A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Colville, John
COLVILLE, Lord. (Admiral of the White, 1841. f-p., 26; h-p., 46.)
The Right Honourable John Lord Colville, born in 1768, is son of the late Lord Colville, an officer in the army, by Miss Webber; brother of Gen. Sir Chas. Colville, G.C.B., G.C.H., K.T.S., who commanded at the capture of Cambray, in 1815, and died 27 March, 1843; and uncle of the Viscountess Newry and Morne. He succeeded his father, as 10th Baron, 8 March, 1811.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 Dec. 1775, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Isis 50, in which ship, the Stirling Castle 64, and Lennox 50, he served, under Capts. Sir Chas. Douglas and Bennett, until appointed, in June, 1781, Midshipman of the Conqueror 74, Capt. Geo. Balfour, one of Sir Geo. Rodney’s fleet in his victory over the Count de Grasse, 12 April, 1782. Returning home from the West Indies in 1783, Mr. Colville does not appear to have been again afloat, until 29 July, 1793, when he was promoted into the Santa Margaretta 36, Capt. Elias Harvey, under whom we find him assisting, as First-Lieutenant, at the capture, in 1794, of the French West India islands, and the apparent destruction, near the Penmarcks, of the French 36-gun frigate Volontaire, and corvettes Espion and Alert. After additionally serving on board the Glory, and Impregnable 98’s, both flag-ships in the Channel of Rear-Admiral Bourmaster, he obtained command, 28 Aug. 1795, of the Star sloop, employed chiefly on the Home station, where he took a privateer, Le Coup d’Essai, of 2 guns and 28 men; and, on 6 Dec. 1796, was advanced to Post-rank. His next appointments were – 16 March, 1799, to the Penelope 36, in which he served, as Senior Officer, at the ensuing blockade of Havre – 15 Aug. 1800, to the Ambuscade 36, which frigate was sent soon afterwards with convoy to the West Indies – in 1803, to the command of the Sea Fencibles on the coast of Cumberland – 13 Oct. 1804, to the Romney 50, which ship, owing to the ignorance of her pilots, was wrecked in the Texel, 19 Nov. following – in 1805, again to the Sea Fencibles, at Margate – 23 March, 1807, to the Hercule 74, in which ship he attended the expedition against Copenhagen, and in 1808 accompanied home from Lisbon the surrendered Russian fleet – and, 11 Sept. 1811, after three years of half-pay, to the Queen 74. Previously to paying off the latter ship, 21 Sept. 1814, Lord Colville, after serving for some time on the Home station; proceeded to the West Indies, whence he escorted to England a fleet of 370 sail of merchantman, the last convoy of the war. He attained the rank of Rear-Admiral 12 Aug. 1819; was Commander-in-Chief on the Cork station, with his flag in the Semiramis frigate, from 10 Nov. 1821 until April, 1825; became a Vice-Admiral 22 July, 1830; and was created a full Admiral 23 Nov. 1841. He is at present on half-pay.
His Lordship, who was elected, in 1818, one of the representative Peers of Scotland, now holds the appointment of extra-Lord in Waiting on H.R.H. Prince Albert. He married, 14 Oct. 1790, Elizabeth, daughter of Fras. Ford, Esq., and aunt of the present Sir Fras. Ford, Bart. That lady dying 19 Aug. 1819, he espoused, secondly, 15 Oct. 1841, Hon. Anne Law, sister of the Earl of Ellenborough, late First Lord of the Admiralty, and sister-in-law of Capt. Lord Colchester, R.N.