Alexander Collville
Encyclopedia
Vice-Admiral
Alexander Colville, 7th Lord of Culross (also spelled Colvill) (28 February 1717 – 21 May 1770) served as the Commodore
and Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Ship's and Vessels in North America from 1757 to 1762. Colville is known for his well-preserved series of detailed, well written, letters to various other military leaders, his family, the King, and other influential people. These letters have provided more historical information about that time period than many other forms available. His writing was so prolific, that many of his letters can still be found in antique shop
s from London
, to Halifax
to New York City
. He is a poorly-remembered, but important, contributor to the UK control of the North America
n seas and the battles of the Seven Years' War
. Colville did not survive long enough for the American Revolution
but, if younger, he would probably have played a critical role in its battles.
as a volunteer in 1732. in 1739 he was present at the sieges of Portobelo in Panama
and of Cartagena
in Colombia
during the War of Jenkins' Ear
. In 1740 he was given command of HMS Leopard
in which ship he captured or destroyed many enemy ships.
during the summer of 1757 with the rank of Captain
R.N., in command of the 70 gun HMS Northumberland
, which formed part of Vice-Admiral Holburne's fleet ordered to attack Louisbourg. The attack was called off due to the strength of the French fleet, and because the British squadron had been caught and scattered by a September hurricane. On 14 November 1757, Colville assumed command at Halifax
with the rank of Commodore as instructed by Holburne. He remained in Halifax over the winter flying his broad pendant in the Northumberland (Capt. Henry Martin, R.N.). On 19 March 1758, Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Hardy arrived at Halifax from England
and took over the squadron with instructions from Vice-Admiral Edward Boscawen
to blockade Louisbourg. Colville reverted to Captain and re-assumed command of the Northumberland in which he served under Boscawen at the successful Siege of Louisbourg
. He returned to England with Boscawen, spent the winter there, and came out to Louisbourg again in the spring of 1759, arriving on 14 May still in command of the Northumberland.
as part of Rear-Admiral Philip Durell
’s force of great ships which patrolled the Gulf of St. Lawrence during the campaign. On 16 October 1759, Colville was appointed by Vice-Admiral Charles Saunders, to the position of Commander-in-Chief in North America with the rank of Commodore. He spent the winter at Halifax, flying his broad pendant in the Northumberland, (Capt. W. Adams). In April 1760, he led his squadron to Quebec to find that a small force under Captain Swanton on HMS Vanguard had relieved the British garrison which was under attack by 11,000 French troops commanded by General Lévis
. Colville remained in St. Lawrence until early October when, observing that Vaudreuil
surrendered Canada to General Amherst
, he dispersed the ships and returned to Halifax, sailing from the Île d'Orléans
on 13 October and arriving in Halifax 24 October. Next day HMS Greyhound arrived with Admiralty
instructions for Swanton to relieve Colville as Commander-in-Chief, with the rank of Commodore. Swanton had been instructed by Colville to escort the transports to England as soon as the French prisoners were on board—a date estimated to be 20 October. The Greyhound was therefore sent back to the St. Lawrence to look for the Vanguard with instructions to return to England if the latter had sailed. Colville reported that he would carry on as Commander-in-Chief until relieved. Swanton was not found and Colville spent his third winter in command at Halifax, still a Commodore and still in the Northumberland.
, Newfoundland
in August 1762. Finally he got back to England in the autumn of that year and was promoted Rear-Admiral of the White on 21 October 1762. In January 1763 he took over from Rear Admiral Philip Durell
as Port Admiral at Plymouth
.
Colville was again appointed to the North American Station in June 1763. He sailed in HMS Romney
on 31 August 1763 and arrived in Halifax on 13 October. He remained there for the next three years thus establishing a record for command of the station. Little of importance occurred during these years and the Admiral’s dispatches report that his main concerns were smuggling and desertion.
to take command until the arrival of a new Commander-in-Chief.
on 21 May 1770.
Vice Admiral (Royal Navy)
Vice admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It equates to the NATO rank code OF-8 and is immediately superior to rear admiral and is subordinate to the full admiral rank.The Royal Navy has had vice admirals since at least the 16th century...
Alexander Colville, 7th Lord of Culross (also spelled Colvill) (28 February 1717 – 21 May 1770) served as the Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
and Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Ship's and Vessels in North America from 1757 to 1762. Colville is known for his well-preserved series of detailed, well written, letters to various other military leaders, his family, the King, and other influential people. These letters have provided more historical information about that time period than many other forms available. His writing was so prolific, that many of his letters can still be found in antique shop
Antique shop
An antique shop is a retail store specializing in the selling of antiques. Antiques shops can be located either locally and with the advent of the Internet found online...
s from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He is a poorly-remembered, but important, contributor to the UK control of the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n seas and the battles of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. Colville did not survive long enough for the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
but, if younger, he would probably have played a critical role in its battles.
Early career
Colville joined the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as a volunteer in 1732. in 1739 he was present at the sieges of Portobelo in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and of Cartagena
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
during the War of Jenkins' Ear
War of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858, relates to Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship, who exhibited his severed ear in...
. In 1740 he was given command of HMS Leopard
HMS Leopard (1741)
HMS Leopard was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built according to the 1733 proposals of the 1719 Establishment at Blackwall Yard, and launched on 30 October 1741.Leopard was broken up in 1761....
in which ship he captured or destroyed many enemy ships.
Attack on Louisbourg
Colvill came to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
during the summer of 1757 with the rank of Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
R.N., in command of the 70 gun HMS Northumberland
HMS Northumberland (1750)
HMS Northumberland was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Plymouth Dockyard to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment, and launched on 1 December 1750....
, which formed part of Vice-Admiral Holburne's fleet ordered to attack Louisbourg. The attack was called off due to the strength of the French fleet, and because the British squadron had been caught and scattered by a September hurricane. On 14 November 1757, Colville assumed command at Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
with the rank of Commodore as instructed by Holburne. He remained in Halifax over the winter flying his broad pendant in the Northumberland (Capt. Henry Martin, R.N.). On 19 March 1758, Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Hardy arrived at Halifax from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and took over the squadron with instructions from Vice-Admiral Edward Boscawen
Edward Boscawen
Admiral Edward Boscawen, PC was an Admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament for the borough of Truro, Cornwall. He is known principally for his various naval commands throughout the 18th Century and the engagements that he won, including the Siege of Louisburg in 1758 and Battle of Lagos...
to blockade Louisbourg. Colville reverted to Captain and re-assumed command of the Northumberland in which he served under Boscawen at the successful Siege of Louisbourg
Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
The Siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal battle of the Seven Years' War in 1758 which ended the French colonial era in Atlantic Canada and led directly to the loss of Quebec in 1759 and the remainder of French North America the following year.-Background:The British government realized that with the...
. He returned to England with Boscawen, spent the winter there, and came out to Louisbourg again in the spring of 1759, arriving on 14 May still in command of the Northumberland.
Siege of Quebec
He served at the siege of QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
as part of Rear-Admiral Philip Durell
Philip Durell
Vice-Admiral Philip Durell was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Port Admiral at Plymouth.-Naval career:Durell joined the Royal Navy as an ordinary seaman in 1721. In 1742 he was appointed Post Captain on HMS Eltham and sailed to the West Indies. In 1745 he took part in the successful Siege...
’s force of great ships which patrolled the Gulf of St. Lawrence during the campaign. On 16 October 1759, Colville was appointed by Vice-Admiral Charles Saunders, to the position of Commander-in-Chief in North America with the rank of Commodore. He spent the winter at Halifax, flying his broad pendant in the Northumberland, (Capt. W. Adams). In April 1760, he led his squadron to Quebec to find that a small force under Captain Swanton on HMS Vanguard had relieved the British garrison which was under attack by 11,000 French troops commanded by General Lévis
Francis de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis
François de Gaston, Chevalier de Lévis , born in Ajac, Aude, was a French noble and a Marshal of France. He served with distinction in the War of the Polish Succession and the War of the Austrian Succession, and served as a capable second in command to Louis-Joseph de Montcalm in the defense of New...
. Colville remained in St. Lawrence until early October when, observing that Vaudreuil
Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal
Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal was a Canadian-born French colonial governor in North America...
surrendered Canada to General Amherst
Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst
Field Marshal Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst KCB served as an officer in the British Army and as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.Amherst is best known as one of the victors of the French and Indian War, when he conquered Louisbourg, Quebec City and...
, he dispersed the ships and returned to Halifax, sailing from the Île d'Orléans
Île d'Orléans
Île d'Orléans is located in the Saint Lawrence River about east of downtown Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The island was one of the first parts of the province to be colonized by the French, and a large percentage of French Canadians can trace ancestry to early residents of the island...
on 13 October and arriving in Halifax 24 October. Next day HMS Greyhound arrived with Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
instructions for Swanton to relieve Colville as Commander-in-Chief, with the rank of Commodore. Swanton had been instructed by Colville to escort the transports to England as soon as the French prisoners were on board—a date estimated to be 20 October. The Greyhound was therefore sent back to the St. Lawrence to look for the Vanguard with instructions to return to England if the latter had sailed. Colville reported that he would carry on as Commander-in-Chief until relieved. Swanton was not found and Colville spent his third winter in command at Halifax, still a Commodore and still in the Northumberland.
Relief of St. John's, Newfoundland
He remained as Commander-in-Chief over the winter of 1761/62 also, and went to the relief of St. John'sSt. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
in August 1762. Finally he got back to England in the autumn of that year and was promoted Rear-Admiral of the White on 21 October 1762. In January 1763 he took over from Rear Admiral Philip Durell
Philip Durell
Vice-Admiral Philip Durell was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Port Admiral at Plymouth.-Naval career:Durell joined the Royal Navy as an ordinary seaman in 1721. In 1742 he was appointed Post Captain on HMS Eltham and sailed to the West Indies. In 1745 he took part in the successful Siege...
as Port Admiral at Plymouth
Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. In the nineteenth century the holder of the office was known as Commander-in-Chief,...
.
Return to Halifax
After less than a year in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Colville was again appointed to the North American Station in June 1763. He sailed in HMS Romney
HMS Romney (1762)
HMS Romney was a 50-gun fourth rate of the Royal Navy. She served during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars in a career that spanned forty years....
on 31 August 1763 and arrived in Halifax on 13 October. He remained there for the next three years thus establishing a record for command of the station. Little of importance occurred during these years and the Admiral’s dispatches report that his main concerns were smuggling and desertion.
Successors
Lord Colville was succeeded by Vice-Admiral of the Blue, Philip Durell, but the latter died on 26 August 1766 just four days after his arrival at Halifax. However, this melancholy event did not delay Colville in his departure. He sailed for England on 5 September leaving instructions for Captain Joseph Deane of HMS MermaidHMS Mermaid (1761)
HMS Mermaid was a sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was first commissioned in April 1761 under Captain George Watson.-References:* Robert Gardiner, The First Frigates, Conway Maritime Press, London 1992. ISBN 0-85177-601-9....
to take command until the arrival of a new Commander-in-Chief.
Death of Colville
Colville apparently held no other command and received no further promotion. He died at Drumsheugh in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
on 21 May 1770.