Dear Miss Alexander,

Thank you for your letter about a Colville Clan Association. You are quite correct in thinking that I am the current head of the family, I have so far not taken part in "Clan" activities because:

1. "Clans" are a Scottish Highland tradition and the Colvilles (who arrived in Scotland about 1135AD) were of Norman origian and always lived in the Lowland areas to the North of the River Forth, beyond Edinburgh; so I have never considered us to be a "Clan" in its true sense.

2. This puts us at a bit of a disadvantage when organising ourselves as part of the Highland tradition; this is particularly so, since there have never been any castle, house or property which had formed the centre for the family. The estate at Culross was given to the 1st Lord Colville after the Dissolution of the Monasteries but there was no house and the family left after some 25 years. Although I grew up in Scotland, some distance from Culross, I have no house now in Scotland.

To answer some of your questions -

1. The Colville's married into the Lindsay family in 1402 and, as she was an heiress, we have been entitled ever since to wear the Lindsay tartan. My father confirmed this with the then head of the Lindsays in 1936. Unless your decent is earlier than I can see no reason why you should not wear that tartan which you will find very familiar, with its crimson and dark green.

2. I have no objection at all to your starting a local Clan representation; there are Colvilles in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and (I am sure) elsewhere, and I am very proud of them and glad to be told what is happening amongst them. There are also McColvilles in Norhtern Ireland!

For the reason I have stated I have not set up any organizationm but - I have to say - having worked full-time all my life there has not been much time to do it. Almost all my ancestors were in the Army and Navy, with no territorial base; and all I have is a large chest of papers.

3. As I have have said, there is no family property. We started off at Lowestoft in East Sufflok in 1067, but after the 150 years the main family moved to Cambridgeshire and then the Derbyshire, if your great-grandfather spelt his name Colville (as opposed to Colvile) your are descended from the Scottish branch which began in Roxburghshire. Unlike the English branch, which still exists but has not proliferated, our line prospered in Scotland and, from the 1500's, there are many subdivisions which are not the object of any clear lineages of which I know; it would be of great interest to see a copy of yours, as you kindly offer.

I realise that this is not much help; the title was in abeyance from about 1670 to 1722: then, having never had a family house or estate there was nowhere for the family to build up papers or possessions. I now have few records other than personal letters and an extensive private exercise in genealogy carried out by my great-great-aunt in the 1890's which, however, did not extend beyond the immediate family as it then was. I am sure that your connection predated that.

It is very good to know about the Colvilles in the wider world; my lack of information does not indicate a lack of interest and if I can do any more to help it would give me great pleasure.

With best regards - yours sincerely,

Colville //s//