Sir Archibald and Sir James Campbell

In the south transept of Westminster Abbey is the grave of Sir Archibald Campbell of Inverneil. He lies next to George Frederic Handel. The inscription reads:

Sir Archibald Campbell of Inverneil, Knight of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Major General of His Majesty's forces, Colonel of His Majesty's 74th (Highland) regiment of foot, Heretable Usher of the White Rod for Scotland, late Governor of Jamaica, afterwards Governor of Fort St George and Commander in Chief on the coast of Coromandel in the East Indies. Died 31 March 1791 in the 52nd year of his age.

Just above on the wall is white marble monument by Joseph Wilton, dated 1795. This consists of a sarcophagus on a plinth supported on lion-mask brackets, upon which is a figure of Fame (who once held a palm-branch) supporting a medallion portrait relief. Above is an achievement of arms. Below is a seated winged cherub with an extinguished torch and a wreath. The inscription reads:

Sacred to the memory of Major General Sir Archibald Campbell, Knt. of the Bath: M.P. Col. of the LXXIVth Highland regiment of foot: Hereditary Usher of the White Rod for Scotland: late Governor of Jamaica: Governor of Fort St George, and Commander in Chief of the forces on the coast of Coromandel in the East Indies. He died equally regretted & admired for his eminent civil & military services to his country: possessed of distinguished endowments of mind, dignified manners, inflexible integrity, unfeigned benevolence with every social and amiable virtue. He departed this life March XXXI. A.D. MDCCXCI aged LII. Alas piety, alas ancient faith and warlike virtue! When shall we have thy like

Below this is an added inscription for Sir James Campbell:

Here also lies the body of his nephew, Lt.General Sir James Campbell, Bart. [Baronet] G.C.H. and C.St F.M; who served during the whole of the last war in many distinguished situations; was commander of the forces in the Ionian Islands at the general peace of 1814; and died in London upon the 6th of June 1819, aged 54

Sir James was buried in the same grave as Sir Archibald but there is no inscription on this stone for him as there was no room for it.

Sir Archibald was born on 21st August 1739, a son of James Campbell, chamberlain to the duke of Argyll, and Elizabeth (Fisher). He was educated at Glasgow university and the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. In 1758 he was commissioned into the corps of engineers and served in France and the West Indies. He was seconded to the East India Company to organise forts. He bought an estate at Inverneil and was Member of Parliament for Stirling burghs. Later he raised the 71st regiment of highlanders and arrived in Boston harbour unaware that it had fallen to the Americans so he was imprisoned for a time. In 1779 he married Amelia Ramsay (daughter of painter Allan Ramsay) but they had no children. In 1780 he was appointed governor in Jamaica and was later governor of Madras but he died in London. Amelia was buried with him on 15 July 1813.

Sir James was the eldest son of Sir James Campbell of Inverneil in Argyll. He married on 3rd May 1794 Agnes Margaretta Hunter (daughter of the famous surgeon Dr John Hunter who was re-buried in the Abbey in 1859) but they had no children. They separated and he directed in his will that she should get nothing from his estate. He was aide de camp to Sir Archibald in India and later served in the Channel Islands, Ireland and the Mediterranean. He was made a Lt.General in 1813 and in the following year he was ordered to take the Ionian islands from the French. In 1818 he was created a baronet. He received the G.C.H. (Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Guelphs of Hanover).

Further reading for both men

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography - Sir Archibald Campbell

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography - Sir James Campbell