About: Alexander Colville, 7th Lord Colville of Culross

Vice-Admiral Alexander Colville, 7th Lord Colville of Culross (also spelled Colvill) (28 February 1717 – 21 May 1770), served as the Commodore and Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels in North America from 1757 to 1762. Colville wrote a well-preserved series of detailed, well-written letters to various other military leaders, his family, the King, and other influential people. These letters have provided more historical information about that time period than many other sources available. His writing was so prolific that many of his letters still surface in antique shops from London, to Halifax to New York City. He is a poorly remembered, but important, contributor to the UK control of the North American seas and the battles of the Seven Years' War of 1756–1763.