Letters of Rear-Admiral Colin Campbell (1787-1851), mainly 1805-1806, and some other family letters. The principal items are Campbell's letters to his father, Walter Campbell of Shawfield and Islay (1741-1816), when Master's Mate in the 'Defiance' (74 guns, Captain Philip Durham), giving his accounts of the ship's part in Sir Robert Calder's action off Cape Finisterre in July 1805 (dated 11 August 1805, off Cape Ortegal) and at the Battle of Trafalgar. The latter, dated from Spithead, 3 December 1805, was published by David Baird Smith in the 'Scottish Historical Review', vol 20, (1923), pp. 116-21 as 'The Defiance at Trafalgar', from a slightly imperfect typed transcript supplied by Admiral Sir Henry Hervey Campbell (Colin's grandson). Other items include: a highly complimentary note from Sir George Buchan Hepburn Bt (26 January 1806) returning these letters to Walter Campbell after being lent them to read; another from John Clerk of Eldin (also 1806) to 'Mr Russell' expressing similar thanks and returning copies that he had also been shown; an unrelated family letter by one of Colin Campbell's sisters (Mrs Robinson), and a contemporary dated list of Colin Campbell's naval service from his entry into the 'Anson' as an 'AB & Mid'on 18 August 1799 to giving up command of the brig 'Freya' as a Commander on 3 April 1812 on rising to half-pay captain. He became a retired rear-admiral in October 1846. The group also includes a 19th-century MS transcript of the Trafalgar letter and typed transcripts of all the significant items. (The 1923 SHS publication was from a different one, made by A.W.G. Symonds, 'writer' to then Captain H.H. Campbell on the battleship 'Hindustan' for sending to George V - of whom Campbell was a former shipmate and friend - as of Trafalgar interest, just after HRH Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, joined the ship as a midshipman for training purposes on 7 August 1911: Symonds was allowed to keep a copy, of which a 1969 photocopy was brought to NMM notice in 2012).

Administrative / biographical background
The last owner, Admiral Sir Henry Hervey Campbell, was a lifelong bachelor (i.e no children): on his death in 1933 his estate was divided between 14 beneficiaries of his will.