- Melville family
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Melville is the name of a notable and nobility Scots family originally from Fife in eastern Scotland.
- Alan Melville, English playwright, composer, lyricist, scriptwriter and performer
- Alan Melville, South African cricketer
- Alexander Melville, 5th Earl of Leven, 4th Earl of Melville (d. 1754)
- Andy Melville, Professional Footballer
- Andrew Melville (1545 – 1622) Scottish theologian and reformer
- Arthur Melville, Scottish painter
- Betty Leslie-Melville, American conservationist
- David Melville, 3rd Earl of Leven, 2nd Earl of Melville (1660-1728)
- David Melville, 6th Earl of Leven, 5th Earl of Melville (1722-1802)
- Ewan James Melville, British singer
- Frederick John Melville (1882-1940) an early British philatelist,
- George Melville, 4th Lord Melville (1636-1707) (became 1st Earl of Melville in 1690)
- George W. Melville, (1841 – 1912) United States admiral
- George Whyte-Melville, Scottish novelist
- Gertrude Melville, Australian politician
- Henry Melvill, Anglican priest
- Herman Melville, American author of Moby-Dick
- Jackson Melville, fictional character from Gilmore Girls
- several people, James Melville
- James Melville (1535-1617), Scots Ambassador to the court of Queen Elizabeth of England whose 'Memoirs' (published in 1689) are an important historical source for this period
- James Melville (1556-1614)
- James Melville (1885–1931), British Labour Party politician, Solicitor-General 1929-1930
- Jean-Pierre Melville, French film director
- Kerry Reid, Australian tennis player Kerry Melville
- Michael Linning Melville, Governor of Sierra Leone during the reign of William IV and abolitionist
- Mike Melvill, test pilot
- Neil Melville, Australian actor
- Pauline Melville, British actress
- Philip Melvill, Falmouth philanthropist
- Ronald Melville, English botanist
- Ronald Ruthven Melville, 11th Earl of Leven, 10th Earl of Melville (1835-1906)
- Sam Melville (1934 – 1971) American bomb setter
- Marvin Melville 1956, 1960 and 1964 Olympic Winter Games Downhill Skier (Utah-US)
- Stephen Melville, South African military man
- Teignmouth Melvill, VC
- Thomas Melvill, Scottish physicist
- Ward Melville, American philanthropist
- William Melville (1850 – 1918) Irish law enforcement officer
Contents
Origins and early history
Most sources state that the family is descended from Galfridus de Melville, a Norman knight who settled in Scotland in the 12th Century. The surname is said to derive from Malleville a manor in the Pays de Caux.
James Melville was one of the leading assassins of Cardinal David Beaton on 29 May 1546.
The House of Monimail
In 1612 Sir Robert Melville of Burntisland, the former Vice-Chancellor and Treasurer Depute of Scotland and an Extraordinary Lord of Session acquired the Palace of Monimail - formerly an official residence of the Archbishops of St Andrews. His younger brother was the famous Sir James Melville of Halhill (vide ultra).
Nine years later Melville of Burntisland was created first Lord Melville of Monimail, the title and estate passing after his death in 1621 first to his son, Robert, and then to his great-nephew, John Melville of Raith.
The second Lord Melville died in 1643 and was succeeded by his seven year old son, George, who was to be responsible for building the present Melville House on the estate of Monimail.
Melville Castle
Melville Castle is a three-storey Gothic castellated mansion situated less than a mile (2 km) west-south-west of Dalkeith, Midlothian, near the North Esk.
An earlier tower house on the site was demolished when the present structure, designed in 1786-91 by James Playfair for Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, was built.
The original tower house was owned by the Melville family, before passing to Sir John Ross in the 14th century. It subsequently changed hands with the attached lands several times and was sold to David Rennie in 1705. It then passed via the marriage of his daughter to Henry Dundas.
The House of Leslie-Melville
In the United Kingdom main branch of Melville family is the Leslie-Melville family, Earls of Leven and (since 1690) of Melville as well.
The family gained its surname from the 1655 marriage of George, Fourth Lord Melville and First Earl of Melville to Catherine Leslie a descendant of Alexander Leslie, first Earl of Leven.
In 1681 their son David Leslie-Melville inherited the title of Earl of Leven. In 1707 he succeeded his father as Earl of Melville.
Categories:- Scottish families
- History of Fife
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