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According to UK Peerage creations (a personal website, so might need further verification),

• Lord Campbell of Colgrain was created a peer on 28 January 1946 "L. Colgrain of Everlands in the County of Kent – Colin Frederick Campbell (died 3 Nov 1954)"
• Lord Campbel of Eskan was created peer 14 January 1966 "L. Campbell of Eskan of Camis Eskan in the County of Dumbarton – John Middleton Campbell (died 26 Dec 1994)"

so it seems to me that John Middleton Campbell, the Jock Cambell of Milton Keynes Development Corporation was Campbell of Eskan, not Campbell of Colgrain. So the next question is whether the bio is correct and only the peerage is wrong, or whether we have a melding of two bios. Needs research! --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 13:37, 18 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Fortunately not. The only error is in is his title. Lord Colgrain (3rd Baron Colgrain) was his cousin. Jock had to be Lord Eskan because his cousin had already taken the Colgrain title. --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 18:18, 18 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Jock Campbell → Lord Campbell of Eskan — The formal title is normal for British peers. "Jock Campbell" will remain as a redirect to the moved article —John Maynard Friedman (talk) 13:28, 19 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Feel free to state your position on the renaming proposal by beginning a new line in this section with *'''Support''' or *'''Oppose''', then sign your comment with ~~~~. Since polling is not a substitute for discussion, please explain your reasons, taking into account Wikipedia's naming conventions.

• Support since I initiated the move for the reasons stated. --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 13:33, 19 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• Wait a bit It is not at all clear that the normal format for hereditary peers, which we do largely for disambiguation, needs to be followed for life peers. When peers are almost always known by some other name (as with Bertrand Russell, 3rd Earl Russell), we should certainly follow English usage over our own inventions. Septentrionalis PMAnderson 17:28, 19 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  • Yes, I can see the logic in that. I suspect that if someone searched for Bertrand Russell and ended up with some longwinded article title, their immediate reaction would be that they had reached the wrong article. I'm a lot less sure now! --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 13:26, 20 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
    • The guidelines are clear. All peers should have their titles in articles titles UNLESS they are are widely known without it, i.e. Bertrand Russell, Margaret Thatcher, Jim Callaghan, Rab Butler and so on. This person is not widely known and his article should be at Jock Campbell, Baron Campbell of Eskan.--UpDown (talk) 20:50, 20 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
      • Yes, that is the guideline, but how is he known? Septentrionalis PMAnderson 23:34, 20 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
        • Well I can't comment on whether he is known as Jock or John, but I'm sure that can be easily established. However, I can say that this person is not widely known without his title, and therefore his title should be part of the article title.--UpDown (talk) 11:08, 21 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• Weak support It seems correct, though, some sources one way or the other would probably be useful. A newspaper article concerning him or such. Narson (talk) 21:59, 23 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• Support* I am the person who created this entry. I support the move but will change the title to Lord Campbell of Eskan since that is his correct title. (Arunadasi (talk) 13:03, 21 April 2008 (UTC))[reply]
• Strongly Oppose since this is not his correct title, see the discussion below. Many don't understand the correct usage of the title "Lord". He was made a (life) peer in the Peerage of the United Kingdom with the title "Baron Campbell of Eskan". According to peers the title of "Lord" is only used as a salutation in letter or as oral addressing, i.e. "Dear Lord X" (see Styles in_the_United_Kingdom and Lord). Also it is used in biographies, the text is for example started with "Jock Campbell, Baron Campbell of Eskan was born in ...." and further in the text as "Lord Campbell (of Eskan)", "Jock Campbell", or simply "Campbell". This is the case for peers with ranking from baron upto Marquess. Exception is for the rank Duke who aren't named Lord. The move would only be right in case he was a Lord in the Peerage of Scotland. Demophon (talk) 15:14, 25 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Any additional comments:

• I'm not clear whether his correct title is "Baron Campbell of Eskan" or "Lord Campbell of Eskan", since he was a (Scottish) life peer. Please advise. --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 13:55, 19 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  • It was "Baron Campbell of Eskan". "Lord" rather than "Baron" as the correct formal designation applies only to peerages in the Peerage of Scotland. As his peerage was in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, he was a Baron, regardless of his origin. Hope that helps. Proteus (Talk) 16:13, 19 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• It should be Jock Campbell, Baron Campbell of Eskan, the normal format for peers. Other than that, I support the move. Proteus (Talk) 16:13, 19 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  • That seems a much better article title to me. I'm skeptical that he's better known by his correct title. Can we have a poll fork to support Jock Campbell, Baron Campbell of Eskan? Andrewa (talk) 00:27, 22 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
    • Every reference that I have found uses the simple, unadorned, "Jock Campbell". Consequently, I feel now that the RTM should be abandoned and the article left as it is. --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 18:45, 25 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
      • But that is not Wikipedia policy. Only if he universally known as Jock Campbell (ie a former PM or someone like Richard Attenborough) should his peerage not be included. This man is not famous to qualify under that.--UpDown (talk) 19:06, 26 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
        • I'm happy to follow whatever the relevant MoS says, if someone would point it out please (perferably the relevant bit). --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 13:15, 27 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
          • Please see Wikipedia:Naming conventions (names and titles)#Other non-royal names point 2. Thanks.--UpDown (talk) 08:43, 28 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
            • Move completed as discussed. --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 17:17, 28 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
            • According to his biography Sweetening Bitter Sugar, a copy of which I own, he is Lord Campbell of Eskan. (Arunadasi (talk) 13:14, 21 April 2008 (UTC))[reply]
              • Yes, he was Lord Campbell of Eskan. His title, however, was Baron Campbell of Eskan - Barons are always known as "Lord [title]". We use the formal title when setting out names, though. In the text of the article, though, he should indeed be referred to as "Lord Campbell of Eskan" if a title is used. Proteus (Talk) 11:55, 22 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Does anyone have any material to add on this? So far the best I've found from a web search is that the first winner was Chinua Achebe for Arrow of God (1965). Surely there must be more somewhere? --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 18:45, 25 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I have deleted the section as there is no citation that he was Chairman, he is not mentioned at the New Statesman article, and the section had no content. This is unfortunate but necessary. Hopefully this action might provoke someone into reinstating it with actual content! --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 14:02, 5 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

I have commented out for now a large section that has no sources. However, I see from web searches that the quotation "I believe that truth, beauty and goodness have a place. Moreover, I believe that if businessmen put money, profit, greed and acquisition among the highest virtues, they cannot be surprised if, for instance, nurses, teachers and ambulance men are inclined to do the same." is from 'The Story of the original CMK', reminiscences of the people who shaped Central Milton Keynes, published by the Living Archive, Milton Keynes. I should be able to borrow a copy shortly. Another possible source are his obituaries, which means searching the 1995 papers. 𝕁𝕄𝔽 (talk) 19:39, 3 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Nothing on family, spouse, siblings, children?

“ He married twice: in 1939 Barbara Roffey and in 1949 Phyllis Taylor Boyd, who died in 1983 and was missed terribly. His large family was never far from him and his house in the village of Nettlebed in Oxfordshire was always full of life and friends from all over the place. Coming back from a walk and talk with neighbours around the green on Boxing Day, he died only a stride away from his own front door.

Peter Parker

John Middleton Campbell, businessman: born 8 August 1912; chairman, Commonwealth Sugar Exporters' Association 1950-84; chairman, Booker McConnell 1952-66 (President 1966-79); Kt 1957; president, West India Committee 1957-77; chairman, Statesman and Nation Publishing Co 1964-77; created 1966 Baron Campbell of Eskan; chairman, Milton Keynes Development Corporation 1967-83; chairman, New Towns Association 1975-77; president, Town & Country Planning Association 1980-89; married 1938 Barbara Roffey (two sons, two daughters; marriage dissolved 1948), 1949 Phyllis Taylor Boyd (died 1983); died 26 December 1994.”

Independent newspaper. Should be included.

Rustygecko (talk) 05:24, 3 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

"If you want anything done properly around here, you have to do it yourself!" - Wikipedia 101.

So go right ahead, wp:be bold. If you haven't already, you might like to look at {{cite book}} and {{cite news}} but a simple

• <ref>... URL ...</ref> or
• <ref>... ISBN ... page ... </ref>

can be regularised by someone else and you can see how it was done for future reference. The main thing is Wikipedia:Citing sources#Say where you read it (in sufficient detail that someone else can quickly find it again). 𝕁𝕄𝔽 (talk) 10:15, 3 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

This material has been hanging around as a hidden comment for a very long time. While it was hidden, the issue was never going to be resolved one way or another. So I have cut it and am pasting it here now in the hope that someone can provide the evidence? After some searching using the phrases quoted, I suspect that the source is

• Seecharan, Clem (2005). Sweetening "bitter sugar" : Jock Campbell, the Booker reformer in British Guiana, 1934-1966. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers. ISBN 9789766371937. OCLC 57757839..

If anyone is near any of these libraries, maybe they could (a) confirm or deny my guess and, if I'm right, (b) identify the relevant page numbers. --𝕁𝕄𝔽 (talk) 10:31, 19 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

As the son of the estate owner, Campbell had enormous influence in spite of his youth and soon embarked on a mission of reform, and this became his life work. As the first step of plan, he urged his father and uncle to merge the family company the giant company Booker Brothers, McConnell and Co. The take-over took place in 1934, after which Campbell quickly rose to chairman.

Bookers, as it was then known, at the time was a state within a state, owning almost all the colony’s sugar plantations and dominating the economic life of the country so much it was called "Booker’s Guiana". As head of this state, Campbell went about implementing his reforms.

He was partly driven by the guilt of his family background, but also by the conviction that every business has a responsibility towards its workers; and that profit alone should not be the guiding principle of society. His reforms continued on a grander scale.

According to Ian McDonald, one of his employees: "All Jock's abundant energy was converted to a faith that Booker had to mean something in a new deal for the West Indies… Demerara was his Damascus."

I believe that there should be values other than money in a civilised society. I believe that truth, beauty and goodness have a place. Moreover, I believe that if businessmen put money, profit, greed and acquisition among the highest virtues, they cannot be surprised if, for instance, nurses, teachers and ambulance men are inclined to do the same.

In effect, Campbell became a socialist-capitalist. He initiated a process in which Bookers was completely reorganised and recreated.

The sugar industry was transformed from a run-down, unprofitable, inhuman, paternalistic and plantocratic expatriate family concern into a rehabilitated, forward-looking, productive and dynamic enterprise. Guianese were placed in the highest positions; if they did not have the skills for these positions, they were sent away for training.

Sugar production grew from 170,000 tons to 350,000 tons. Estates were consolidated and factories modernised. Drainage and irrigation facilities and the whole infrastructure of field works were completely revamped. Agricultural practices and applications were overhauled in line with current world-class technology. The first sugar bulk-loading terminal in the Caribbean was established to replace the drudgery of loading sugar in bags.

The people side of the industry was revolutionised: remuneration vastly increased, the old logies eliminated and 15,000 new houses in 75 housing areas built with roads and water supplied. Medical services were upgraded to cater for all sugar workers and their families and the scourge of malaria was eradicated, Community Centres were established on all estates and welfare, sporting and library activities expanded. Training and education were immensely improved; scholarship programs initiated, and all along Guianisation moved forward until the time came when the industry was being run almost entirely by Guianese. It was an era of tremendous growth and change.

As a member of the Fabian Society, Campbell's key message was quite simple: "People are more important than ships, shops and sugar estates". Employees were greatly inspired by him. Said one:

We tried to act in the belief that business could not possibly just be about making money if only because that would be soul-destroyingly boring. Business had to be about making the lives of people better and more fulfilled. People in any case always came first however you considered what you were trying to do in business. You had a fourfold responsibility to people: to shareholders, to employees, to customers, to the community of people in which business operated and found its meaning. Creating profit was vital but not just for its own sake but for good, everyday, ordinarily human, immediately flesh and blood, life-enhancing purposes.

𝕁𝕄𝔽 (talk) 10:31, 19 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]