Melville

The barony of Maleville lay in the Pays de Ceux in Normandy. Guillaume de Malleville was one of the companions of William, Duke of Normandy, at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. de Mallevilles settled in Scotland during the reign of David I, who granted them lands in Midlothian. Galfrid de Maleville was ‘vicecomes’ of Edinburgh Castle for Malcolm IV. He served as Justiciary of Scotland under William the Lion, the first record of such an appointment. The only daughter of his eldest son, Gregory, married Sir John Ross of Halkhead, carrying with her the earliest Barony of Melville. Agnes’s descendant was created Lord Ross by James IV, and the Barony of Melville remained in that family until 1705. It was Galfrid’s youngest son, Walter, who was to be the ancestor of the Melvilles of Raith. Sir John de Melville, one of the great barons of Scotland, appears on the Ragman Roll, swearing fealty to Edward I of England in 1296. His lineal descendant, Sir John Melville of Raith, was a favourite of James V, by whom he was appointed Master General of the Ordnance and captain of the Castle of Dunbar. In 1536, and again in 1542, he obtained charters to lands at Murdocairnie in Fife. He was one of the first supporters of the Reformation in Scotland and despite his royal patronage, he earned the emnity of the powerful Cardinal Beaton. He was a friend of some of the conspirators, and was falsely implicated in the cardinal’s murder by means of a forged letter sufficient to convict him of treason, and he was executed in 1550. His eldest son, John Melville of Raith, was restored to the family estates by Mary of Guise, the Queen Regent, around 1553. He subscribed to the Articles of July 1567 passed in the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for the support of the reformed religion. His second son, Sir Robert Melville of Murdocairnie, lived for a time in France before being sent as ambassador to England in 1562. In 1567 he was appointed keeper of the Palace of Linlithgow. He was sent again to England in 1587, by which time Mary, Queen of Scots was under sentence of death. Melville spoke against this outrage with such force that he offended Queen Elizabeth of England who, despite his diplomatic status, threatened to imprison him. In 1589 he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Scotland. He became a judge, taking the title, ‘Lord Murdocairnie’, retiring in 1601. In April 1616 he was created Baron Melville of Monymaill. He was succeeded by his son, who was also a judge. In 1627 Charles I created him Lord Monymaill. He died in 1635, when he was succeeded by his cousin, John, third Lord Melville. John’s son, George, was created first Earl of Melville in April 1690. A staunch Protestant, he had earlier supported the rebellion by James, Duke of Monmouth, the illegitimate son of Charles II. In June 1685 he was with the Duke when he landed at Lyme from Holland. Monmouth was defeated by the forces of his uncle, James VII, and was executed. Lord Melville was forced to flee to the Continent, his estates being declared forfeit by Parliament. In 1688 he returned with Queen Mary and her husband, William of Orange. His forfeiture was immediately rescinded, he was appointed Secretary of Statefor Scotland and later became President of the Council. He married the granddaughter of the great Covenanter general, Sandy Lesley, 1st Earl of Leven. His eldest son, Alexander, died without issue, before his father, leaving his younger brother, David, to inherit the earldom. In 1713, he also succeeded through his mother to the earldom of Leven. The fine Castle of Balgonie in Fife, recently substantially restored, was Leven’s seat. Thereafter the title of ‘Lord Balgonie’ has been borne by the heir as a courtesy title. David Melville eventually became commander-in-chief of the army in Scotland, and was a commissioner for the Union of the Parliaments. He sat in the new Parliament at Westminster as a representative peer of Scotland, from 1707 to 1710. The fourth Earl served as a High Court judge from 1741 to 1753. He was succeeded by his son, David, fifth Earl of Melville and sixth of Leven. His second son, William, was killed in the American War of Independence in 1777. Two of his other sons achieved the rank of general. He was succeeded in the family titles by his eldest son, Alexander, in 1802. The seventh Earl was a vice-admiral in the Royal Navy. Viscount Balgonie served in the army, and was decorated with the French Legion of Honour. The father of the present chief, the twelfth Earl of Melville and thirteenth of Leven, served in the 2nd Dragoons (Scots Grays) and was wounded in the First World War. He became a colonel in the Lovat Scouts, Lord Lieutenant of Nairn, and a Knight of the Thistle. The family seat is now at Glenferness in Nairn. Melville Castle, which stands in the ancient barony of Melville, was entirely rebuilt by the Dundas family, who, although they took the title, ‘Viscount Melville’, have no direct connection with the chiefly family.

Leave a comment

You are commenting as guest.