Some final medieval notes.

“But who, then, was the first Hameldun or Hamelton who actually held lands and had thus settled in Scotland anterior to Walter FitzGilbert de Hameldun”? (John Riddell, Comments in refutation, p. 259, 1860).

This was to pose a question where clues are absent, and requires thought as what are the consequences of this: One being the construction of pedigrees based on the successive ownership of the same land as recorded in charters. In the case of medieval Scotland, these can be particularly scarce, with owner ‘a’ owning ‘x’, followed by owners ‘b’ and ‘c’ owning the same, being inferred to be father, son, and grandfather. No account is taken of any intermediary owner, such as ‘a’ having a younger/older, unrecorded brother who held ‘x’ before ‘b’. The early Colville family of Scotland is prone to such simplistic constructions, which hide the ancestry of “Rogerus de Homeldun”, who, as the facts suggest, was a Colville.

Mr. Riddel answered his own question: The writer believes he can answer the preceding question by adduction of an original quit-claim by “Roger de Hameldun” (written Homeldun in the original charter – ms), of his right to a carrucate of land in Oxenham, in Roxburghshire, which held of the Crown of Scotland, to John, Abbot of Whitby, in Yorkshire. It is without date, but must have been between 1245 and 1258, when the latter can be proved to have been Abbot. Mr. Riddel further suggested: “This Roger may have been cotemporary with the “Roger de Hameldun” already mentioned, who (with his brother Robert) test a deed, though only connected with Northumberland, shortly after 1223, in the Chartulary of Melrose.

The original charter:

“Rogerus de Homeldun, om. hom. tam præs. quam futuris, Roger de salutem. Noverit univ. v. me quietum-clamasse, et per h. c. meam conf. Johanni, Abbati de Wýtebi, et Conv. ejusdem loci, jus totum quod habui, vel quod aliquis antecessorum meorum habuit in duabus carucatis t’ræ, cum pert., in Hetun et in Oxeneham, salva mihi et hær. meis dimidia marca argenti, quam recipiam per manum Ricardi de Hetun, vel de hær. suis, Oxnam. ad duos terminos; scil. medietatem ad f. S. Martini, et med. ad Pentecosten. Hiis testibus. D’no Willelmo Priore de Kelch’. Galfrido Cantore. Nigello, Canonico de Jedewrd. Waltero, Senescallo ejusdem loci. Rogero Monacho; et aliis”. Roger quitclaims to Abbot John of Whitby all his right in the two carucates at Hetun and Oxeneham. (Surtees Society, v. 69, p. 83, 1879).

In that Roger’s land was in right of one of his ancestors, and the only family that held these two carucates preceeding him and after him were the Colvilles, ipso fact, he was an unrecorded Colville, probably the elder brother of John de Colville, who became heir to his brother.

A SUGGESTED COLVILLE PEDIGREE

b. ca. 1080. 1. William de Colville (Crispin II.), an Anglo-Norman lord who held land in Wheldrake, Goodmanham, Arnodestorp, Dunnington, Elvington, Fyling, Hinderwell, Kirkleatham, Nafferton, Pockthorpe, Sutton upon Derwent, and Warter (Domesday Book, folio 322v.) of William de Percy I., who had taken them over fom a Malet undertenant.
b. ca. 1110. 2. Philip de Colleville, from whom descended the Lords Colville of Scotland (E. A. Freeman, The Norman People, pp. 405-406, 1874).

The manors of Oxnam and Heton passed from the family of Perci into the possession of the Colvilles.

b. ca. 1140. 3. Philip de Colleville’s son, Philip de Colville, accepted an invitation of King Malcolm IV. to settle in Scotland, and founded the baronies of Culross and Ochiltree. He was witness to a general confirmation by King Malcolm of all donations made by his predecessors to the monastery of Dunfermline before 1159. He was one of the hostages for the release of King William the Lion from captivity in 1174. The first possessions he obtained in Scotland were Heton and Oxenhame, in the county of Roxburgh. ‘Philippus de Colvill’ donated ‘terre in Hetoun ex dono Galfridi de Percy et Henrici patris sui’ to Dryburgh monastery’ (Cart. de Dryburgh). ‘Henry de Percy has granted to Whitby Abbey in perpetual alms those donations by which Alan de Percy II., his brother, gave two ploughgates of land, one in Oxnam and the other in Heiton , and that donation of one ploughgate of land in Oxnam which Geoffrey, his brother, gave to the same church in perpetual alms ‘ (Whitby Cart., no. 60, May 24, 1153). These were grandsons of William de Percy I., by his son, Adam de Percy I. and Emma de Gand, dau. of Gilbert de Gand.

“To all sons of holy church and faithful christians, Philip de Colevile, greeting. Know ye, that I have granted, and by this my charter confirmed, for a perpetual alms, the donation which Alan de Percy made to the church of Wyteby, viz. two carucates of land, the one in Oxanaham, and the other in Hetune, free and clear from every service, custom, or exaction; and in as free, clear, and honourable a manner as any alms possessed by the said church. Witnesses, Alaman de Colevile; William de Annei; William de la Haie; Gilebert, son of Roger; and others”.

b. ca. 1170. 4. Thomas de Colville (cognomento ‘the Scot’), obit. 1219, Constable of Dumfries Castle. ‘Thomas de Colville, the constable of Dumfries Castle, gave land in Galloway to Vaudey Abbey, to pray for the souls of dead Scottish Kings.The fact that a Lincolnshire Abbey received land in Galloway for the souls of Scottish Kings is only explicable because of the existence of an aristocratic family with members in both kingdoms’ (G. Barrow, The Anglo-Norman Era in Scottish History, 1980).

“To all sons of holy mother church, Thomas de Colevile, greeting, Know ye, that I have granted, and by this my charter confirmed, for a perpetual alms, the donation which Alan de Percy made to the church of St. Peter and St. Hylda at Wyteby, and to the Monks of that place serving God, viz. two carucates of land, the one in Oxenham, and the other in Hetune, for the redemption of my own soul, and for the salvation of my, ancestors, free and clear from every secular service, custom, or exaction, whether in woods or plains, in meadows or ponds; that they may possess the aforesaid alms as freely, quietly, and honourably, as any other alms belonging to the said church. Witnesses, William, the son of John; Roger de Brachelay; Geoffrey Ridel; Simund de Grumbeheued ; Alaman; and others”.

b. ca. 1200. 5. Roger de Colville (Homildon), witnessed a deed of land in Northumberland to Melrose Abbey, ca. 1225.
b. ca. 1200. 5. John de Colville, of Oxnam, heir to his brother, Roger, and who passed Roger’s holdings in Northumberland to his son, William.
b. ca. 1230. 6.. William de Colville. Held land in Spindlestone, Northumberland (held under the Brus fee), ca. 10 miles E. of Homildon Hill and the hamlet of Humbleton, juxta Wooler; CA, 2O miles from Oxenham. Humbleton is the site of the Battle Homildon Hill, variously named Homildon, Hameldun, Holmedon.
b. ca. 1260. 7. Sir Thomas Colville of Oxnam, d. ca. 1320.
b. ca. 1290. 8. Robert de Colville.
b. ca. 1320. 9. Robert de Colville, obit ca. 1363. He may have been the 1st husband of Janet Keith, with some sons being adopted by David Hamilton, Janet Keith’s 2nd husband.

‘A 1’ to ‘A 2’ to ‘B’ was sometimes the case.

copyright m stanhope 2021