Memoir of Archihald Ca/mjjhell Sivinton. 375 



came into market in 1846, and was purchased by his aunt, Miss 

 Campbell of Blythswood, who, I think, was a sister of his 

 grandmother. Miss Campbell had indicated her intention to 

 Campbell Swinton's father, Mr John Swinton, of settling this 

 old family property upon himself and his son. She died in 

 1850, and Mr John Swinton consequently succeeded to the 

 estate. This, as I have said, formed another obstacle, or 

 distraction at any rate, in the progress of his legal practice, for 

 a man cannot be both a country gentleman and a lawyer in 

 large practice — at least if he resides on his property and does 

 his duty to his people. There are exceptions, of course, to 

 this, but there is no doubt that an independent income from 

 landed estate is not in favour of an advocate obtaining a 

 large share of practice at the Bar. 



From 1850 to 1860 this estate of Kimmerghame occupied a 

 good deal of such opportunities as he had of leaving Edinburgh. 

 Being now independent, or with the prospect of independence in 

 his circumstances, he began to think of entering Parliament, 

 and in 1852 he contested the Haddington burghs against Sir 

 Henry Ferguson Davie, but without success. In the meantime 

 a new house had been planned, and was in course of erection on 

 the estate of Kimmerghame, and this was a subject of great 

 interest, and occupied a considerable portion of his attention. 

 I find that in his diary he notes, in 1856, that he has spent a 

 great deal of time at Kimmerghame in the course of that year. 

 It was unfortunate for Swinton himself, and for his reputation 

 as an orator and politician, that the Conservative party were, at 

 that time, little in favour in the Scottish constituencies. For 

 my own part, I have always regretted exceedingly that the 

 House of Commons had not had the benefit of so energetic, so 

 thoroughly equipped, and so able a member, because he added, 

 to very large acquirements in point of literature, a thorough 

 knowledge of legal principle, and a thorough acquaintance with 

 the wants of the rural population. When the Government of 

 Lord Palmerston was turned out in 1858, I find a memorandum 

 in his diary to the effect that he had been employed to go to 

 London to help Charles Baillie in carrying a Reform Bill. 

 Charles Baillie was the Lord Advocate under Lord Derby's 

 Government of that year, and Swinton makes a notandum in 

 his diary, with the melancholy remark, that this was rather 

 against his conscience. However, the Government were 



