Duncan Campbell (British Army officer)
Duncan Campbell ( * 1726, † 1803) was a successful and influential merchant in the West India business owners and plantation owners in Jamaica and played a key role in the resettlement of British prisoners to Australia.
Life
Between 1749 and 1757 Campbell drove his own responsibility in the West India trade, which he met in Jamaica Rebecca, whom he married in 1753. She was later heir to the plantation Salt Spring in Hanover Parish (Jamaica ).
1758 he was appointed to the Trinity House, London and expanded his business to Virginia and the other British colonies in North America. In the same year he became a junior partner of John Steward.
John Stewart & Campbell scored a contract with the Government on the transport of 500 prisoners a year to Virginia and Maryland. 1772 Campbell took over the management of transport and was incidentally now also tobacco wholesalers until the outbreak of the War of Independence in 1775 made this lucrative business impossible.
Since prisoners could not be shipped to America, Campbell held her in London on decommissioned ships on the Thames firmly but what soon gave offense, since it was considered a threat to public order and security. On Campbells operate the prisoners were later distributed to ships of the First Fleet, which left Portsmouth with target Botany Bay on 13 May 1787. Also for the feed to the second and third prisoner transport, 1789 and 1791, Campbell was responsible.
As chairman lobby wanted to achieve the compensation for American debt from before the revolution, Campbell met in April 1787 along with Thomas Jefferson to negotiate an amount of 2.5 million pounds.
Also in 1787 he was in close contact with Arthur Phillip, the founder and first governor of New South Wales.
With William Bligh, commander of the Bounty, Campbell was connected by kinship: Elizabeth Bligh, nee Betham, was Campbell's niece, and Bligh was in command of some of his ships in the West Indies tour. Also, the later leader of the mutiny on the Bounty, Fletcher Christian, was known with Campbell and had already served him, and on two trips even under Bligh.
Last: After each source the Bounty (ex Bethia ) was said to be a former Campbell's ship, which was named after Betham and that he had then sold the crown.