John Campbell, 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland
John Campbell, 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1636–1717), was a powerful Scottish nobleman and skilled politician. Known as "Slippery John," he played a leading role in the era’s great events, including the Glorious Revolution, the Jacobite risings, and the Massacre of Glencoe.
He was the eldest son of Sir John Campbell of Glenorchy and Lady Mary Graham. He entered politics early and sat in the Scottish Parliament for Argyllshire from 1669 to 1674. Through clever land and marriage alliances, he rose quickly in power. In 1672 he became the chief creditor to the 6th Earl of Caithness, and after the Earl’s death he acquired the Caithness lands. In 1681 he was made Earl of Breadalbane and Holland, with other titles, and received the unusual right to nominate his heir from his first wife’s sons. He also joined the Scottish privy council in 1685.
Although publicly Presbyterian, Breadalbane supported the government of the Duke of Lauderdale in the late 1670s and wielded great influence in Scotland, second only to his nephew, the Duke of Argyll. William III needed his help to keep peace in the Highlands. He initially engaged with Jacobite circles but, after the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689, he helped the government, was entrusted with funds to secure clan submission, and at times acted in concert with the crown.
In 1691 he met Jacobite leaders and encouraged them to delay hostilities, using threats and promises to influence their actions. His involvement in Highland politics and the Glencoe massacre led to suspicions that he benefited from secret dealings, and in 1692 he was briefly imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle. He was released when it was clear he was acting with the king’s knowledge.
Breadalbane invested in the Darien scheme, joining the Company of Scotland in 1696, though he was slow to meet his financial obligations. He did not vote for the 1707 Union, but he served as a representative peer in the Parliament of Great Britain from 1713 to 1715. During the 1715 Jacobite rising, he claimed age and infirmity to avoid summons, yet he visited Jacobite camps; it was alleged he provided funds to raise men but sent far fewer than promised. He died on 19 March 1717.
Family matters shaped his fortunes. He first married Mary Rich, with whom he had two sons, including John Campbell, who became the 2nd Earl of Breadalbane and Holland. After Mary Rich’s death, he married Mary Campbell, widow of the 6th Earl of Caithness, with whom he had another son. He also had an illegitimate daughter, Mary Campbell.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:17 (CET).