Campbell, Colin

  • DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN BIOGRAPHY ARTICLE: Charles A. Armour, “CAMPBELL, COLIN (1822-81),” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 11, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/campbell_colin_1822_81_11E.html
  • DCB profile notes:
    • Merchant, shipbuilder, shipowner, and politician; b. 7 Aug. 1822 at Shelburne, N.S., son of Colin Campbell and Maria Taylor; m. 9 Dec. 1845 Phoebe Ann Seely of Saint John, N.B., and they had ten children; d. 25 June 1881 at Weymouth, N.S.
    • Colin Campbell’s grandfather, also named Colin Campbell, immigrated to New York from Scotland in 1776 and moved to Shelburne, N.S., with other loyalists in 1783. The family moved to Weymouth shortly after Colin’s birth in 1822, and he was educated there and at Digby, N.S. In the early 1840s he established himself as a merchant with a general store in Weymouth and also became a shipowner.
    • The first vessel built in the Campbell yard was the Colin Campbell, a brig of 169 tons launched in July 1854. In 1857 Campbell built the Douglas, a 110-ton brigantine, and in 1859 the Charlotte, a 71-ton schooner. He launched his first barque, the Helen Campbell, 274 tons, in August 1860. After 1860 both the number and the size of his vessels steadily increased. His first large barques were the 599-ton Susan L. Campbell, launched in July 1863, and the 664-ton Minnie Campbell, launched in November 1865. Over the next ten years six more barques and a brigantine were added to the Campbell fleet. These vessels averaged 688 tons, the largest being the Agnes Campbell built in 1870 at a cost of $29,559, the Harriet Campbell in 1873 at $30,872, and a second Susan L. Campbell in 1875 at $34,336. Three more large barques were added to the Campbell fleet in the late 1870s: the Douglas Campbell, 875 tons, the 1,112-ton Harry Campbell, and the 1,132-ton Campbell, the largest and the last of the Campbell vessels, built in 1879.
    • Campbell also had an active political career, serving in the House of Assembly as the member from Digby County from 1859 to 1867 and as a member of the Executive Council from 30 Nov. 1860 until 5 June 1863 in the government of Joseph Howe. Again from 19 June 1875 until 15 Oct. 1878 he was a member without portfolio in the Executive Council of Philip Carteret Hill. During his time in the assembly Campbell supported railway construction, free schools, and Nova Scotia’s entry into confederation.
  • Grandson of Loyalist listed in Loyalist Directory –https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=1201
  • Find a GRAVE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188100268/colin-campbell