James (Colville) Coleville First Lord Colville of Culross (abt. 1551 - 1629)

Born about 1551 in Easter, Wemyss, Fife, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Isabel (Ruthven) Ruthven Lady Colville — married 22 Aug 1570 in Wemyss, Fife, Scotland [uncertain]

Descendants

Died Sep 1629 at about age 78 in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, Scotland

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Joelle Colville-Hanson [send private message]

Biography

James (Colville) Coleville First Lord Colville of Culross is Notable.

James (Colville) Coleville First Lord Colville of Culross is a member of Clan Colville.

James was the son of James Colville and Janet Douglas..^[1]

He was married by contract to Isabell Ruthen in 1570.

She died sometime before 1599, when he married Helen Shaw.

Sir James served in the French wars joining the Huguenots under Henry of Navarre, afterward Henry IV of France, having been taken there by his uncle the Earl of Moray in 1567. He returned to Scotland in 1570 and married Isabel.

He joined the King's party in the Civil Wars in Scotland and in September 1571 he helped to defend Stirling Castle when the Queen's party attacked the Regent Lennox who was killed in the battle. ^[2] James then returned to France.

On 27 July 1582, he returned to Scotland with Francis Stewart, Earl of Bothwell bringing letters from the King of Navarre and the Prince of Conde to King James. ^[3]

He was one of those involved in the raid of Ruthven 22 August 1582 and his name appears with the others in the sentence of forfeiture. He again went to France but subsequently got a reprieve from the King which was confirmed by the Estates 13 Sept. 1583 ^[4] and he evidently returned to Scotland.

On 20 August 1586 he wrote to Secretary Walsingham telling him he had been in the service of the King of Navarre but that the Master of Gray had suggested Queen Elizabeth as a patron and that he wished to enter her service. ^[5]

This proposal came to nothing and through his uncle Alexander he was taken into favor with James VI who on 9 December 1586 made him ambassador to France paying him £2,000 for expenses. He returned before 23 May 1587 when he was a cautioner on behalf of the Master of Gray.^[6]

About September 1587 his uncle resigned the abbacy of Culross to the King. James then had a charter of the manor of Culross and Valleyfield 20 June 1589 and then obtained a grant of the Cistercian abbey of Culross 10 Mar. 1604. ^[7]

James was created a peer as Lord Colville of Culross 26 April 1604. ^[8] The reason for the grant was in consideration of his services at home and abroad rendered during the King's infancy.^[9]

At this time the King of Navarre became the King of France and James was sent to help his pretensions to the throne. He landed at Dieppe before the Battle of Arques in September 1589 and fought at Ivry and took part in the siege of Rouen. ^[10]

He stayed in France for four years and was made Governor of St. Valery in 1592. ^[11]

In 1594 he was recalled to Scotland and was then sent as an envoy to Henry IV of France and to Queen Elizabeth to announce the birth and give invitations to the baptism of Prince Henry of Scotland. For his expenses, he was paid 2,000 crowns or £6,000. ^[12]

He was ambassador to France again on 2 January 1597/8 and received £1,000. ^[13]

He returned to Scotland before 28 February 1598/9 ^[14] although on 1 August 1599 he was granted protection from his creditors in Scotland as the King of France had promised to pay all his debts within a year and also at the special request of the French ambassador in Scotland. After his return from France, he lived in Tillicoultry in Clackmannanshire.^[15]

In his old age, he visited the French court and appeared in his old-fashioned military dress which he had formerly worn in the wars. No sooner did King Henry see the old warrior than he greeted him with the greatest affection to the astonishment of all present.

In 1611 he returned to France to inquire into the affairs of the ancient Scottish Archer Guard of France who were complaining of the decay of their privileges at the Court of Louis XIII but was unsuccessful. ^[16] Further attempts on behalf of the Guard were made in 1618. ^[17] He made one more attempt in 1623 to restore the Scottish Guard and apparently with some success. ^[18]

In his later years, he spent much of his time at Tillicoultry and enjoyed walking on a beautiful terrace at the north end of the Kirkhill and sitting under a thorn-tree. One day while standing on a stone looking up at the thorn- tree describing his battles he fell down the sloping bank of the terrace and was killed. ^[19]

Children

1. Jean Colville
2. Robert Colville

Sources

1. ↑ Paul, James Balfour. "The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom", Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1905, Vol. II, Archive.org, p. 553
2. ↑ Acta Parl. Scot.
3. ↑ The True History of the Church of Scotland- David Calderwood, Edinburgh, 1680- III, 634; Memorials of the Earls of Haddington- Sir William Fraser, T&A Constable, Edinburgh, 1889- Vol. II, pp. 42-3
4. ↑ Reg. Mag. Sig.- XLIX, f.166
5. ↑ Cal. of State Papers- Thorp, I, 532
6. ↑ P.C. Reg.- IV, 127,173
7. ↑ Protocol Book of James Primrose- Gen. Reg. House, 35-7
8. ↑ Calderwood's History- VI, 262
9. ↑ Reg. Mag. Sig.
10. ↑ The Scots Men at Arms and Life Guards in France- William Forbes-Leith, W. Paterson, Edinburgh, 1882- Vol. I, pp. 107-8
11. ↑ Les Ecossais en France- Francisque Michel, Trubner & Co., London, 1862
12. ↑ Account of Collection of Taxation- 1593-4, Gen. Reg. House
13. ↑ Ibid- Dec. 1597
14. ↑ P.C. Reg.- V, 431,716
15. ↑ Ibid- VI, 19
16. ↑ 'The Scots Men at Arms and Life Guards in France, also Papers Relative to the Royal Guard of Scottish Archers in France, Alexander MacDonald, Maitland Club, Edinburgh, 1835
17. ↑ Memorials of the Earls of Haddington Correspondence & Charters- Vol. II, pp. 220-2
18. ↑ The Scots Men at Arms and Life Guards in France- Vol. I, pp. 114-5
19. ↑ Old Statistical Account, Tillicoultry, XV, 212; Dunklane Tests., 19 Jan. 1630

See also:

• The Scottish Nation</i>- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
• Wikipedia: James Colville, 1st Lord Colville of Culross
• Wikidata: Item Q6131598, en:Wikipedia
• Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage. Charles Mosley, Ed., Burke's Peerage Ltd., 2003, 107th edition- Vol. I, pp. 174, 865-6