ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, who died at Kingston on December 16, 1780, in the
fifty-fourth year of his age, was the son of a divine of Edinburgh
of the same name. A classical scholar, he all his lifetime dabbled
in books; but he became purser of a man-of-war and led a wandering
and unsettled life. In 1745 William Falconer (author of the
“Shipwreck”), who was serving on the same ship, became his servant.
About 1760, on a long voyage, Campbell read the “Rambler,” and soon
afterwards at Pensacola wrote “Lexiphanes” and the “Sale of
Authors.” The former, a dialogue in imitation of Lucian, was
published in order to cast ridicule on Dr. Johnson’s style. Issued
anonymously in 1767, it was attributed by Sir John Hawkins to Dr.
Kenrick. It is not known when or why Campbell came to Jamaica.
RICHARD CARGILL, colonel of the St. Thomas Regiment of Foot Militia,
and member for that parish of the House of Assembly, died in 1781,
aged thirty-seven years. The first reference to the Cargill family
in Jamaica is to “one Cargill,” who is believed to have slain in a
duel Thomas, son of Colonel Peter Beckford, in 1731.
THOMAS HIGSON, a merchant of Kingston, who was born in 1773, succeeded
Macfadyen as island botanist and curator of the Gardens at Bath in
1828, which post he held till 1832. He presented to the garden a
collection of living plants collected by himself in South America.
He died in Kingston in 1836, in the sixty-fourth year of his age.
VICE-ADMIRAL BARTHOLOMEW SAMUEL ROWLEY was the second son of
Vice-Admiral Sir Joshua Rowley. He was commander-in-chief at Jamaica
from 1809 till 1811, when he died on October 7, aged forty-seven
years. He was buried in the churchyard. A monument to him is over
the west door.
REAR-ADMIRAL WILLIAM BROWN was a member of an old Leicestershire
family. He was made a lieutenant in the Navy in 1788, a commander in
1792, and was raised to post rank in the next year. In 1794 he
served in the Channel under Lord Howe. In 1805 he took part in the
engagement off Cape Finisterre. He missed being present at Trafalgar
by going home to give evidence at Calder’s court-martial. He was
afterwards commissioner of the dockyards at Malta and at Sheerness.
He attained flag rank in 1812. He was commander-in-chief at Jamaica
in 1813–14. He died on September 20 in the latter year, after an
illness of five days. He is buried in the churchyard.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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