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Clan Campbell (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

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Campbell

Gaelic Name: Caimbeul

Clan Crest: On a boar’s head erased fessways erased Or, armed Argent, langued Gules

Clan Motto: Ne Obliviscaris (Do not forget)

Origin of Name: Caimbeul is a Gaelic name derived from the words 'Cam' (wry) and 'Beul' (mouth).

Clan Badge: Bog Myrtle

Lands: Argyll

Clan Chief: His Grace the Duke of Argyll, the 13th Duke

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Clan Campbell History

According to legend, Smevie or Mervvn, son of Arthur, became known as 'the Wildman of the Woods' in the eleventh or twelfth century. A name given to him to recognize him as a great hunter. Some claim he was the legendary Arthur's son. There is no evidence to support this story. Campbell was not given until several generations later.

Since the 1600s, Inveraray Castle in Argyll has been the seat of the Duke of Argyll, chief of Clan Campbell.

The Campbells, like most Scots, are a mixture of races. The Campbells were historically a powerful family, and they were one of the leading families in Argyll and Perthshire from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The Chiefs of Clan Campbell have played important roles in Scottish government for over 450 years, beginning in 1457.

Many Campbells are descended from the Dalriadic O'Duibne clan, who were based in Lochawe in the 13th century. The Campbell family is also said to be descended from the Britonic Celts of Strathclyde, a group known as the "Romano British." The Britonic Celts came from the early "Kingdom of Strathclyde" in the northwestern part of Scotland.

Aberdeenshire and the county of Argyll are located in northeast Scotland, and it is in this county that the Cambell family came to have a seat of power. Argyll spans over 100 miles in length and slightly less in width, with inhabited islands and over 1000 miles of coastline.

CAMPBELL'S FIRST ANCESTORS

According to legend, the first of the Cambell ancestors (who were not called Cambell at the time) arrived in Argyll and married the heiress of the O'Duibne tribe, a lady named Eva, daughter of Paul a Sporran. They lived next to Lochawe.

The first occurrence of the name Cambel (as it was originally spelled) in surviving records was in 1263, when he owned land near Stirling. The first records for a Cambel in Argyll date from 1293 for Duncan Dubh, a landowner from Kintyre. Cambels in Lochawe have written records dating back to 1296, when Sir Cailein (Great Colin) of Lochawe was killed after being attacked by Clan Dougall.

The Cambels of Lochawe were well established in this area, and at the time, at least two other Cambels, Sir Thomas of Kintyre and Sir Duncan Dubh, owned land in Argyll.

CAMBELL'S NAME

Officially, the name Cambell was first used in Lochawe in 1445 in the titling of Lord Cambell. Sir Sir Cailein Mor Campbell's grandfather Dugald on Lochawe was nicknamed "Cam Beul" because he allegedly spoke out of one side of his mouth. Cam beul is Gaelic for curved mouth. Duncan was so adored by his family that they adopted his nickname as their own. It's an interesting 'coincidence' that the Earl of Orknet, who died in 1020, was also known as 'Einar Wry-Mouth'. Torticollis is a medical term that means "twisted neck." In Latin, "Tori" means "twisted" and "Collis" means "neck" or "wry neck." The head tilts to one side, and the chin and mouth turn to the opposite side, resulting in a 'Cam beul' or curved mouth.

The surname (family name) was originally spelled Cambel. It wasn't until Robert the Bruce's son King David ascended to the throne as King of Scots that the name was changed to Campbell. During his reign, King David brought with him a number of Norman knights in an attempt to introduce Norman efficiency through administration. The spelling of "Campbell" from "Cambel" was more likely the result of this than of Gaelic scribes attempting to write the Gaelic name.

Clan Campbell Places & People

Clan Campbell Individuals

Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (1836-1908)

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 was born in Glasgow to a future Lord Provost. He hyphenated his father's Campbell with his mother's Bannerman to inherit the fortune of a deceased uncle.

He attended Glasgow and Cambridge universities before serving as the liberal MP for Stirling for the rest of his life. Throughout his career, he held a variety of ministerial positions and was knighted in 1895. He was described as a tenacious fighter and supporter of the suffragette movement and Boer self-government.

His cabinet included Winston Churchill, Lloyd George, and Henry Herbert Asquith while he was Prime Minister, but due to deteriorating health, he had to resign from politics and died within a fortnight.

Sir Colin Campbell, Lord Clyde (1792-1863) - pictured top

According to legend, Colin MacIver adopted his mother's maiden name after the Duke of York advised him that Campbell was a good name for a soldier. Colin Campbell, the son of a Glasgow carpenter, rose through the ranks of the British Army to become Field Marshall in 1862.

He distinguished himself in China and the West Indies, India and the Crimea, where he led the Highland Brigade to victory in the Battle of Alma, and later with 'the Thin Red Line' at Balaclava, opposing the Russian Cavalry. His body is buried in Westminster Abbey, and he is remembered as a military titan of the British Empire in the mid-nineteenth century.

Sir Malcolm Brown Campbell (1848-1935)

The famous Malcolm Campbell grocery chain's founder has a rags to riches story. From his birth in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, to running errands for a greengrocer in Glasgow, he developed fruit and vegetable sales by attempting to bring products from around the world to the high street. He was the man responsible for making bananas available in Scotland. One of the keys to his success was his selection of railway stations as potential locations for his kiosks. In 1922, he was knighted for his achievements.

Angus Campbell (1903-82)

Born in the Isle of Lewis town of Ness and known as Am Puilean, Angus Campbell's poetry and writing drew on his experiences as a child and as a prisoner of war in Poland during WWII. 'Chaff & Wheat', a collection of his Gaelic poetry, was published in 1972. His autobiography 'Touching Many Headlands' was published the following year.

Clan Campbell Locations

The family home had been this stronghold castle that spanned an entire, small island on Loch Awe known as Innis Chonnell. The peaks of Cruachan Beann, the hills from which the Campbells took their war cry, rise behind it.

The ruins of the castle can still be seen among the trees on Innis Chonnell. It was the seat of Sir Colin Campbell, who was killed at the Battle of Red Ford, and it was the Campbells' first stronghold until it was abandoned in the 15th century.

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The 1st Earl of Argyll bought Glowm in Clackmannanshire (later renamed Castle Campbell), which became the Campbell's Lowlands seat from the 15th to the 19th centuries. The Earl's need for court attendance was met by the position of Glown (Castle Campbell).

The 1st Earl of Argyll was instrumental in destabilizing his long-time adversaries, the MacDonalds, Lords of the Isles.

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Inveraray has had a castle on these lands since at least the 15th century, and King James V visited it in 1533. The current Inveraray Castle was built between 1743 and 1746 to replace the old fortress. The castle's architectural style is Gothic Revival, and it is one of the world's earliest examples. Since the 18th century, Inveraray Castle has been the seat of the Campbell Dukes of Argyll, and it is now the home of the current chief, Torquhil Campbell, the 13th Duke of Argyll.

Clan Campbell Tartans

The Campbell tartan, also known as the ancient Black Watch, was allegedly appointed for the Highland Companies in 1725 and later for the Black Watch in 1739, but it is possible that it was worn by the Campbells earlier. When the first Highland companies were formed, soldiers were required to wear the same colors, but not necessarily the same sett. This would have later been standardised. Back in the Victorian era, there was a heated debate over whether the Black Watch or the Campbell came first, which has never been resolved.

The term 'ancient' refers to the dye shades, which are typically lighter, whereas'modern' refers to the use of darker dyes. The term 'weathered' refers to dyes that attempt to replicate a fragment of tartan allegedly discovered in the 1950s at a historic battle site.

Thread count B/24 K4 B4 B4 B4 K20 G24 K6 G24 K20 B24 K4 B/4

Campbell the Elder

Campbell Contemporary

Campbell had been through a lot.

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The dress Campbell tartan first appeared in 1880 in the Clans Originaux, a tartan pattern book published by the Parisian firm J Claude Freres et Cie. Despite the fact that the 12th Duke refused to accept it as an official Campbell tartan. The dress tartans are said to have been created because Queen Victoria thought tartans were too drab for women and so added a white background. Who knows? It's a nice story.

The term 'ancient' refers to the dye shades, which are typically lighter, whereas'modern' refers to the use of darker dyes.

Ancient Campbell Dress

Modern Campbell Dress

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In 1815, the Campbell of Argyll tartan was first documented in the Cockburn collection. However, the chief of Clan Campbell was not impressed by this tartan and stated, "Let me get rid of the notion that there is a 'Campbell of Argyll' [tartan] once and for all." While it is true that the Sixth Duke [of Argyll] added a white line to his plain Campbell tartan to distinguish himself from the rest of the Campbells (he being the chief and entitled to do so), he was the only member of the family to do so, and the rest of the family thought it was rather pompous.

The tartan is asymmetric.

Ancient Campbell of Argyll

Modern Campbell of Argyll

Weathered Campbell of Argyll

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The Campbell of Breadalbane tartan first appears in the Cockburn collection as 'Breadalbane' in 1810-1820. Sir William Cockburn gathered this tartan collection, which was one of the first. It could be older, as it is said to have been copied from a plaid owned by the Captain of Dunstaffnage at Dunstfanage around 1750.

The term 'ancient' refers to the dye shades, which are typically lighter, whereas'modern' refers to the use of darker dyes.

Threadcound K/6 B18 K18 G18 Y4 G18 K/18

Ancient Campbell of Breadalbane

Breadalbane Modern's Campbell

Clan Campbell Crest & Coats of Arms

Clan Campbell Coat of Arms

Worn by everyone with the same name and ancestry

Description of the Crest:

fessways erased on a boar's head Argent, armed Or, langued Gules

Coat of Arms of Clan Campbell

A word about Coats of Arms:

A coat of arms is granted to an individual under Scottish heraldic law (with the exception of civic or corporate arms). A 'family coat of arms' does not exist. With the exceptions noted above, the arms depicted below are personal arms. Only the person who has been granted these weapons has the right to use them.

Ian Campbell, 12th Duke of Argyll, arms

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THE EARL OF ARGYLE

Quarterly, the first and fourth gyronny of eight Or and Sable, the second and third Argent a galley oars in action Sable.

1672-7

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LOCHNELL CAMPBELL

Quarterly 1st and 4th gyronny Or and Sable Second, an Azure boar's head couped Or, third, an Argent galley oars in action Sable. Ordinary of Arms, second matriculation 1808; Campbell of Airds Armorial, third matriculation 2002.

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CAWDOR, EARL OF

Quarterly, Or a hart's head caboshed Sable attired Gules, 2nd Gyronny of eight Or and Sable, 3rd Argent a galley Sable, 4th Azure and Gules a cross Or. Second matriculation, Ordinary of Arms, 1722

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AIRDS OF CAMPBELL

Or and Sable quarterly first gyronny 2nd Or, a caboshed stag's head Sable attired Gules 3rd Argent, a galley with sails furled and oars in saltire Sable a fourth or a fess chequy Azure and Argent are surrounded by a Gules bordure. Volume II of the Ordinary of Arms, 1964

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ORMIDALE BURNLEY-CAMPBELL

Quarterly, the first and fourth gyronny of eight Ermine and Sable, the second and third Ermine on waves of the sea a ship in full sail Proper on a chief engrailed Azure a cornucopia between two bees volant also Proper. 1895 Ordinary of Arms

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BREADALBANE EARL

Quarterly 1st & 4th gyronny of eight Or and Sable 2nd Argent a galley (CAMPBELL OF GLENORCHY) Sable, a fess chequy Azure and Argent. 1672-7 Ordinary of Arms

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CAMPBELL OF ARDKINGLAS is a Scottish surname.

Ordinary of Arms, 1672-7, Gyronny of eight Sable and Or within a bordure Or.

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BALGIRSHO CAMPBELL

Gyronny of eight Ermine and Gules charged with eight crescents Argent within a bordure engrailed Gules. 1672-7 Ordinary of Arms

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UE Ian Murray CAMPBELL

Canada Quarterly, the first and fourth gyronny of eight Or and Sable, and the second Argent a lymphad Sable oars in use a third or a fess chequy Azure and Argent within a pale dexter bordure Vair sinister Argent, charged with three mullets Azure. Armorial Campbell of Airds, 1984

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INVERAWE CAMPBELL CAMPBELL

CAMPBELL OF AUCHENDARROCH represents them. Gyronny of Or and Sable within a wavy Azure bordure charged with six salmon naiant Proper. Volume II of the Ordinary of Arms, 1908.

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CAMPBELL, Diarmid Alexander

A martlet Argent in the fess point within a bordure wavy per pale Azure and Or charged with six salmon naiant Proper, Gyronny of eight Or and Sable. Armorial Campbell of Airds, 1974

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THE EARL OF LOUDOUN

Gyronny of Ermine and Gules. 1672-7 Ordinary of Arms

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CAMPBELL OF CROY, LORD

Gyronny of eight Or and Sable, two pheons points upwards Gules on a fess Ermine. 1980, Campbell of Airds Armorial

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CAMPBELL, Donald Draper

USA Gyronny of eight Or and Sable, the first charged with four ibis heads within an Azure bordure. Armorial Campbell of Airds, 1984

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CAMPBELL, Danny Byrd

USA Campbell of Airds Armorial, 1999. Gyronny of eight Or and Sable on a fess engrailed Argent charged with three piles emanating from the base Azure within a bordure engrailed Or.

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Emerson, Theodore CAMPBELL

USA On a fess Vert a crescent Argent between two garbs Or, a gyronny of eight Or and Sable. The Lord Lyon's Court, 2009

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MACKINNON-CAMPBELL, John

Quarterly, the first and fourth gyronny of eight Or and Sable on a canton Argent a pineapple Proper, the second and third Argent a buck chased by a greyhound Proper to the dexter over a field in base Vert within a bordure Azure. 1806 College of Arms

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CAMPBELL, Guy Edward Spencer

Quarterly, the first and fourth gyronny of eight Or and Sable, the second and third Argent goutty de poix on a fess engrailed three field towers. 1924 College of Arms

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Mitchell, Archibald CAMPBELL

Gyronny of eight Gules and Ermine on a chief Azure charged with a lymphad sail furled oars in action Sable with pennons flying of the first. 1957 College of Arms

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CAMPBELL, Brian Pierre De Villiers

A lymphad on argent Sable oars Or sail set flags and pennants flotant to dexter Gules all within a gyronny Or and Sable bordure. 1984, South African Bureau of Heraldry

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MLA Gordon Muir CAMPBELL

A fess wavy Argent charged with a bar gemel wavy Azure, Gyronny of eight Or and Gules. 2007 Canadian Heraldic Authority

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Campbell, Laura Dent

Bachelor of Arts degrees in Environmental Studies, Political Science, and Psychology are available.

Gyronny of eight Or and Sable, the first charged with four glossy ibis heads erased, the second within a bordure Azure charged with three fleur-de-Iys Or for distinction. Above the Shield is a Helmet befitting her degree, with a Mantling Sable doubled Or, and on a Wreath of the Liveries is set for Crest a glossy ibis Sable, with the Motto "IN HARMONY" in an Escrol over the same.

Lord Lyon issued an interlocutor to Lyon Clerk on September 30, 2013.

Laura is the daughter of Donald Draper Campbell, the Society's Delegate for North America. Look at that entry.

John Hamilton Gaylor designed the arms.

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LtCol USAFR (ret) George Willard Campbell, B.S.M.E., P.E.

Gyronny of eight arms Or and Sable, the first charged with four ibis heads erased, the second within a bordure An ibis Sable is the Azure Crest.

IN HARMONY is the motto.

Matriculated at the Lord Lyon's Court on February 20, 1984. Lyon Register, vol. 65, pp. 88-89

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Donald Draper Campbell, FSA Scot., B.S.E.E.

Arms: eight gyronny Or and Sable, the first charged with four ibises' heads erased of the second, within a bordure Azure.

The crest is an ibis Sable.

IN HARMONY is the motto.

Matriculated at the Lord Lyon's Court on February 20, 1984. Lyon Register, vol. 65, pp. 88-89

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Campbell, Thomes Walker Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hon)

Arms: a gyronny of eight Or and Sable, the first charged with four ibis' heads erased of the second, within a bordure Azure (borne during his father's lifetime debruised of a three point label Azure).

The crest is an ibis Sable.

IN HARMONY is the motto.

Matriculated at the Lord Lyon's Court on February 20, 1984. Lyon Register, vol. 65, pp. 88-89.

Donald Draper Campbell, the Society's North American delegate, is his father. Look at that entry.

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