- John Colville, 1st Baron Clydesmuir
-
David John Colville, 1st Baron Clydesmuir PC GCIE (13 February 1894 – 31 October 1954) was a Scottish Unionist politician, and industrialist. He was director of his family's steel and iron business: David Colville & Sons.
The only son of John Colville MP, of Cleland, Lanarkshire, he was educated at Charterhouse and at Trinity College, Cambridge.
He served in World War I with the 6th Battalion of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), and was wounded.
He was unsuccessful National Liberal candidate for Motherwell at the 1922 General election. He was unsuccessful again at a by-election in January 1929 for Midlothian and Peebles Northern, but won the seat the general election in May 1929, remaining as the constituency's Member of Parliament (MP) until 1943. He served in the National Government as Parliamentary Secretary to the Department of Overseas Trade from 1931 to 1935, as Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from 1935 to 1936, as Financial Secretary to the Treasury from 1936 to 1938 and as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1938 until 1940.
Colville left Parliament in 1943 to become Governor of Bombay, a post he held until January 1948. He acted as Viceroy and Governor-General of India, in 1945, 1946 and 1947. On his return from India he was raised to the peerage as Baron Clydesmuir, of Braidwood in the County of Lanarkshire. From 1950 to 1954 Lord Clydesmuir served as a Governor of the BBC.
Colville was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1936 and was a Brigadier in the Royal Company of Archers. He was Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire from 1952 until his death.
Colville commissioned Sir Basil Spence to design his home at Gribloch, near Kippen, in 1939.
His son, Ronald John Bilsland Colville, served as Governor of the Bank of Scotland.
References
- Torrance, David, The Scottish Secretaries (Birlinn 2006)
- Who Was Who
Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded by
Andrew Bathgate ClarkeMember of Parliament for Midlothian and Peebles Northern
1929–1943Succeeded by
David King MurrayPolitical offices Preceded by
William MorrisonFinancial Secretary to the Treasury
1936–1938Succeeded by
Euan WallacePreceded by
Walter ElliotSecretary of State for Scotland
1938–1940Succeeded by
Ernest BrownPreceded by
Sir Lawrence LumleyGovernor of Bombay
1943–1947Succeeded by
Raja Sir Maharaj SinghHonorary titles Preceded by
The Lord Hamilton of DalzellLord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire
1952–1954Succeeded by
Sir Alexander Murray StephenPeerage of the United Kingdom New creation Baron Clydesmuir
1948–1954Succeeded by
Ronald John Bilsland ColvilleSecretaries of State for Scotland of the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Scotland
1707–1746Secretary for Scotland
1885–1926Secretary of State for Scotland
1926–1999Secretary of State for Scotland
1999–presentCategories:- 1894 births
- 1954 deaths
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for Scottish constituencies
- Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire
- Lord-Lieutenants of Lanarkshire
- Cameronians officers
- Old Carthusians
- Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
- BBC Governors
- UK MPs 1929–1931
- UK MPs 1931–1935
- UK MPs 1935–1945
- Governors of Bombay
- Unionist Party (Scotland) MPs
- Scottish businesspeople
- People associated with Stirling (council area)
- Politics of Midlothian
- People associated with South Lanarkshire
- Scottish Conservative and Unionist MP stubs
- Peerage of the United Kingdom baron stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.