m. MARGARET LOGAN
d. after Jan. 1495/6
Robert was the King's Chamberlain and rendered the accounts of Stirlingshire in 1471.(1)
Sir Robert of Hilton had the office of steward to Margaret, Queen of James III and dealt with her expenses between 1484 and 1486.(2)
He had a charter from the King to himself and Margaret Logan his wife of the lands of Hilton in the barony of Tillicoultry in the county of Clackmannan 10 Oct. 1483 which he had held for the previous 19 years.(3)
For many years the Colvilles kept up an intimate relationship with their near neighbor, the laird of Auchinleck. The castle of the latter was also build upon a rocky promontory on the banks of the Lugar. Quite near to Ochiltree Castle, but upon the opposite side of the stream Dr. Johnson, speaking of his visit to Auchinleck in 1773, says: "I was less delighted with the elegance of the modern mansion than with the dignity of the old castle. I clambered with Mr. Boswell among the ruins, which afford striking images of ancient life. It is, like other castles, built on the point of a rock, and was, I believe, anciently surrounded with a moat. There is another rock near to it which the draw-bridge, when it was let down, is said to have reached. Here, in the age of tumult and rapine, the laird was surprised and killed by the neighboring chief, who, perhaps, might have extinguished the family had he not in the days been seized and hanged, together with his sons, by Douglas who came with his forces to the relief of Auchinleck."
They had "had misfortunes great and sma:" but they had " aye a heart aboon them a'" their castle had been destroyed and they were for the time being homeless, but they did not sit down in impotent wrath and bewail their untoward fate. They resolved to build again and bide their time, and they wisely determined, with the view of avoiding interference with their building operations, to pitch their future abode at a reasonable distance from the castle of their sworn foe, the young Laird of Auchinleck...
In choosing a site for their new habitation, they gave ample proof of the possessions of the artistic eye. Nowhere in broad Scotland could a sweeter, pleasanter spot be found for their purpose than the delightful stretch of green sward that fills up the angle formed by the meeting of those two placid streams, the Burnock and the Lugar. This new Mansion House, erected about the year 1450.
Issue-
Ref:
(1) Exch. Rolls- VIII, 49,51
(2) Ibid- IX, per index
(3) "The Scots Peerage"- Vol.II, pp.543-4
Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage- Charles Mosley, Ed., Burke's Peerage Ltd., 2003, 107th edition- Vol. I, p. 865
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
m. ELIZABETH ARNOT of Balbarton (d. before 31 Jan. 1527/8), d. of Walter Arnot of Balbarton.
d. 9 Sept. 1513 Flodden
Robert seems to have joine the party of James IV against his father since 6 days after his accession to the throne the office of director of the chancery was conferred on him by Royal Charter 17 June 1488.(1) On 13 Mar. 1503/4 he had a charter to the lands of Hilton and on 14 Feb. 1504/5 he received the lands of Cleish in Fife.(2) He received charters of land in Ayrshire, Clackmannanshire and Roxburghshire from 1502 to 1508 and on 10 Apr. 1509 he had a charter of half of the lands and barony of Ochiltree and Oxnam with the castle, Barnwell and Symontoun from Elizabeth Colville of Ochiltree.(3) He sold Oxnam 5 May to Andrew Ker of Fernyhirst. In 1511 he had a grant of the barony of Tillicoultry.(4)
In 1513, Sir Robert raised his standard at the Cross of Ochiltree and gathered his men-at-arms around him. The call had come to support the king, and to ride with him three miles into English ground. The response was prompt and hearty, and amid cheers and shouts and God speeds, and perhaps some gathering tears, the little company marched gallantly away, never to return. They perished with "the floo'ers o' the forest" at Flodden field.
The Burnock and Lugar sweep on as of your,Issue- first child by Elizabeth
Ref:
(1) Reg. Mag. Sig.
(2) Ibid
(3) Ibid
(4) Ibid
Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage- Charles Mosley, Ed., Burke's Peerage Ltd., 2003, 107th edition- Vol. I, p. 865
The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant- G.E. Cokayne, Alan Sutton Pub., 2000- Vol. XI, p. 622
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.II, pp.544-6
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
3I. JAMES (ROBERT 1, ROBERT 2)
m.1. ALISON BRUCE, d. of Sir David Bruce of Clackmannan and Janet Blackadder.
2. int. 21 May 1536 Margaret Forrester (d. before 16 May
1562)
d. before 10 Jan. 1541
James was a joint tenant with his parents of certain Crown lands in 1505 and in 1508.(1)
He and his mother were forcibly kept out of their castle of Ochiltree after the battle of Flodden by David and James Colville against whom Royal letters were ordered to be directed on 26 Sept. 1513 and on 20 Oct. they returned the house to its owners.(2)
James was appointed Director of Chancery before 31 Oct. 1518.(3) He was appointed to the office of comptroller before 1527 during the sway of the Earl of Angus.
"In the presence of the lords of articles compeared James Colville of Ochiltree, comptroller to our sovereign lord, and, at the desire and request of the said lords, took upon him to furnish the king's house honourably as it is now until Thursday, 28 July 1526, so that in the meantime the lords of the articles and secret council shall provide a sure way that all the king's property, with other help of casualty to the sum of �3,000, be delivered to him, which being provided and done, he shall furnish his household until Lammas [1 August] come one year, his expense extending daily to 14 score of bread, with the pertinents thereto or within, and failing hereof, the said 28th day being past and the said provision not made and concluded, that the said comptroller shall not be held to furnish the king's house any further; and also that he shall have the Whitsunday [May/June] mails and further payment for his overspend under account to the lords auditors and exchequer."(8)
On 10 May 1527 he was given a Parliamentary grant of his lands:"Ratifies and approves the charter and infeftment given to the late Robert Colville of Hilton and his heirs of the lands of Hilton and of the whole barony of the Tillicoultry given and granted to him in feuferme after the form and tenor of charters and infeftments made thereupon."(9)
He was also granted an annual rent of £10 for the support of a chaplain to officiate at St. Mary's alter in the church of Ochiltree on behalf of his father, mother, and his grandparents Robert Colville, Margaret Logan, Walter Arnot and Jonet Forret. This was confirmed by the King on 19 Mar. 1527/8.(4) The church at that time stood near the center of the old graveyard, the old church being demolished and the new church built in 1789.
Ochiltree Castle- late 16th century
On 13 Dec. 1530 he exchanged the lands of Ochiltree with Sir James Hamilton of Finnast for the barony of Easter Wemyss and Lochorshyre in Fife.(5)
In 1528 he was appointed a director of the chancery and was one of the commissioners of Parliament in 1531, 1535, and 1536. He was nominated Lord of the Articles 13 May 1532 and 7 June 1535 and was chosen one of the commissioners for the taxation of £6,000 granted by the three Estates to King James on his approaching marriage. James was appointed one of the judges of the college of justice 25 May 1532.(6) He was one of the commissioners at the truce of Newcastle 1 Oct. 1533 and was knighted shortly before. He had a charter of the mains of East Wemyss 20 Aug. 1533.(7)
In 1538 the possition of comptroller was taken from him
and on 30 May 1539 he was charged with treason stating that
on 14 July 1528 while comptroller, director of the chancery
and privy counciller he assigned the ward, relief and
marriage of John Kennedy of Culzean to certain individuals
for the benefit of Archibald Douglas of Kilspindy although he
knew that a summons of treason had been given to Douglas. He
was also charged with giving treasonable assistance and
counsel to the Earl of Angus and with his brother George
Douglas at Newcastle. James appeared in Parliament 18 July
1539 to answer the summons and submitted himself "to the
King's will". On 21 Aug. he was ordered to go to Blackness
castle, but he went to England and associated with:
"Archibald sum tyme Earl of Anguiss and George Douglace his
broder-german, his grace's rebelles, and traitouris, traitand
with yame ye destructioune of his grace, his lieges and
realme."
On 10 Jan. 1541 a summons was served against his widdow and children, to see and hear that: "that said deceased James Colville, while he lived, had incurred the crime of lese-majesty, for his disobedience to enter himself in ward, as just mentioned."
His estate was forfeited to the crown 15 March 1541 and given to Norman Leslie. The forfeiture was rescinded in Parliament on 12 Dec. 1543 under the direction of Cardinal Bethune which so offended the Leslies that according to Father Hay it was the cause of his murder by Norman Leslie.
Issue- first 3 children by Allison, next child by Margaret.
Ref:
(1) Exch. Rolls- XII, 581; XIII 641
(2) Acta Dom. Concilii- MS XXVI ff 4,8
(3) Reg. Mag. Sig.
(4) Ibid
(5) Ibid
(6) Acta Parl. Scot.- II, 335
(7) Reg. Mag. Sig.
(8) Parliamentary Register- 21 June 1526
(9) Ibid- 10 May 1527
Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage- Charles Mosley, Ed., Burke's Peerage Ltd., 2003, 107th edition- Vol. I, p. 865
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.II, pp.546-52
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton &
Co., Edinburgh, 1880
4I JAMES (ROBERT 1, ROBERT 2, JAMES 3)
b. 1533
m. JANET, daughter of Robert DOUGLAS of Lochleven
d. before 16 May 1562
Sir James' father's forfeiture was rescinded by Parliament 12 Dec. 1543 in his favor and he had a chartre of the lands of Easter Wemyss in 1554.(1) He was in the army at an early age and is said to have been knighted during the war with England in 1547.(2)
Issue-
5I. JAMES- m.1. ISABEL RUTHVEN, 2. Helen Shaw (m.1. Robert Mowbray of Barnbougle), d. Sept. 1629 Ref:
(1) Exch. Rolls- XVIII, 426, 560
(2) "The Scots Peerage"- Vol.II, pp.552-3
Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage- Charles Mosley, Ed., Burke's Peerage Ltd., 2003, 107th edition- Vol. I, p. 865
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton &
Co., Edinburgh, 1880
5I. JAMES (ROBERT 1, ROBERT 2, JAMES 3, JAMES 4)
m.1. 22 Aug. 1570 ISABEL RUTHVEN
2. before May 1599 Helen Shaw (m.1. Robert Mowbray of
Barnbougle)
d. Sept. 1629
Sir James served in the French wars joining the Huguenots under Henry of Navarre, afterwards 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 Sept. 1571 he helped to defend Stirling Castle when the Queen's party attacked the Regent Lennox who was killed in the battle.(1) 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.(2) He was one of those involved in the raid of Ruthven 22 Aug. 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 (3) and he evidently returned to Scotland.
On 20 Aug. 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.(4) This proposal came to nothing and through his uncle Alexander he was taken into favor with James VI who on 9 Dec. 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.(5) About Sept. 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 Cistertian abbey of Culross 10 Mar. 1604.(6) James was created a peer as Lord Colville of Culross 26 Apr. 1604.(7) The reason for the grant was in consideration of his services at home and abroad rendered during the King's infancy.(8) 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 Sept. 1589 and fought at Ivry and took part in the siege of Rouen.(9) He stayed in France for four years and was made Governor of St. Valery in 1592.(10) 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 to birth and give invitations to the baptism of Prince Henry of Scotland. For his expenses he was paid 2,000 crowns of £6,000.(11) He was ambassador to France again on 2 Jan. 1597/8 and received £1,000.(12) He returned to Scotland before 28 Feb. 1598/9 (13) although on 1 Aug. 1599 he was granted protection from his creditors in Scotland as the King of France had promissed to pay all his debts within a year and also at the special request of the French ambassador in Scotland.(14) After his return from France he lived in Tilliecoultry in Clackmannanshire.
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 unsuccesful.(15) Further attempts on behalf of the Guard were made in 1618.(16) He made one more attempt in 1623 to restore the Scottish Guard and apparently with some success.(17)
In his later years he spent much of his time at Tilliecoultry 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.(18)
Issue- first five children by Isabel, last child by Helen.
Ref:
(1) Acta Parl. Scot.
(2) Calderwood's History- III, 634; Fraser's Earls of
Haddington- II, 42-3
(3) Reg. Mag. Sig.- XLIX, f.166
(4) Cal. of State Papers- Thorp, I, 532
(5) P.C. Reg.- IV, 127,173
(6) Protocol Book of James Primrose- Gen. Reg. House, 35-7
(7) Calderwood's History- VI, 262
(8) Reg. Mag. Sig.
(9) "Scots Guards in France"- I, 107-8
(10) "Les Ecossais en France"- Michel
(11) Account of Collection of Taxation- 1593-4, Gen. Reg.
House
(12) Ibid- Dec. 1597
(13) P.C. Reg.- V, 431,716
(14) Ibid- VI, 19
(15) "Scots Guards in France", "Scottish Archer Guard in
France"- Maitland Club
(16) Papers and Letters- Haddington Book- II, 220-2
(17) "Scots Guards in France"- I, 114-5
(18) Old Statistical Account, Tillicoultry, XV, 212; Dunklane
Tests., 19 Jan. 1630
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.II, pp.553-7
Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage- Charles Mosley, Ed., Burke's Peerage Ltd., 2003, 107th edition- Vol. I, pp. 174, 865-6
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton &
Co., Edinburgh, 1880