Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argyll facts for kids

Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argyll (born around 1575, died 1638), was an important Scottish nobleman. He was also a leader in government and a military commander. People sometimes called him "Gillesbuig Grumach", which means "Archibald the Grim" in Gaelic.

Life of Archibald Campbell

Archibald Campbell was the son of Colin Campbell, 6th Earl of Argyll and Agnes Keith. His nickname, "Archibald the Grim," might have come from his first wife's family. One of her ancestors from the 1300s was also called "Archibald the Grim."

Early Military Role

In 1594, King James VI gave Archibald Campbell special permission. He was allowed to fight against two Catholic noblemen, Earl of Huntly and Earl of Erroll. Archibald led the king's soldiers at the Battle of Glenlivet on October 3, 1594. However, his forces were defeated by the rebel earls and their supporters.

Life at Court

After the Union of Crowns in 1603, Scotland and England became united under one king. Archibald Campbell traveled with Queen Anne of Denmark to Windsor Castle in England. During this trip, he had a disagreement with the Earl of Sussex. Other important noblemen had to step in and tell everyone to stop their private arguments.

In 1610, Archibald had another argument about who should sit in the most important seat. This happened at a dinner hosted by Lady Hatton. He argued with the Earl of Pembroke about his wife's seating order. King James told Archibald to let Pembroke have the better seat until Parliament could decide the issue.

Later Years and Conversion

By 1619, Archibald Campbell gave control of his lands and wealth to his son, Archibald Campbell. In 1624, he was made a Knight of the Golden Fleece. This was a very important award.

He announced that he had changed his religion to Catholicism while he was in the Netherlands. Because of this, he was declared a traitor in Edinburgh in 1619. He was also banned from Scotland. Even after he was allowed to return in 1621, he remained very dedicated to his new religion. He wanted to help with military plans in Ireland in 1622. However, he could not gather an army.

Archibald and his wife returned to Britain and lived in London. He had given up almost everything except his title to his son. In 1636, he was accused of not following the official church rules. He died in 1638 and was buried at Kilmun Parish Church.

Family

On July 24, 1592, Archibald Campbell married his first wife, Lady Agnes Douglas. She was the youngest daughter of the Earl of Morton. Their wedding took place at Dalkeith Palace. Some very important people had tried to convince Archibald to marry Marie Stewart. She was the sister of the king's favorite, the Duke of Lennox. The day after his wedding, Archibald rode quickly to Falkland Palace. He went to help King James VI, who was being threatened by the Earl of Bothwell.

Archibald and Agnes Douglas had at least five children, including:

• Annabel Campbell (died 1652), who married Robert Kerr, 2nd Earl of Lothian
• Anne Campbell (died 1638), who married George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly
• Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll (1607-1661), who married Margaret Douglas (1610–1678)
• Jane Campbell (died 1675) became Viscountess Kenmure

After his first wife died in 1607 or 1608, Archibald thought about marrying Jean Drummond. She was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne of Denmark. Instead, in 1608, he married Anne (Cornwallis). They had at least four more children together. In 1618, Archibald Campbell changed his religion to Roman Catholicism. This was the religion of his new wife. In August 1618, she was in Spa in Belgium. She then traveled to Brussels in her coach.