Clan Colville
Encyclopedia
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
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Origins of the Clan
The name Colville is believed to be of ancient Norman origin. It is believed to be derived from the town of Colleville -Sur-Mur in NormandyNormandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The word "Col" meaning dark
Dark
Dark commonly refers to darkness, the absence of light.Dark may also refer to:*Evil, sinister or malign*Dark , a term used to describe a broadcasting service that has ceased transmission...
and swarthy and the word "Ville" meaning Village or "Castle on the Hill".
Colville might also have come from the French word "Col" meaning "neck" or "pass" and Colville would then be simply the "village in the pass".
The first Colville found in Scotland was William De Colville. He is noted as receiving the Baronies of Ochiltree and Oxnam. He also received baronies in Oxnam and Heton in Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
together with other lands in Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
. William de Colville also received the barony of Kinnaird in Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling is a registration county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the former county town. It borders Perthshire to the north, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.Until 1975 it was a county...
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In 1174, Phillip De Colville was sent to Scotland as a hostage for the release of William the Lion. He apparently took up residence in Scotland and established the two noble lineage’s of Culross and Ochiltree.
Thomas Colville le Scot of Dalmellington & Carsphairn and sometime Sheriff of Dumfries was an important member of William's court as can be seen by the good number of William's charters to which he was a witness (along with many other notables of that time). He was obviously given the oversight of the valley of the Ken the most westerly valley leading into South West Scotland. This may also have been a land route between Galloway and Carrick (only recently separated from the southern part).
Thomas was arrested for treason late in William's reign but was allowed to ransom himself and died some years later in relative obscurity.
Interestingly the nickname "le Scot" seemed reserved at that period of history for the descendents of David of Huntingdon e.g.: John le Scot and Isabella le Scot. Whether or not it has any such significance for Thomas Colville le Scot is not known and worthy of further research. Noteworthy other Colville's of that time (and later) did not bear the appellation "le Scot". A theory is that this particular "Colville" was known as "le Scot" because of his Scots ancestry and to distinguish him from the 'other' Colville family with Norman ancestry.
An alternative origin of the name Colville in Scotland can be to associate it with the lost vil of Colwella or Colewell - one of the 12 vills granted to the church by King Oswy and mentioned in the History of St Cuthbert. It is also mentioned as Colewell in 1328 as the name of a place in West Newton (Northumberland County History xi 152).
In the Ragman's Roll Thomas Colville le Scot is recorded as Thomas de Coleuill and in charters of William the Lion he and Phillip de Colville have their names spelled similarly. This "fenchification" of their surname might just as much be the result of the then language of the court than demonstrating a Norman French origin.
The location of Colewell is not that far distant from Oxnam and Heton not to be associated with these places.
There is every chance that the original bearers of the surname were English speaking and a good possibility that the Scots family of Caldwell may have been an offshoot that chose a more Anglian variant of the common source.
15th Century & Clan Conflicts
In 1405 on the 20th August Sir John De Colville and his wife Alice D'Arcy from Arncliff, Dale, England were beheaded at DurhamDurham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
. For what reason is not known.
For many years the two families of Colville and Auchinleck
Auchinleck
Auchinleck ; is a village five miles south-east of Mauchline, and a couple of miles north-west of Cumnock in East Ayrshire, Scotland.Near the village is Auchinleck House, past home of the lawyer, diarist and biographer James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck.Auchinleck has much been associated...
had been on good terms. Both families built castles on opposite sides of the River Lugar. In 1449 during the reign of King James II of Scotland
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
the two families of Colville and Auchinleck had been on friendly enough terms that a rope was passed between the two castles over the river. Communications were often sent back and forth on the rope by means of a ring to which a message was attached. Often fights occurred between the families on the messages sent back and forth on the rope.
This came to a climax when Sir Richard Colville killed John Auchinleck. It is believed that Auchinleck sent Colville a wrapped parcel containing the bones of a sheep head. The Colvilles saw this as an insult and the family friendships were over. From now on it was nothing but war between the two families.
The Laird of Auchinleck at this time was at this time going to pay a visit to his powerful ally, Lord William Douglas of the powerful House of Douglas. When Colville learned of this he sent his son Richard Colville to carry out his act of revenge. Sir Richard Colville and his clan waited for them, at a quiet part of a road and ambushed Auchinleck and his followers. Auchinleck was there killed. The Earl of Douglas
Earl of Douglas
This page is concerned with the holders of the extinct title Earl of Douglas and the preceding feudal barons of Douglas, South Lanarkshire. The title was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1358 for William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, son of Sir Archibald Douglas, Guardian of Scotland...
did not wait for judge and jury and took matters into his own hands and flew to avenge his friend. The Earl of Douglas
Earl of Douglas
This page is concerned with the holders of the extinct title Earl of Douglas and the preceding feudal barons of Douglas, South Lanarkshire. The title was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1358 for William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, son of Sir Archibald Douglas, Guardian of Scotland...
at the head of his Douglas troops attacked the Colvilles, besieging their castle, where many were killed. Douglas leveled Colville's Ochiltree Castle to the ground and put Colville and his men to the sword.
Douglas dragged the captured Colville Knight of Ochiltree
Ochiltree
Ochiltree, spelt Uchletree in the Middle Ages, is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland near Auchinleck and Cumnock. It is one of the oldest villages in East Ayrshire with archaeological remains indicating Stone Age and Bronze Age settlers....
back to Cumnock
Cumnock
Cumnock is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. The town sits at the confluence of the Glaisnock Water and the Lugar Water...
. The group was about to cross a stream when as legend has it Sir Richard Colville remarked that a witch had foreseen that he would die at this very spot. Douglas fulfilled the prophecy by putting Colville to death on the spot.
However Douglas too would later suffer for his acts as he was stabbed to death by the King himself at Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
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After this the Clan Colville decided to rebuild in a new area. They chose a stretch of land that filled the angle between where the River Lugar and River Burnock meet.
In 1498, Hugh Campbell of Loudon from Clan Campbell
Clan Campbell
Clan Campbell is a Highland Scottish clan. Historically one of the largest, most powerful and most successful of the Highland clans, their lands were in Argyll and the chief of the clan became the Earl and later Duke of Argyll.-Origins:...
, Sheriff of Ayrshire also had a family feud with the Colville's of Ochiltree. The Campbell's had the advantage over the Colvilles due to the backup of his law officials. Sir William Colville appealed to the Royal Authority, to grant he and his tenants exemption from the jurisdiction of the Campbell sheriff.
16th Century Anglo-Scottish Wars & Clan Conflicts
The feud that started between the Clan Colville and the House of Douglas went on for many years and in the end in 1502 Robert and Henry Douglas were ordered to labour, occupy and restore the lands of Farnesyde and Hardane, because of the oppression against Sir William Colville, and for the theft of oxen from Sir William Colville. Plus this wasn’t the last they saw of punishment. In the same year John and William Douglas were convicted of oppression and convocation of the lieges upon Sir William Colville, basically murdering Colville. Along with their conviction was George Haliburton for the part of slaughter of Sir William Colville of Ochiltree.In 1513 during the Anglo-Scottish Wars
Anglo-Scottish Wars
The Anglo-Scottish Wars were a series of wars fought between England and Scotland during the sixteenth century.After the Wars of Scottish Independence, England and Scotland had fought several times during the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In most cases, one country had attempted to...
Robert Colville the successor of William Colville was respected as a man of high character and was honoured of his sovereign. He was the stewart of Queen Margaret and master to the household of King James IV of Scotland
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
. He led the clan at the Battle of Flodden Field
Battle of Flodden Field
The Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field or occasionally Battle of Branxton was fought in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey...
against the English where he was slain with the King.
In 1530, Sir James Colville transferred the barony of Ochiltree to Sir James Hamilton of Finnart
James Hamilton of Finnart
Sir James Hamilton of Finnart was a Scottish nobleman and architect, the illegitimate son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran, and Mary Boyd of Bonshaw....
and years later it was passed to Andrew Stewart, Lord Evandale.
17th Century & Civil War
Sir James ColvilleJames Colville, 1st Lord Colville of Culross
James Colville, 1st Lord Colville of Culross was a Scottish soldier and courtier.His first marriage was in 1570 to Isabel Ruthven, daughter of Patrick Ruthven, with whom he had five children. In 1599 he remarried Helen Schaw, niece of William Schaw, an event which caused a feud with Francis...
, third of Easter Wemyss, was a distinguished soldier who fought in France for Henry, Prince of Navarre, later King Henry IV. He returned to Scotland in 1582 along with Francis Stewart, Earl of Bothwell, loaded down with commendations from his French patrons. In 1604 he was raised to the peerage with the title of ‘Lord Colville of Culross’, which title the chiefs still bear. The second Lord Colville, who had succeeded to his grandfather’s title in 1620, died without issue in 1640. His cousin was heir to the title but did not assume it, and it remained dormant until 1723.
In 1675 after the Civil War the Clan Montgomery
Clan Montgomery
-Origins of the Clan:Clan Montgomery originated in Wales, and emigrated to Scotland in the 12th century as vassals of the FitzAlans. The family derives its surname from lands in Wales, likely from the Honour of Montgomery which was located near the Shropshire lands of the FitzAlans...
who were crippled by debts after supporting the Royalists
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
against Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
sold the Lordship and Manor of Newtown to Captain Robert Colville for £10,640.
18th Century & Jacobite Uprisings
The Clan Colville with the majority of Scotland supported the British Government during Jacobite Uprisings. In 1744, Robert Colville, under the influence of his mistress, sold Newtownards to Alexander Stewart for the sum of £42,000. In 1746, Honorable Charles Colville fought at the Battle of CullodenBattle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
, commanding the British 21st Regiment of Foot which was made from Scottish soldiers and is today the Royal Scots Fusiliers
Royal Scots Fusiliers
-The Earl of Mar's Regiment of Foot :The regiment was raised in Scotland in 1678 by Stuart loyalist Charles Erskine, de jure 5th Earl of Mar for service against the rebel covenanting forces during the Second Whig Revolt . They were used to keep the peace and put down brigands, mercenaries, and...
. He obtained the rank of lieutenant general before his death in 1775.
Its worth noting as well that a Colville named Alexander served in the Royal Navy
Royal 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...
, becoming a captain in 1744. He was promoted to the rank of commodore and given command of 'HMS Northumberland'. He held the rank of Vice Admiral for a decade.
The Clan today
John Mark Alexander Colville, the 13th Lord Colville of Culross gained the title in 1945, and served as a Home Office Minister under Edward Heath and was a member of the UN Human Rights Commission. He died in 2010, and has been succeeded by his son, Charles Colville, Viscount Colville of CulrossViscount Colville of Culross
Viscount Colville of Culross, in the County of Perth, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1902 for the politician and courtier, Charles Colville, 10th Lord Colville of Culross. He had already been created Baron Colville of Culross, in the County of Perth, in 1885,...
a member of the House of Lords, who is currently the Clan Chief
Scottish clan chief
The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
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