author
Duncan Campbell
1818–1886
A Scottish-born journalist turned historian, he brought the story of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia to a wide readership in the late 1800s. His books mix careful research with a clear, readable style that still makes regional history feel lively.
1 Audiobook
History of Prince Edward Island
by Duncan Campbell
About the author
Born in Oban, Scotland, on April 3, 1818, he began his career in journalism, working as editor of the Glasgow Argus and also writing for Glasgow's Daily Bulletin. In 1866 he emigrated to Canada and settled in Nova Scotia, where his reporting gradually opened into a deeper interest in the history of the Maritime provinces.
That interest led to the books he is best remembered for, including History of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, in its Historical, Mercantile and Industrial Relations. His work was shaped by firsthand investigation as well as archival research, and he wrote with the practical aim of making local history concise, useful, and engaging for general readers.
He died in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on August 26, 1886. Remembered as both a journalist and historian, he helped preserve a detailed picture of Atlantic Canadian life at a time when the region's past was still being gathered into print.