Margaret Campbell d.1722

Margaret CAMPBELL d.1722

Biographical Note

She was the second daughter of Sir George Campbell of Cessnock, Ayrshire and Lady Anna McMurran, heir of a Fife estate. The family were staunch Presbyterians. On 29 July 1697 she married Alexander Hume, second earl of Marchmont (1675–1740), the third and eldest surviving son of Sir Patrick Hume (1641–1724) of Polwarth. Thereafter, Alexander added the name “Campbell” to his own, and via Margaret, inherited the estates and titles of her Father in 1704. They had four daughter and four sons together.

Books

Due to the dispersal of the Hume-Campbell library, the full extent of Margaret’s library is unknown. Books which have been identified as hers are devotional, and written by Presbyterian ministers. An example this is her copy of the nonconformist John Bunyan’s autobiographical work Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (Glasgow, 1697)(NLS Ferg.26). She also owned and annotated a copy of David's Testament Opened up in Fourty Sermons (Edinburgh, 1698) by the Scottish minister Alexander Wedderburn (d.1678) which is inscribed "red dec[embe]r 29 1700; read nov 25, 1704" on the last page page (Folger 252- 722q). The end paper also has an inscription, which lists books recommended within the text for accepting the offer of the Covenant with God. Margaret owned at least one of the recommended texts, Therapeutica Sacra (Edinburgh, 1697) by the zealous Presbyterian minister David Dickson (1583-1663) (Huntington 377665). Another book identified as owned by Margaret is Thomas Gouge’s The Young Man’s Guide through the Wilderness of the World to the Heavenly Canaan (London, 1696), which warns men against vices such as drunkenness and swearing. The book is inscribed by Margaret as bought on “march 12th 1698 price 10 pence.”

Margaret’s books remained within the Hugh-Campbell library, which was inherited by her son Hugh Hume Campbell (1708-1794), 3rd Earl of Marchmont. Part of the library, allegedly only containing the books of her husband but clearly containing books belonging to other family members, was sold in 1761 at auction in London. In 1784, Hugh had the remaining family library moved from Scotland to his residence at Hemel Hempstead. Hugh left no surviving male heir, and bequeathed the entire library to George Rose (1744–1818), the executor of his estate. These were subsequently sold at auction in 1910 and 1912, after being sold in 1851 to Lord Polwarth, Hugh Scott of Harden. For the full explanation of the library’s dispersal, see Patrick Hume 1641-1724.

Characteristic Markings

Her books are inscribed “Margaret Campbell” or “this book belonges to me margaret Campbell.” They often have the bookplate of her father in law Patrick, or her husband Alexander.

Inscription of Margaret Campbell (Folger 252- 722q)

Sources

• A catalogue of the entire and valuable library of the Hon. Alexander Hume Campbell, ... to be sold by auction, by Samuel Baker, ... on Monday the 13th of April... [London, 1761] [Note: this catalogue was not consulted during the research of this entry]
• Van Elk, Martine. "Thomas Gouge, The Young Man’s Guide (1696)" Early Modern Female Book Ownership
• Greaves, R. Campbell, Sir George, of Cessnock (fl. 1671–1704), conspirator. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
• Rose, George Henry. Selection from the papers of the Earls of Marchmont, in the possession of the Right Hon. Sir George Henry Rose London ; J. Murray, 1831. In 3 volumes.