The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-06-25 00:00:00

DEATH OF LORD CHANCELLOR CAMPBELL.

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We deeply regret to state that Lord Chancellor
Campbell died suddenly on Sunday morning last.
He was engaged in the Court of Chancery on Satur-
day, and postponed judgment. He also attended a
meeting of the Cabinet Council in the coulee of that
day, and entertained a party at dinner on Saturday
evening with that keen and hospitable enjoyment of
society which always distinguished him. At one
o'clock on Sunday morning his lordship bade his
daughter good night in the drawing-room, and
retired to rest in his accustomed health and spirits,
and passed away without giving an alarm. Shortly
' after 8 o'clock his lordship's butler, as was his cus-
tomary duty, entered his master's bedroom, and was
greatly alarmed to find his lordship seated in
a chair motionless, with his head thrown
back, and blood oozing from his mouth.
Medical aid was immediately in attendance, but be
had evidently been dead at least two hours. It is
believed that the cause of death was the rupture of
one of the great arteries in the region of the heart.
The lamented Right Hon. John Campbell, Lord
Campbell, Lord High Chancellor, was the second
and youngest son of the Rev. Dr. George Campbell
(fifty-four years minister of Cuparhwith Magdalena,
only daughter of Mr. John Hallyburton, of Fodder-
atte)'. Ile nat Springliehl, Cupar, in Sep.
truiloer, 177'), 81111 was mii,,..pieotly iii ilis '1•21i,1
year. The Lite Lord Chancellor was the descendant
of a cadet branch of the ducal house of Argyll.
Like the chief of the clan, his ancestors suffered
I greatly in estate by the civil wars. His father was
poor in worldly property, but was an eloquent
divine, and of more than average literary attain-
ments. The late lord Chancellor received the mai-
menta of his education at the grammar school of his
native town, and afterwards as a student at the Uni-
versity of St. Andrews, where the Rev. George
Hill, afterwards principal of St. Mary's College, was
his tutor. After taking the degree of Master of
Arts at this university, he decided to repair to Lon-
don to try his fortune at the English bar. In the
year he attained his majority he entered his name
among the students of Lincoln's-inn, and was called
to the bar in Michaelmas Term, 1606. While a
student of Lincolus-inn, with an honourable desire
of independence, he acted as one of the parliamen-
tary reporters on the Morning Chronicle newspaper.
' By indomitable perseverance and industry, after the
toil of years, he gained renown in his profeesion,
and before he obtained his "silk gown" was con-
sidered one of the best chamber counsel. He pub-
lished, early in his career, four volumes of "Nisi
Prins Reports." It was not until 1827 that he ob-
tained the long-sought for honour of being made a
' King's oounsel lie was tirstreturned to the House of
Commons for the borough of Stafford in 1830, and I
strenuously supported Parliamentary Reform, and
was again returned at the ensuing general election.
For the next Parliament, 1832, he obtained a seat
for Dudley, having been appointed Solicitor-General
by the Earl Grey in the place of the late Sir William
Horne. He sat for Dudley till he was made At-
tomey-Geueral in February, 1834, when he was
defeated bya large majority by Mr. Thomas Hawke&
In the May following he was elected for the city of
Edinburgh, and continued to represent that city in
the House of Commons up to June 1841, when he
wiui made Lord Chancellor of Ireland, by Viscount
Melbourne, an office he held only for a few months.
It was only a short time before he proceeded to
, Dublin that he made his great forensic speech for
the defendant in the celebrated case of Norton
r. Lord Melbourne. r in the return of the Whig party
to office in June, 1846. after Che resignation of the late
Sir Robert Peel, Lord Campbell joined the Cabinet,
and was appointed chancellor of the Duchy of
Lancaster in the stit,vevling month. In 1850 his
Lordship was appoioted Lord Chief Justice of the
, Queen's Bench, which became vacant on the death
of Lord Denman. 1! o held that high post until
Lord Pahnerston's session to the head of the
Government in 1859, m lien he selected Lord Camp-
bell to 611 the distirviished office of IlLord Chan- '
cellor—an appointment which gave general satisfac-
tion. The lamented ii ceased married Bth Septem-
ber, 1821, Miss Mary Ilizabeth, eldest daughter of
Sir James Sta. rlett (afterwards Lord Abinger), who
was created Baroness Stratheden in 1836, and died
about 15 months since. By her ladyship he leaves
issue three eons and four daughters, viz., William
Frederick Lord Strathetlen, the Hon. Hallyburton,
and Hon. Dudley Campbell ; the HOD. Louisa'
married to the Rev. W. S. White ; the Hon. Mary,
the Hon. Cecilia, and the Hon. Edina. Among
the latest of the noble and learned lord's literary
works, and of universal reputation, are his "Live.
of the Lord Chancellors of England," and of the
, " Chief Justices of England."