James Colville, 1st Lord Colville of Culross (1551–1629) was a Scottish soldier, courtier, and diplomat.

Life

James Colville was the son of James Colville of East Wemyss (d. 1562) and Janet Douglas, a daughter of Robert Douglas of Lochleven and

Margaret Erskine Lady Margaret Erskine (8 October 1515 – 5 May 1572) was a mistress of King James V of Scotland and mother of Regent Moray. She was a daughter of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine and Lady Margaret Campbell. Royal mistress and mother James V had ...

. Before becoming Lord Colville, he was known as the "Laird of East Wemyss", and often simply as the "Laird of Wemyss". He was a distinguished soldier who fought in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

for Henry, Prince of Navarre, later King Henry IV. He returned to

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

in 1582 along with Francis Stewart, Earl of Bothwell, loaded down with commendations from his French patrons. He was involved in the

Ruthven raid The Raid of Ruthven was a political conspiracy in Scotland which took place on 22 August 1582. It was composed of several Presbyterian nobles, led by William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, who abducted King James VI of Scotland. The nobles intended ...

, on 22 August of that year. Colville owned a ship, the ''Good Company'' which was robbed by pirates at

Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth (), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside town and unparished area in, and the main administrative centre of, the Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. A pop ...

in June 1583. The master of the boat, James Cowan, was tortured to reveal the whereabouts of any money. Their sails of new French canvas were taken, and their cargo of Flemish tables and timber beds worth £200 Scots was thrown in the sea. Colville was at that time ambassador in London with

Colonel William Stewart Sir William Stewart of Houston (c. 1540 – c. 1605) was a Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish soldier, politician and diplomat. He is often known as "Colonel Stewart", or the Prior of May (Pittenweem), Commendator of Pittenweem. Life He began his ca ...

. He sent his goods and purchases back to Scotland in a ship from

Prestonpans Prestonpans ( gd, Baile an t-Sagairt, Scots: ''The Pans'') is a small mining town, situated approximately eight miles east of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the Council area of East Lothian. The population as of is. It is near the site of the 1745 ...

which was also robbed by pirates. Colville was sent to London and Navarre in March 1589. He was to discuss with Queen Elizabeth the rights of James VI to lands owned by his grandmother

Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (8 October 1515 – 7 March 1578), was the daughter of the Scottish queen dowager Margaret Tudor and her second husband Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. In her youth she was high in the favour of her unc ...

, and announce the king's intention to marry

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional fo ...

, a younger daughter of

Frederick II of Denmark Frederick II (1 July 1534 – 4 April 1588) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein from 1559 until his death. A member of the House of Oldenburg, Frederick began his personal rule of Denmark-Norway at the age of ...

. James VI was not inclined to marry the

Catherine de Bourbon Catherine de Bourbon (7 February 1559 – 13 February 1604) was a Navarrese regent princess. She was the daughter of Queen Joan III and King Anthony of Navarre. She ruled the principality of Béarn in the name of her brother, King Henry III ...

, sister of

Henry of Navarre Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...

. The English ambassador in Scotland, William Asheby wrote to William Cecil that Colville was "right well affected towards her majesty, and a furtherer of all good courses betwixt these two crowns". In April 1594, with

Edward Bruce Edward Bruce, Earl of Carrick ( Norman French: ; mga, Edubard a Briuis; Modern Scottish Gaelic: gd, Eideard or ; – 14 October 1318), was a younger brother of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. He supported his brother in the 1306–1314 st ...

, he was sent to London as an ambassador. They were to invite Queen Elizabeth to send a representative to the baptism of Prince Henry, discuss the matter of the

Earl of Bothwell Earl of Bothwell was a title that was created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. It was first created for Patrick Hepburn in 1488, and was forfeited in 1567. Subsequently, the earldom was re-created for the 4th Earl's nephew and heir of line, F ...

, Catholics in Scotland, and ask for the yearly sum of money that Elizabeth gave to James VI. They were to ensure the money was paid to

Thomas Foulis Thomas Foulis ( fl. 1580–1628) was a Scottish goldsmith, mine entrepreneur, and royal financier. Thomas Foulis was an Edinburgh goldsmith and financier, and was involved in the mint and coinage, gold and lead mining, and from May 1591 the receip ...

. James VI gave Edward Bruce £1,000 Scots for their expenses. Colville was to continue to France, and invite Henry IV to send a representative to the christening, investigate the debts and revenues of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

, and if necessary help to bring peace in France with James's cousins, the Dukes of

Guise Guise (; nl, Wieze) is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. The city was the birthplace of the noble family of Guise, Dukes of Guise, who later became Princes of Joinville. Population Sights The remains ...

and

Mayenne Mayenne () is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and Ille-et ...

. Anthony Bacon, a follower of the

Earl of Essex Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...

, wrote that Colville came to see Elizabeth again in January 1595 and she was critical of his mission to France. After his audience he came out of the queen's privy chamber and asked the

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main cha ...

Henry Carey Henry Carey may refer to: *Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (1526–1596), politician, general, and potential illegitimate son of Henry VIII *Henry Carey, 1st Earl of Dover (1580–1666), English peer *Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth (1596–1661), ...

, if he could now see

Sir Robert Cecil Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, (1 June 156324 May 1612), was an English statesman noted for his direction of the government during the Union of the Crowns, as Tudor England gave way to Stuart rule (1603). Lord Salisbury served as the ...

. He was told that Cecil had been in the privy chamber with him.

Sir George Carey George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon KG (1547 – 9 September 1603) was the eldest son of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon and Anne Morgan. His father was first cousin to Elizabeth I of England. In 1560, at the age of 13, George matriculated at ...

joked that Colville had missed him because he was so little, so short. Colville told Bacon that he laughed at this. After

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...

came to the English throne in 1603, Colville was one of James's main supporters in the

Jacobean debate on the Union The Jacobean debate on the Union took place in the early years of the reign of James I of England, who came to the English throne in 1603 as James VI of Scotland, and was interested in uniting his Kingdoms of England (including Wales) and Scotla ...

Family

His first marriage was in 1570 to Isabel Ruthven, daughter of

Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven (c. 1520 – 13 June 1566) played an important part in the political intrigues of the 16th century Scotland. He succeeded to the lordship in December 1552. The Ruthven lordship encompassed the offices of Provost ...

, with whom he had five children. His eldest son, Robert, Master of Colville (d. 1614) married Christian Colville, a daughter of

George Bruce of Carnock Sir George Bruce of Carnock (c. 1550 – 1625) was a Scottish merchant, ship-owner, and mining engineer. Family George Bruce was a son of Edward Bruce of Blairhall and Alison Reid, a sister of Robert Reid, Bishop of Orkney. His older brot ...

. A daughter Jean married James Campbell of Lawers in 1595. cites In 1599 he remarried Helen Schaw, niece of

William Schaw William Schaw (c. 1550–1602) was Master of Works to James VI of Scotland for building castles and palaces, and is claimed to have been an important figure in the development of Freemasonry in Scotland. Biography William Schaw was the second ...

, an event which caused a feud with Francis Mowbray, brother of Helen's dead husband, Robert Mowbray. They had a further child together.

Calvin's case ''Calvin's Case'' (1608), 77 ER 377, (1608) Co Rep 1a, also known as the ''Case of the Postnati'', was a 1608 English legal decision establishing that a child born in Scotland, after the Union of the Crowns under King James VI and I in 1603, wa ...

, the leading legal test of the status of citizenship after the 1603 union of the crowns of England and Scotland, was at least notionally concerned with the legal rights of Colville's young grandson James.

Notes

References

* * ** ** * {{DEFAULTSORT:Colville, James Colville, 1st Lord of Culross Scottish soldiers 1551 births 1629 deaths 16th-century Scottish people 16th-century soldiers 17th-century Scottish people Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1612 Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1625 Scottish expatriates in France Lords of Parliament (pre-1707) Peers of Scotland created by James VI Ambassadors of Scotland to England Ambassadors of Scotland to France