Facts of William Campbell
by Parley R. Campbell - great grandson of Wm.
The known facts we had to work with: William Campbell's marriage certificate listed his father as Robert, deceased; and also as a printer; his army enlistment record said he was born in Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland in 1834. In 1890, he wrote to his son Robert Lemuel Campbell from 44 St. John Street, Stranrear, Scotland stating that he was living alone and was a shoemaker. The purpose of his writing was to receive, if possible, the proceeds of a will that was given to his children, Robert, John and Wiliam.
The one who searched out the children was a representative of the White Sewing Machine Campany; however, on the return trip to the British Isles, this representative died enroute and nothing more was ever heard of the will.
We have sent for a birth certificate for William from Ayr, Ayrshire, and a death certificate for William from Stranrear but nothing was received. We searched the 1891 census but there was no William Campbell, shoemaker, however, at 44 St. John Street, Stranrear, a William Gamball, shoemaker, lived with his wife, a son, and a sister of his wife, her daughter and 2 children.
Robert Lemuel wrote to the postmaster in the 1920's asking for information about his father. The Postmaster said, "that the old gentleman shoemaker, William Campbell, died about 1900 or 1904 or 1906 at that address. We requested a death certificate for William Gamball, and one was received that said he died at 44 St. Joh Street in 1900. This information was given by his son, William, who was 12 years old.
During the 1930's over radio station KSL a notice was given asking for information on Robert, John and William, given by their brother William. Of course, they knew nothing about a brother William, so did not get in touch.
William Campbell was released from the Royal Artillery into which he had enlisted in February 1854 at Rutherglen, Scotland. He had been stationed on the Isle of Malta and the Isle of Sheppy then returned to England and discharged. He returned to the place where his wife had lived. At that time he had a wife and four children to take care of. He did not have a pension as the English Army quite often released their men before they were eligible to receive a pension. This practice saved the British money.
So William found himself a shoemaker without a clientele, or place of business, with a family of two adults and four children with another expected and nothing to feed them with, his little bairns crying for food. He appropriated 1/2 of a cows head to feed them and his attempt was rather clumsy so he was apprehended and sent to jail for 21 days. His family was still starving so they were sent to the workhouse (poorhouse). Upon the completion of his prison term he went back and tried to get his wife to go with him and leave the children there until they were sent for when he was able to pay for their keep. She would not go and leave them, so he did the next best thing he could, which was to disappear as he had no money to pay for their keep and he didn't want to be sent to prison again for the money he owed. Prisons in those days were not to be desired as they were a place for punishment. He was not seen or heard from until the knowledge of the will came in 1890.
We felt that William Gamball, shoemaker, and William Campbell shoemaker, were one and the same. William Campbell received mail there, at the same time Gamball was living at that address, according to the census. We felt this is an apt description of our William Campbell, in as much as he was led us on many false trails.
Upon searching the cemetery records in Stranrear, we found he (Gambell) did not have a headstone as nearly everyone else had, but he was buried by the county. William Campbell was trying very hard to receive the inheritance as he felt that it was rightfully his and not his children's. This shows that he was poor and died the same way.
(Further reading of William Campbell can be found in the life history of his son Robert Lemuel Campbell. William was married to Ruth Nicholls - mother of Robert - 16 March 1855 in Chatham, Kent, England)
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