Background
Campbell was the second son of Duncan Campbell of Whitestone, Kintyre. His mother Barbara was a daughter of Hector McAlester of Loup, Argyll.
Campbell was the second son of Duncan Campbell of Whitestone, Kintyre. His mother Barbara was a daughter of Hector McAlester of Loup, Argyll.
He was also an officer in the British Army. He was a major in 4th (Scots) Horse Guards in 1711, and a lieutenant colonel in 1712. He was promoted to brigadier-general in 1735, major-general in 1739, and Lieutenant-general in 1743.
He also served as gentleman of the buttery from 1721 until his death, and as Lieutenant-Governor of Portsmouth from 1733 to his death.
The county seat, whose patron was the county"s hereditary sheriff the Earl of Bute, was an alternating constituency with Caithness. At the 1727 general election it was the turn of Caithness to fill the seat, and Campbell filled a vacancy in the Elgin Burghs.
The Elgin Burghs were dominated by the Earls of Kintore and the Earls of Findlater. He therefore supported Argyll"s preferred candidate William Steuart, who was returned unopposed.
However, Steuart was also returned for the Ayr Burghs, for which he chose to sit.
At the resulting by-election in March 1728, Campbell was returned unopposed. At the 1734 election, Campell was again returned unopposed for Buteshire. He held the seat until the 1741 general election.
6th of Great Britain. 7th of Great Britain. 8th of Great Britain
His family were supporters of the 2nd Duke of Argyll, who organised his unopposed return in 1722 as the Member of (Member of Parliament) for Buteshire.