The refashioning of history
Charles Maclean examines the curious story of Clan Campbell and its acquired pedigree
It appears that S. Campbell & Sons, the predecessors of Campbell Distillers, the owners of Clan Campbell, were not actually Campbells at all. Samuel Campbellâs original name was Samuel Rosenbloom, and before he became a Campbell he had changed his name to Ross. When asked why he did this, he replied, somewhat obscurely: âItâs so next time I go into the witness-box and they ask me my name, I say Samuel Campbell, and when they say âMr Campbell what was your name before it was Campbell?â I say âRossâ.â And this is by no means the only time in the history of Scotch that the past has been deftly reinvented.
S. Campbell & Sons had bought the brand in the 1930s from Muir Mackenzie & Co Ltd. of Glasgow; it had been available only in the United States, and the brand had been registered in the 1940s. The only link, in fact, that the brand of Clan Campbell has with the eponymous clan is that the Duke of Argyll is on the board of House of Campbell, Campbell Distillersâ holding company. And that didnât happen until soon after the French drinks giant Pernod Ricard bought S. Campbell in 1974. Appointing the duke to the board was in line with the new ownerâs plan to stress the âheritageâ of their blend â it is promoted as âThe Noble Scotchâ with âroots in the heart of Scotlandâ, enjoying a âunique alliance with the clan that bears its nameâ.
So what is the eponymous Clan Campbell? Clann is a Gaelic word that simply means âchildrenâ or âdescend.....
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By Charles MacLean
Section : Whisky Hero
Page number : 56
