Agnes Campbell, Lady Roseburn (1637 — 24 July 1716), Scottish businesswoman, was "Scotland's wealthiest

early modern The early modern period is a Periodization, historical period that is defined either as part of or as immediately preceding the modern period, with divisions based primarily on the history of Europe and the broader concept of modernity. There i ...

printer Printer may refer to: Technology * Printer (publishing), a person * Printer (computing), a hardware device * Optical printer for motion picture films People * Nariman Printer (fl. c. 1940), Indian journalist and activist * James Printer (1640 ...

Early life

Agnes Campbell was the daughter of Isobel Orr and James Campbell. Her father was a merchant in

Edinburgh, Scotland Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. She was baptised on 1 September 1637.Jane Rendall
"Agnes Campbell (Lady Roseburn)"
in Elizabeth Ewan, Sue Innes, and Sian Reynolds, eds., ''The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women'' (Edinburgh University Press 2006): 61-62.

Career

Agnes Campbell married the printer Andrew Anderson in 1656. In 1663, Anderson became printer to the Edinburgh Town Council, and in 1671, he was named

King's Printer The King's Printer (known as the Queen's Printer during the reign of a female monarch) is typically a bureau of the national, state, or provincial government responsible for producing official documents issued by the King-in-Council, Ministers ...

for Scotland. When her husband died in 1676, 38-year-old Agnes took over the exclusive licence and built the largest printing business in Edinburgh. Agnes Campbell remarried in 1681. In 1693, her petition to Parliament was granted, and Agnes Campbell's printing business remained independent from her second husband Patrick Telfer's financial oversight. She was

Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; 1660 – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, merchant and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translati ...

's Scottish printer, and published a folio edition of his poem "Caledonia." In 1709, she launched a paper mill at

Penicuik Penicuik ( ; ; ) is a town and former Police burgh, burgh in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River Esk, Lothian, River North Esk. It lies on the A701 road, A701 midway between Edinburgh and Peebles, east of the Pentland Hil ...

, the first paper mill on the River Esk. She was appointed printer to the

General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body.''An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland'' by A. Gordon McGillivray, ...

in 1712, around the same time that the King's Printer appointment expired and was granted to one of her rivals. In 1715 she purchased Roseburn House, formerly the home of Mungo Russell. She thereafter was known informally as Lady Roseburn.

Personal life

Agnes Campbell was Presbyterian in religious affiliation. She purchased an estate, Roseburn, in 1704, and was thereafter known as Lady Roseburn. She married twice, and had at least eight children. She died in July 1716, age 78, in Edinburgh, and left a significant fortune to her heirs. A short biography of Lady Roseburn was published in 1925.John A. Fairley
''Agnes Campbell, Lady Roseburn, Relict of Andrew Anderson, the King's Printer: A Contribution to the History of Printing in Scotland''
(D. Wyllie & Son 1925).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Agnes 1637 births 1716 deaths Businesspeople from Edinburgh 17th-century Scottish businesspeople Scottish printers 17th-century Scottish businesswomen Scottish women in business