Earl of Melville facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Earldom of Melville |
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Arms of the Earl of Melville
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| Creation date | 1690 |
| Creation | First |
| Monarch | William I |
| Peerage | Peerage of Scotland |
| First holder | George Melville |
| Present holder | Alexander Ian Leslie-Melville |
| Heir presumptive | Archibald Leslie-Melville |
| Remainder to | the 1st Earl's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten |
| Subsidiary titles | Viscount of Kirkaldie Lord Melville of Monymaill Lord Balgonie Lord Raith, Monymaill and Balwearie (1690) |
| Status | Extant |
| Seat(s) | Glenferness House |
| Former seat(s) | Melville House |
The Earl of Melville is a special noble title in Scotland. It's part of the Peerage of Scotland, which is a list of important noble ranks in Scottish history. This title was first created in 1690.
The first person to hold this title was George Melville. He was a Scottish soldier and a very important statesman. When he became Earl, he also received other titles. These included Lord Raith, Monymaill and Balwearie and Viscount of Kirkcaldy. These were also Scottish noble titles.
George Melville married Catherine Leslie. She was the daughter of Alexander Leslie, Lord Balgonie. Her grandfather was Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven. When George Melville passed away in 1707, his oldest son, David, took over the title. David had already inherited another important title, the Earldom of Leven, from his mother in 1681. Because of this, the two Earldoms, Melville and Leven, have been held by the same family ever since. You can find more history about these titles by looking up Earl of Leven.
The title Lord Melville, of Monymaill, was created earlier, in 1616. This title was given to Robert Melville. He was a judge, known as an Extraordinary Lord of Session. The title was set up so it could pass to his older brother, John Melville.
Robert Melville's son, also named Robert, became the second Lord Melville. He was also a judge. In 1628, he made sure the title could be passed down to his family members who carried the Melville name. The second Lord Melville did not have any children. So, the title went to his first cousin once removed, John Melville. This John was the grandson of the first Lord's older brother.
The third Lord Melville was succeeded by his son, George Melville. This is the same George Melville who later became the first Earl of Melville in 1690.
Lords Melville (1616)
Here are the people who held the title of Lord Melville, starting from 1616:
- Robert Melville, 1st Lord Melville (1527–1621)
- Robert Melville, 2nd Lord Melville (died 1635)
- John Melville, 3rd Lord Melville (died 1643)
- George Melville, 4th Lord Melville (1636–1707) (He later became the first Earl of Melville in 1690.)
Earls of Melville (1690)
These are the first few people who held the title of Earl of Melville, starting from 1690:
- George Melville, 1st Earl of Melville (1636–1707)
- David Melville, 3rd Earl of Leven, 2nd Earl of Melville (1660–1728)
If you want to know about more Earls of Melville, you can look at the article for Earl of Leven.
See also
- Melville House, a grand house built by the first Earl.
- Melville family, to learn more about this family.
- Viscount Melville, another noble title created in 1802 for Henry Dundas.
