Earl of Breadalbane and Holland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Earldom of Breadalbane and Holland
Arms of the 6th Earl of Breadalbane, 1868 (Lyon Register, vol. 8, p. 13)
Creation date	13 August 1681
Monarch	Charles II
Peerage	Peerage of Scotland
First holder	John Campbell, 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland
Last holder	John Campbell, 10th Earl of Breadalbane and Holland
Present holder	Dormant
Remainder to	Heirs male of the son chosen to succeed him, failing which to the heirs male of his body, failing which to his own heirs male, failing which to his heirs whatsoever
Subsidiary titles	Lord Glenorchy, Benederaloch, Ormelie and Weick Viscount of Tay and Paintland
Former seat(s)	Taymouth Castle

Campbell of Breadalbane.

Kilchurn Castle, a historic home of the Earl of Breadalbane.

The Earl of Breadalbane and Holland is a special title in the Peerage of Scotland. A "peerage" is a system of noble ranks, like Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron. This title was created in 1681 for a man named Sir John Campbell. He was already the 5th Baronet of Glenorchy.

Sir John Campbell received this new title as a form of payment. He had previously been given the title of Earl of Caithness. However, after some disagreements and even a small battle, that title was taken away from him. It was given back to its original family in 1681.

How the Title Was Created

Sir John Campbell had bought the lands of George Sinclair, the 6th Earl of Caithness. This happened because George Sinclair had died in 1670 with many debts and no children. So, Sir John was made Earl of Caithness in 1673.

But another person, George Sinclair of Keiss, fought to get the Earldom back. After legal battles and even some fighting, he won. The title was taken from Campbell and given back to Sinclair in 1681.

To make up for this, King Charles II gave Sir John Campbell new titles on August 13, 1681. These were Lord Glenorchy, Benederaloch, Ormelie and Weick, Viscount of Tay and Paintland, and Earl of Breadalbane and Holland. The "Holland" part of the title came from his wife, Lady Mary Rich. She was the daughter of Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland.

The Glenorchy Family Line

The Earls of Breadalbane and Holland came from a branch of the famous Clan Campbell. Their family line started with Sir Colin Campbell, who lived in the 1400s. He was given lands like Glenorchy by his father. Sir Colin built Kilchurn Castle on Loch Awe in Argyll.

King James III made him a knight. The King also gave him land around Loch Tay. This was a reward for helping to bring order to the area. This land around Loch Tay became known as Breadalbane. This is how the family became connected to that region.

Sir Colin's great-grandson, Duncan Campbell, was known as "Black Duncan." He was an important figure in the Scottish Parliament. In 1625, he was made a baronet of Glenorchy. A baronet is a hereditary title, meaning it can be passed down in the family.

His grandson, Sir John Campbell, became the 5th Baronet. He was the same Sir John Campbell who was later created the 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland in 1681.

History of the Earls

The 1st Earl, Sir John Campbell, had an older son named Duncan. But Duncan was not chosen to inherit the titles because of his "incapacity." He died without children. So, the 1st Earl chose his younger son, John, to be his successor. This was allowed by the rules of the title's creation. John became the 2nd Earl when his father died in 1717.

The 2nd Earl was a Scottish Representative Peer in the House of Lords for many years. This meant he represented Scotland's nobility in the British Parliament.

His son, also named John, became the 3rd Earl. He was an important politician and ambassador. He had no sons who lived to inherit the title. So, when he died in 1782, the direct family line of the 1st Earl ended.

The title then passed to a relative, John Campbell, who became the 4th Earl. He was a high-ranking officer in the British Army. He also served as a Scottish Representative Peer. In 1806, he was given a new title, Baron Breadalbane, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This gave him a permanent seat in the House of Lords.

In 1831, he received even more honors. He was made Earl of Ormelie and Marquess of Breadalbane. A Marquess is a higher rank than an Earl. His only son, John, became the 2nd Marquess.

The 2nd Marquess was a politician. He held important positions in the royal household. He had no children. So, when he died in 1862, the UK titles of Baron Breadalbane, Earl of Ormelie, and Marquess of Breadalbane ended. The Scottish titles then passed to a distant relative, John Campbell, who became the 6th Earl.

The 6th Earl's son, Gavin, became the 7th Earl. He was also a Liberal politician. In 1873, he was made Baron Breadalbane again, which gave him a seat in the House of Lords. In 1885, he was made Earl of Ormelie and Marquess of Breadalbane once more.

However, Gavin Campbell had no children. So, when he died in 1922, these UK titles ended again. The Scottish titles then went to his nephew, Iain Campbell, who became the 8th Earl.

Iain, the 8th Earl, died at a young age in 1923, only a year after inheriting the title.

His relative, Charles Campbell, became the 9th Earl. Charles also served as a Scottish Representative Peer in the House of Lords. He was succeeded by his only son, John, the 10th Earl.

John, the 10th Earl, was injured while serving in the Second World War. He died without children in 1995. Since then, the titles have been "dormant." This means no one has officially proven their right to hold them.

Who Claims the Title Now?

Today, there are a few people who claim to be the rightful heir to the Earldom of Breadalbane and Holland.

• One claimant is Huba Campbell, who was born in Hungary in 1945. He is a distant cousin of the 10th Earl. He has asked the Lord Lyon (Scotland's chief heraldic officer) to recognize his claim.
• Another claimant is Sir Lachlan Campbell, the 6th Baronet. He is a descendant of the 1st Earl. However, his claim is complicated because one of his ancestors was not born within a marriage.
• The current official claimant to the title is Duncan Campbell of Canna. He is a direct descendant of Patric Campbell of Skiag.

Taymouth Castle

Taymouth Castle in Scotland was the main home of the Earls of Breadalbane and Holland for a long time. It was a very large castle. The 7th Earl sold it shortly after the end of the First World War in 1922.

The Scottish writer Fred Urquhart's father worked as a chauffeur for the Earl in the early 1900s. Urquhart's novel Palace of Green Days (1979) uses his childhood memories of this time.

Campbell Baronets, of Glenorchy (1625)

This is a list of the Baronets of Glenorchy before the Earldom was created:

• Sir Duncan Campbell, 1st Baronet (around 1550 – 1631)
• Sir Colin Campbell, 2nd Baronet (around 1577 – 1640)
• Sir Robert Campbell, 3rd Baronet (around 1580 – around 1650)
• Sir John Campbell, 4th Baronet (around 1615 – around 1670)
• Sir John Campbell, 5th Baronet (1635–1717) (He became the 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland in 1681)

Earls of Breadalbane and Holland (1681)

• John Campbell, 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1635–1717)
  • Duncan Campbell, Lord Ormelie (around 1660 – 1727)
• John Campbell, 2nd Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1662–1752)
• John Campbell, 3rd Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1692–1782)
  • Hon. Henry Campbell (around 1721 – 1727)
  • Hon. George Campbell (died 1744)
  • John Campbell, Lord Glenorchy (1738–1771)
• John Campbell, 4th Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1762–1834) (He was later made Marquess of Breadalbane in 1831)

Marquesses of Breadalbane; First Creation (1831)

• John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane (1762–1834)
• John Campbell, 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane (1796–1862)

Earls of Breadalbane and Holland (1681; Reverted)

• John Alexander Gavin Campbell, 6th Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1824–1871)
• Gavin Campbell, 7th Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1851–1922) (He was later made Marquess of Breadalbane in 1885)

Marquesses of Breadalbane; Second Creation (1885)

• Gavin Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane (1851–1922)

Earls of Breadalbane and Holland (1681; Reverted)

• Iain Edward Herbert Campbell, 8th Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1885–1923)
• Charles William Campbell, 9th Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1889–1959)
• John Romer Boreland Campbell, 10th Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1919–1995)

See also

• Earl of Caithness
• Earl of Holland
• Duke of Argyll
• Clan Campbell
• Carter-Campbell of Possil
• Campbell baronets