Ardtaraig

an intellect not only clear, but clearer than that of most people. Another daughter married Alexander MacDougall, Esq., Lettermay, and had issue; and yet another married Donald MacDougall, Esq., Greenock, and also left issue. Grandpapa’s other sister, Elizabeth, Mrs Campbell, Kildalvin (for whom my mother was named), died childless.
Grandpapa also enjoyed some lifelong friendships, including a remarkable one with the then Lamont of Ardlamont, said to be almost romantic in its warmth and duration. Moreover, he kept up a considerable amount of correspondence with friends, both at home and abroad, a thing by no means easily done in those days, when steam and stamps were alike undreamt of. Napoleon Bonaparte, about this time, scared our country with threats of invasion, and volunteers mustered in numbers. Our Gran. was foremost in his zeal, and proved himself a most painstaking officer, being, it goes without saying, much beloved by his men. In short, George Campbell, Ardtarig (imperfectly as I have portrayed him), in his day, and amongst his compeers, possessed no slight influence, and held his place, beloved and honoured to the last. I may seem to be insisting overmuch upon this, but in the face of the manifold changes which have taken place, and the distance in point of time between then and now, I cannot well do otherwise, for there seems so little to show for all I say. A hundred years back is farther away to-day than thrice that number of years would have been a century ago. I am as if trying to build a bridge across a space over which my arch is hardly fit to span, and smile sadly to myself when I feel what a difficult thing a pure labour of love may be!
Now, as regards grandmamma and her forebears, they were Ayrshire Campbells, not related to Argyllshire in the very least degree, except, in her case, by the accident of birth, she having seen the light at Glencroe, in Argyll. They were a branch of the Minto family – at least I have been told so on pretty good authority – but I for one do not seem to come so close to grandmamma’s side of the house as I do to Gran’s. I cannot give a reason, unless it may be because he seemed to have set the hall-mark of his personality on all his children, so to speak. In appearance they all “took” after their father – they were stout, broad-chested, large, every one of them; somewhat over the middle size, with two exceptions, Aunt Maggie and Uncle John, who were rather under it; hair light brown, eyes bluish grey, with large pupils, which made them at times look dark; features regular, nose rather aquiline, and complexion clear. This was the family cast. In manner they were for the most part frank, but with an underlying reserve, and certainly no lack of brains; indeed, several of them were exceptionally able, while good conversational powers and a dash of humour made them all most agreeable companions. Prudence and sagacity were conspicuous qualities, and the reserve I have alluded to was a trait which came decidedly from the mother’s side: that, and a certain energy, inherited from the same quarter, fortunately for the family, considerably tempered the Celtic indolence. Here and there other traces of the mother were undoubtedly present, but in physique not one of the whole number was like her out and out, least of all, my own dear mother. It was this strain of energy and decision that made the daughters of Ardtarig the practical, capable women they all were.
Grandmamma’s tree, so far as I have been able to climb it, has on its topmost bough the name of William Campbell, of Whitehill, Esq.; next comes his son, John Campbell, in Straid; then William Campbell, of Penclove; and his son, John Campbell, Lagwine. This John Campbell, Lagwine, married Barbara Hare, descended from Ivie Hare of Rankineston, and was grandmamma’s paternal grandfather. He had a large business connection with Argyllshire, and was the first introducer of sheep and sheep-farming into Cowal, a large and beautiful district of the shire admirably adapted for the purpose, and it ultimately became a source of increased prosperity to all concerned. He was gratefully remembered in the Highlands for many a day, and at social gatherings his memory was often drunk in solemn silence, long after he had passed away. His son, Andrew Campbell, Ballimore, was grandmamma’s father. He married Catherine M’Crotchert, a wild Irish girl, but of good family, whose grandparents, Mr. and Mrs M’Crotchert, lived in Ayr – “the auld toon o’ Ayr,” in the land of Burns and his glowing vernacular. I may say in passing that there was no “broad Scotch” spoken in the shire of Argyll, even in these primitive days. Its English was as pure as its Gaelic, and that is saying not a little. The people of the Highlands spoke English as an acquired language, carefully, and for the most part, correctly; the slips