Robert Colville

Sir Robert Colville (c.1625–1697) was a wealthy Irish landowner and politician.

Background and early career

Colville was probably born in Ardquin, County Down, the eldest son of Dr. Alexander Colville, and educated at Trinity College Dublin.

His father, a clergyman who was born in Scotland, came to Ireland in the 1620s and, by means which have never been explained, acquired great wealth. The most likely explanation for his accumulation of riches is that he was simply a sharp man of business, but gossip attributed his good fortune to his dealings with the Devil (whom he reportedly cheated). His main residence was Galgorm Castle near Ballymena, County Antrim, which he bought from Sir Faithful Fortescue in about 1645. He was appointed a member of the Privy Council of Ireland in 1678. During the crisis year 1688/9, although he had quarrelled with James II of England, he initially urged a policy of conciliation, rather than actively seeking to overthrow James. His advice is said to have been unwelcome to his neighbours, many of whom disliked him. Later he declared unequivocally for William III of Orange, raising a troop to fight for him from among his own tenants, and allowing William's generals to use Galgorm Castle as their military headquarters. As a result, he was proscribed by the Patriot Parliament, and moved briefly to England, where he was one of the gentlemen chosen to address the House of Lords on the state of Ireland.

After William's triumph Colville resumed his leading role in the political life of Ulster until his death in 1697, and in his last years was a useful Government supporter in the Irish House of Commons.

Family

He married four times and had issue by at least two of his wives.

His children were probably all born to Penelope or Rose. At least seven reached adulthood, including: William; Francis, who died prematurely in about 1683; he had married Dorothy Temple, daughter of Sir John Temple, Attorney General for Ireland, and Jane Yarner; Penelope, the first wife of Sir Robert Adair of Ballymena Castle (her husband, like her father, married four times); Elizabeth, who was the first wife of Sir Ralph Gore, 4th Baronet; Anne, who was the first wife of Sir Maurice Eustace MP of Harristown, County Kildare; Rose, who married John Hawkins-Magill of Gill Hall, Dromore, County Down: she was the grandmother of the great heiress Theodosia Meade, Countess of Clanwilliam; Hugh, who like his father before him was MP for Antrim County. He married Sarah Margetson (died 1733), later Countess of Bessborough, granddaughter of James Margetson, Archbishop of Armagh. Hugh was the maternal grandfather of Stephen Moore, 1st Earl Mount Cashell, who inherited Galgorm Castle from his mother Alicia Colville.