Andrew Colville

Who was Andrew Colville?

Andrew Colvile was a London governor of the Hudson's Bay Company.

His grandfather was hanged for involvement in the Jacobite rising of '45 and the family estate at Inveresk was confiscated. Many of the family moved to Jamaica. His father James Wedderburn set up as a doctor without academic qualification. After 28 years James had become a wealthy slave-owner and sugar planter. In 1773 James moved back to Inveresk and married. Andrew was born in 1779. His sister Jean married Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk in 1807. Robert Wedderburn was probably Andrew's half-brother.

Andrew remained in Europe, inherited his father's estates and set up as a sugar broker. When his brother-in-law began buying into the Hudson's Bay Company Andrew followed suit. By 1810 he was on the HBC board and worked to rationalize the company's administration. In 1820 he was largely responsible for sending out Sir George Simpson to take charge of HBC affairs in Canada. During Simpson's long administration the two worked closely together, one in London business circles and the other in the wilds of Canada.