Visit reveals stories About Campbell Ships - Part 1

Ian’s great-great Grandfather, Colin Campbell was the favourite of his father’s housekeeper, Polly Killigrew. She was to marry one of the sailors on the many ships that used the port of Weymouth, Nova Scotia. In 1830, the town of Weymouth was quite prosperous with shipbuilding and lumbering being the major industries. Her sailor failed to return, but since there was no word on the ship Polly, there still was hope. However, the years rolled by and she waited faithfully, but nothing was ever heard of the ship or its crew.

Polly remained in the employ of Colin’s father and continued to look after the family until she died. She saved all her money and in her will, she left it all to the young Colin. This provided him with the seed money to go into shipbuilding and during his life he built about 20 ships, each of them named after members of his family. He also had oil paintings made of them, which hung in his home named “Beechwood.” There was only one ship that did not bear the Campbell name, and that was the “Harry Douglas,” as it was named after Colin’s eldest daughter’s son Harry Douglas Holyokel.

Ian’s earliest recollections of these ships was on his frequent visits to the old home in Weymouth. “My earliest recollections of these ships was on my frequent visits to the old house in Weymouth. By this time, all that was left were huge blocks and anchors in the old barn at the back of the house. I particularly remember a wooded figurehead of a Scotsman in full Highland Garb, which came from one of the ships. Over the years all of these things, including the paintings disappeared.”

On a trip to Saint John to see his good friend, Ken Clark, Ian was happy to see one of the Campbell Ship paintings on display in the New Brunswick Museum. Naturally, he admired it, and you can imagine a few weeks later, Ken presented him with a full-scale reproduction of this painting. He had taken a coloured slide and had it enlarged. That started a search that has lasted many years and to date has yielded six reproductions.

Ian Campbell writes, “The second painting was actually in my possession for about six hours after a cousin’s wife gave it to me, after he died. He asked to see that their proper member of the family receive it, and I knew it was to go to my cousin John, who picked it up shortly after I phoned him. He permitted it to be photographed and it was added to the collection.

“Ian says that my Aunt Lou had a fabulous memory, recalled something about a ship painting in the Moore family in Weymouth. When Arthur Moore came home to visit his mother and sure enough he had the original on glass of the John Campbell. Arrangements were made to have a print made on glass no less, of the John Campbell. Arrangements were made to have a professional job done. It was then enlarged and mounted in a frame, like a real oil painting. Each one of the reproductions cost about $250.”

Colin Campbell (1822 – 1881)

Honourable Colin Campbell MLA was a shipbuilder, merchant and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and cabinet minister for Nova Scotia. He was elected as a Liberal-Conservative to represent Digby County in the province’s Legislative Assembly from 1859 to 1867. During that time from 1860 to 1863 he was a cabinet minister in the cabinet of Premier Joseph Howe. From 1875 to 1878 he was a Cabinet Minister of Premier P.C. Hill.

He was a descendant of the Breadalbane branch of Clan Campbell and was born at Shelburne, NS, son of Colin Campbell and wife Maria (Taylor) Campbell, daughter of Colonel and Mrs. John Taylor of Shelburne. His paternal grandfather, Colin Campbell (1752- 1834), a United Empire Loyalist, was a Nova Scotia MLA who represented the riding of Shelburne. Colin married Phoebe Ann Seeley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Josiah G. Seeley of Saint John, New Brunswick.

They had 10 children; the eldest was George Douglas Campbell. Ian Murray Campbell of Cherry Hill, Donald George Campbell of Halifax, Graham Campbell of Truro are direct descendants of Hon. Colin Campbell. The Hon. Colin died on June 29, 1881 at Weymouth North, NS.