Proof that Rev John Campbell who died 25 May 1761 is not the same person as Capt./Major/Col. John Campbell of Shanktown who died 30 Nov 1709

There are some who believe that John of Shankton is the same person as Rev John. This is based on conjecture in a letter dated 16 Jan 1876 by a great grandson of the brother of Rev John Campbell of Riccarton (who coincidentally died the same year as our Rev John). In that letter (History of Oxford pg 781-2) he says:

"I believe your ancestor to have been Colonel John Campbell of Shankston. If, however, this is the case he must have been more than 71 years of age at the time of his death I should suppose, and this is not improbable as the family is very long lived. My reason for believing in this identity is the disappearance of said John Campbell from a family history where the minutest details of all the other members are chronicled. I believe he must have got into political troubles and have been obliged to fly the country. The visit of the Earl Loudoun (his nephew?), a proud and austere man who was unlikely to have visited a private individual merely because his name was Campbell, would thus also be accounted for. But the most cogent reason of all is that Sir John Campbell of Lawers (afterwards 1st Earl of Loudoun had only two descendants named John, viz John 4th Earl of Loudoun and John Campbell of Shankston. ... If your ancestor was John Campbell of Shankston his heirs of line can claim the Earldom of Loudoun and all the baronies granted in 1633 to Sir John of Lawers, but the estates are 'proscribe' i.e. having been held without challenge for upwards of 40 years the right of the present possessor can no longer be disputed.

A fellow Campbell researcher found a contemporaneous account of the death of John of Shankstown, that one and for all eliminates the possibility of the two men being the same person.

A soldier, John Scot, tells his "Remembrance" of "the progress of a Regiment" 1701-1711, and tells it in verse. It starts on pg 307/347 of this book:
http://archive.org/details/papersillustrat00ferggoog Papers illustrating the history of the Scots brigade in the service of the United Netherlands, 1572-1782 - volume 38
Author: Ferguson, James, 1857-1917, ed; Scot, John, soldier
Publisher: Edinburgh, Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society 1901. The page numbers are shown in the format 311/347. The first is the actual page number in the book. The second number is the image page if you are looking at it in the PDF format.

===============
The "Dedicatorie"  311/347
John Scot addresses "the Right Noble worthy and Honorable, Major John Campbell, Major of Cornall Heyburns Regiment lying at present in the Citydalle of Liel: May, 1709". He says he has finished the "enseuing progress of war", which "your honor will upon revieue find to be a true acount of the present war in Braban, Lukeland and Flanders, and a brief and true acount of the progress, marching, and quartering of the Regiment wherof your honor is now the Major". He also says that the account starts in 1701 and continues on to the present time (May 1709). He refers to " the most noble and honorable Earle of Loudoun, your father" and "the present noble Earle of Loudoun, your brother" .  He reminds Major John that he first enlisted in "your honors company" about the  first day of May 1701  in the dwelling house of George Loudoun, Bailey in Newmiles. That "I took your word of honor" ... " and I will be bold yet to ask, whoes word of honor was it I took, was it not Captan John Campbells, whom I knew to be the second son of the diseast James Earl of Loudoun, and who was very young made the Laird of Shankston, and who had raised a company of men, and been a Captan for some years, in Cornal Douglass regiment, in Scotland, and who was then listed a Captan in this regiment, and who hes now been some years Major, whom I have now served eight years..."

That establishes that John was the 2nd son of the deceased James Earl of Loudoun, that he (John) had been a Captain, and was now (1709) a Major (he later became a Colonel). Also, that the present Earl is Capt/Major John's brother. (Links below go to that persons genealogy page).

We know from Burke's Peerage that James Campbell (2nd Earl of Loudoun) died in 1661/62 and that he had three sons:
Hugh Campbell (3rd Earl of Loudoun)
John Campbell (of Shanktown)
James Campbell (Sir James of Lawers)

Hugh Campbell, the 3rd Earl  was the Earl during this time period. (His son General John became the 4th Earl. It was General John to whom Rev John addressed his letter).

===============

Back to the Remembrance
314/350

"To the right Worthy and Honorable James Campbell, youngest son to the Noble Earle of Loudoun. And now Lieutenant Comal to the regiment of Dragowns, Comanded by the Noble Earlie of Stairs."

This James is Sir James of Lawers, the "Noble Earle" referring to the 2nd Earl, vs the current Earl.

317/353

Two new companies ordained into regiment with 2 captains: Capt Ogilvie and Capt John Campbell (footnote 2)

Footnote 2) See vol. ii. p. 28. Colonel of Tullibardine's regiment after Malplaquet, but dead by March 28th, 1710. John Campbell of Shankston, second son of James, second Earl of Loudoun. His younger brother, Sir James Campbell of Lawers, K. B., also served in the regiment, became Iieut. colonel of the Scots Greys, distioguishing himself as such at Malplaquet, and colonel, 1717. Received the Order of the Bath for services at Dettingen, and was mortally wounded at Fontenoy in 1745. Sir James's son succeeded as fifth Earl of Loudon.

From vol. ii. p. 28 http://www26.us.archive.org/details/papersillustrati35ferg
John Campbell, major September 6th, 1706. Colonel in succession to Lord Tullibardine in 1709. Dead and succeeded by Sir James Wood from March 28th, 1710.

494/530
And Major Campbell (footnote 2) ... Received a grivious wounde

Footnote 2) Campbell, though promoted to the command of Tullibardine's regiment, died in a few months. His name has thus been omitted from the list in vol. i. p. xxxv, probably owing to his having died before final confirmation by the States.

496/532

Sir James Campbell (2)
Footnote 2) Brother of Major Campbell, and one of the officers to whom this book is dedicated.

507/543 (15 Nov 1709, after the date of the "Dedication")
Captan Litster was our regiments comander, Under our Major Campbell

509/545 (1 Dec 1709)
Major John Campbell was established Comall, Of the Lord Tillibairens regiment.

510/546 (description of his decline from wounds)
And both the regiments behoved to submite,
AI winter to lye in Leile.
Bot Cornal Campbell being wounded so ille,
And very weak of bodie.
And from the bed was not able to risse,
And death aproached him nie.
Tho stille Officers of both the regiments,
Sent leters unto him by possts.
And al his doctours and onewaiters,
Spent large enough on his cossts.
Being used to travell he did take the graven,
Which grived him very sore.
And the gravell ston increased still one,
His pain increased still more.
No passage of urine he got a long time,
By lay in sad agonie.
His wound did not heal bot putrayed still,
Untill the day he did die.
His arm broken so near his body,
It could not be taken away.
Bot plaister after plaister aplied theretill,
And he by degrees did decaye.
It was no marvell for of his gravell,
Remidie there could be got none.
Tho some said ever that he would recover,
Til al his lifetime was gone.
Ful earnestlie to God prayed he,
For to forgive al his sin.
His cruel rassh swearing he could not forbear,
Was then a griffe unto him.

511/547
He lay a long time in trouble extreame,
On death he often did thinke.
AI earthly things was usseleas to him,
Bot some litle cordial drink.
The day and hour apointed are sure,
When every man be must die,
None can gainstand when he comands,
Nor change Gods blessed decree.
Upon the last night of the moneth November, (1709)
Cornall John Campbell did die.
And al his friends did sadly lament,
Who did it bear of or see.
Sbortlie after this along with the posst,
A leter was sent up to Leile.
Which gave at length the acount of his death,
Our Officers then knew it weele.
All his country men who weel did him keen,
Lamented right sadly indeed.
Especialie them who long time with him,
Had served and goten their bread.
A leter was sent away in all baiste,
His brother James to informe.
Who at Roterdam was found at the time,
Having busines for to performe.
For grieff of heart for sorow and smart
The noble man wu confussed.
For his dear brother who be loved weell,
For al the means could be ussed.
He was then dead no other remeade,
To death submitt al we must.
For in short time death shal bring doun,
And equal al with the dust.
As men do come in Gods oun time,
To the world both naked and bare,
So in like maner must they return,
As Divine Scripture declare.
Death makes separation of every relation,
None togither in world can stay.
Nothing we brought in the world with us,
And nothing we cary away.
It is vain for us mortal men,
To freet repine or to mume.
Since God at first made man of the dust,
And to dust ahal he return.
Since Adam first did sin commit,
There bath died many a man.
The strong nor wise can not gainstand,
Withal the art they can.

512/548
Comanders of our armies all,
Within short time must die.
No strength of hand can death gainstand,
The swiftest eanot flee.
Therfore let us with patience, :
To God submit our eaase.
And chierfulie let's live or die,
In Gods apointed place.
Desireing God of his free grace,
To bring us to his Glore.
Where we shal happie be and blisst,
And live for evermore.
All worldly prefferments shal ceasse,
Within a few years space.
For death doth come on every man,
Lieutenant Cornal Campbell sent a leter, (this is Sir James of Lawers)
And the charge of the funerall.
To my Lord Cumberland his oun sister son, (1)
He entirely comited it all.
This Scots nobleman my Lord Boearus son,
He was then in Brissels toun.
And for the death of his dear Uncle,
The tears they came trinceling doun.
He was a Captan in the Royall regiment,
A pretie young man and a tall.
And unto him it did then belonge,
All the charge of that funerall.
Cornall John Campbell they did enbouelle,
And took his entrails all out.
And al his friends gathered in the room

Footnote 1) Lord Cumberland's mother was a daughter of the second Earl of Roxburgbe. Douglas's Peerage Vol. i. p. 171.

I couldn't find that volume online. Sir William Drummond, later Sir William Ker, 2nd Earl of Roxburghe, died 2 July 1675 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ker,_2nd_Earl_of_Roxburghe. I couldn't figure out daughter's name and Lord Cumberland's name.

index 583/619

--sir James, of Lawers, 317, n 393 and n 496 and, 511, 545; letter to, from the author of the Remembrance 314

--major John, xviii, 317 and n, 318, 384, 386, 393, 399, 438, 463; dedication of the Remembrance to, 311; promoted to be colonel, 509; death of, 494 and n, 510-511 ; his burial, 513.