Campbell succeeded his kinsman in the earldom of Breadalbane and Holland. This was a Scottish peerage and did not entitle him to an automatic seat in the House of Lords. However, in 1784 he was elected as one of the sixteen Scottish representative peer to sit in the House of Lords. The same year he was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Lord Breadalbane and Holland raised the Breadalbane Fencibles Regiment, in which he served as a lieutenant-colonel. He became colonel in 1802, a major-general in 1809 and a lieutenant-general in 1814. In 1806 he was created Baron Breadalbane, of Taymouth Castle in the County of Perth, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which entitled him to an automatic seat in the House of Lords. In 1831 he was further honoured when he was made Earl of Ormelie and Marquess of Breadalbane in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

According to the book Braves and Buffalo Plains Indian Life in 1837, the Commander of a buffalo hunt presented seven captured buffalo to the Marquis of Breadalbane. The animals were shipped to the family estate at Taymouth, Scotland where they are said to have become tame and some young were born there. The expedition was recorded by watercolour artist Alfred J. Miller.

Family Lord Breadalbane married Mary Gavin, daughter of David Gavin, of Langton House, Berwickshire, in 1793. They had one son and two daughters. One daughter, Lady Mary Campbell, married Richard Temple-Grenville, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos. Their second daughter, Lady Elizabeth Maitland Campbell (1794–1878) married Sir John Pringle, 5th Baronet of Stichill, as his second wife.

He died at Taymouth Castle, Perthshire, in March 1834, aged 71, and was succeeded by his only son, John, Earl of Ormelie. The Marchioness of Breadalbane died in September 1845.

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
Winchester College
Positions held
Member of the House of Lords
Awards
Fellow of the Royal Society
Also known as
John Campbell

People in John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane?

British Army general

When was John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane born?

John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane was born on 30 March 1762.

When did John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane die?

John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane died on 29 March 1834 in Taymouth Castle.

What was John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane's occupation?

John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane was a military leader and politician.

What nationality was John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane?

John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane

· Wikidata: Q6224956

· DBpedia: John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane. https://biography.guide/john-campbell-1st-marquess-of-breadalbane/

MLA: "John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-campbell-1st-marquess-of-breadalbane/.

Chicago: "John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-campbell-1st-marquess-of-breadalbane/.

Data last updated: 2026-10-02 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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