The Troubled Laird – Angus Campbell
The Troubled Laird is the biography of Duncan MacIver Campbell, who lived at Asknish House, Lochgair, from the late 1830s until his death in 1881.
He led an interesting life, from his birth in Kilrush, County Clare, until he inherited the Asknish Estate and became head of the ancient Asknish MacIver Campbell family.
Author Angus Campbell said: ‘I started to trace my family tree about 10 years ago, primarily to find out about my grandfather who was killed in the First World War and named on the Lochgair war memorial along with his twin. I am named after my grandfather.
‘When I found out who his mother was and found her marriage and death certificates, Duncan was named as her father, although not on her birth certificate. He is therefore my great, great grandfather. I had never heard of Duncan until I saw these certificates, and his story is really fascinating as is his whole family background.’ Duncan had an eventful personal life, marrying twice without issue, but between those marriages he would conduct a relationship of some years standing with one of his domestic servants, resulting in the birth of three illegitimate children, two daughters and a son – his only descendants.
As well as his troubled personal life, he had a number of acrimonious disputes which would cause him anxiety and bouts of depression throughout a substantial part of his life.
His long life was divided almost equally between the west coast of Ireland in the town of Kilrush, County Clare, and on the west coast of Scotland at Lochgair. His father, James Paterson, had an eye for business and began exporting oats and farm produce at a time Great Britain needed all the produce it could get as so many of its men were serving in the army and navy, with the threat of invasion by Napoleon.
The book is available in ebook format and paperback.