PHILIP DE COLVILLE owned Heaton and Oxnam, Roxburghshire, in the 12th century; and his grandson and great-grandson added Kinnaird, Stirlingshire, and Ochiltree, Ayrshire, to the family possessions.
His descendant,
SIR ROBERT COLVILLE, of Hiltoun and Ochiltree, Master of the household to JAMES IV, King of Scots, wedded Elizabeth, daughter of Walter Arnot, and had issue,
JAMES;Margaret; Janet.
Sir Robert fell with his royal master at the battle of Flodden in 1513.
His only son,
SIR JAMES COLVILLE, of Ochiltree and East Wemyss, Judge of the Court of Session, 1532, married firstly, Alison, daughter of Sir David Bruce, and had issue,
James.
He espoused secondly, Margaret, daughter of ________ Forrester, and had issue,
Alexander.
Sir James had another son, Robert Colville of Cleish, born out of wedlock.
His heir,
SIR JAMES COLVILLE (1532-c1561), of East Wemyss, married Janet, daughter of Sir Robert Douglas of Lochleven, and had issue, two sons,
James (1532-c1561), his heir; created Lord Colville of Culross;Alexander, likely ancestor of the Rev Alexander Colville DD.
The younger son,
ALEXANDER COLVILLE (c1536-97), who had a charter of the whole abbey of Culross in 1567, and was thence styled Commendator of Culross, wedded Nicola, daughter of Alexander Dundas of Fingask, and had issue,
JOHN, his heir;James;Robert;Alexander;Margaret; Susanna; Katherine; Grizel; Jean.
The son and heir,
JOHN COLVILLE (1573-c1647), Commendator of Culross, espoused Elizabeth, daughter of Sir James Melville.
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The founder of the Ulster branch of the family,
THE REV DR ALEXANDER COLVILLE (c1597-c1679), likely brother of John, 3rd Lord Colville of Culross, came over to Ulster about 1630.
This Alexander Colville, a kinsman of Bishop Echlin (whose mother was Grizel Colville), was appointed Rector of Skerry, in the diocese of Connor, 1634, and the adjoining parish of Rathcavan, in 1661.
He purchased GALGORM CASTLE in the 1640s.
Dr Colville's son and heir,
THE RT HON SIR ROBERT COLVILLE (1625-97), MP for Hillsborough, 1661-6, CountyAntrim, 1692-3, and 1695-7, married four times, and had issue,
William;Francis, died 1683;HUGH, of whom presently;Penelope; Elizabeth; Anne; Rose.
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| Grave-stone at Newtownards Priory |
The eldest surviving son,
HUGH COLVILLE (c1676-1701), MP for County Antrim, 1697-9, married Sarah, daughter of John Margetson (granddaughter of the Most Rev James Margetson, Lord Archbishop of Armagh), and had issue,
ROBERT, his heir;Alicia, of whom hereafter.
The son and heir,
ROBERT COLVILLE (c1697-1749), MP for Killybegs, 1719-27, Antrim Borough, 1727-49, died unmarried, when the family estates passed to his sister,
ALICIA COLVILLE (1700-62), who married Stephen, 1st Viscount Mount Cashell.
- Hugh Colville was maternal grandfather of Stephen, 1st Earl Mount Cashell, who inherited Galgorm Castle from his mother, Alicia Colville.
- The cross moline in the Colville arms is contained within the armorial bearings of the borough of Newtownards.
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THE COLVILLES were landlords of Newtownards from 1675 until 1744.
The Colville family traces its origins to Scotland in the 1100s, when Philip de Colville settled there following the Norman Conquest.
The first member of the family to settle in Ulster was Dr Alexander Colville, a professor of divinity at St Andrews University before coming to the Province in 1630.
Dr Colville may have been invited to Ulster by Bishop Robert Echlin, whose mother was Grizel Colville.
The Colville family traces its origins to Scotland in the 1100s, when Philip de Colville settled there following the Norman Conquest.
The first member of the family to settle in Ulster was Dr Alexander Colville, a professor of divinity at St Andrews University before coming to the Province in 1630.
Dr Colville may have been invited to Ulster by Bishop Robert Echlin, whose mother was Grizel Colville.
He was appointed Rector of Skerry in 1634, and reputedly built Galgorm Castle near Ballymena.
His son, Sir Robert, joined the army and in 1651 was a Captain.
His son, Sir Robert, joined the army and in 1651 was a Captain.
He married four times, and was knighted at some period between 1675 and 1679.
Sir Robert later purchased the Montgomery estates at Newtownards and Comber.
He rebuilt the ruined Montgomery home, Newtown House, which had been accidentally burned down in 1664; and built a private chapel at Movilla cemetery.
A relative, Alexander Colville, was brought from Scotland to become Minister at the Presbyterian Church in Newtownards in 1696.
He rebuilt the ruined Montgomery home, Newtown House, which had been accidentally burned down in 1664; and built a private chapel at Movilla cemetery.
A relative, Alexander Colville, was brought from Scotland to become Minister at the Presbyterian Church in Newtownards in 1696.
Sir Robert Colville died in 1697, with a memorial at the PRIORY in Newtownards.
His third wife, Rose, died in 1693 and was also interred at the Priory.
Their son, Hugh, died in 1701 aged 25, with a similar memorial.
By 1744, the memorial inscriptions had been removed from the family tomb, described as “...A large Tomb of the Colville Family (to a descendant of which the town now belongs), stands in the North Isle, raised five or six feet above the Floor, but naked of any inscription...”
Hugh Colville's daughter, Alicia, sold the estates to Alexander Stewart in 1744 for £42,000 (equivalent to about £11.2 million in 2021).
Their son, Hugh, died in 1701 aged 25, with a similar memorial.
By 1744, the memorial inscriptions had been removed from the family tomb, described as “...A large Tomb of the Colville Family (to a descendant of which the town now belongs), stands in the North Isle, raised five or six feet above the Floor, but naked of any inscription...”
Hugh Colville's daughter, Alicia, sold the estates to Alexander Stewart in 1744 for £42,000 (equivalent to about £11.2 million in 2021).
First published in February, 2022.
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