Agnes Campbell

Agnes Campbell was a daughter of Isobel Orr and James Campbell, an Edinburgh merchant. In 1656 she was married to Andrew Anderson, son of a leading Glasgow printer. Her husband became a burgess of Edinburgh through her right of inheritance from her father, and was appointed printer to Edinburgh Town Council and its college in 1663. In 1671 he became the King's Printer for Scotland and received a 41-year grant giving him supervision over the other Scottish presses, a monopoly on the printing and importing of bibles and exemption from paper duties.

After her husband’s death in 1676, Agnes took over his business and successfully expanded it becoming the richest Scottish book maker of her time. By 1678 she had the largest printing business in Edinburgh with sixteen apprentices, traded extensively in print and paper in Scotland and Ireland, and she also lent money to book traders. Agnes remarried in 1681 but was able to act independently of her husband in everything connected with her printing business. She also maintained her independence against her new husband's creditors.

In 1704 Agnes purchased an estate at Roseburn, and from then on was known as Lady Roseburn. In 1709 she established the Valleyfield paper mill at Penicuik, and in 1712 she became printer to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Lady Roseburn died on 24 July 1716 and left the remarkable fortune of £78, 197 (Scots).