Colville, Sir Robert (c.1625–1697), landowner and politician, was eldest son of Alexander Colville (qv), a Scottish clergyman who took up a living in Co. Antrim before 1628, and either built or enlarged Galgorm castle near Ballymena. Robert Colville was born reputedly in Ardquin, Co. Down, entered TCD (1640), became a captain in the army, and was MP for Hillsborough (1661–6). The family's great wealth, whether or not derived from Alexander Colville's alleged dealings with the devil, passed to Robert on the death of his father, which may have occurred in 1679. He already owned vast estates at Newtownards (bought from the 2nd earl of Mount-Alexander (qv)) and Greyabbey, and in 1679 bought the lands of Comber. He rebuilt Newtown House at great expense and is said to have provided a school at Greyabbey. He wielded great influence in Co. Down, received a knighthood (1676), and became a privy councillor (1678). His attempts in 1686 to secure a viscountcy came to nothing, since he was alleged to have criticised James II (qv) before he became king.
Colville inspired conflicting opinions in his contemporaries, and had an ambiguous attitude to presbyterians: in 1645 he and his mother publicly subscribed the covenant in Ballymena, and he was referred to in 1685 as ‘a very great favourer of fanatics’ (HIP), although the previous year he had advised against ‘tender dealing’ with ‘people of such perverse principles’. During the crisis of the winter of 1688–9 he met the earl of Tyrconnell (qv), James II's lord deputy, who had sought a meeting with northern protestant leaders; on his return, he advised his neighbours that they should not unnecessarily alienate the government, but his advice was unpopular. Some of the neighbouring gentry intrigued against him, perhaps partly because of envy of his possessions; but they were all overtaken by events, and in 1689 Colville (who raised a regiment at his own expense from among his tenants) was one of the ten from Co. Down listed in the act of attainder enacted by James II's Irish parliament. In May 1689 he travelled to London and gave evidence on the state of Ireland before a house of lords committee (7 August). After the Williamite victory, he was elected MP for Co. Antrim (1692). The lord lieutenant, Henry Sidney (qv), accepted in principle his wish to be a baron but advised against its being granted as he was useful to government in the commons. He was never to be a peer, though he was restored to the privy council in late 1693. He was again MP for Antrim (1695–7), and in the 1695 session was a supporter of the lord chancellor, Sir Charles Porter (qv), when the latter was under sustained attack, ostensibly for supporting catholics. The following year Colville signed the association for the protection of William III. He died on 12 June 1697.
He married four times: first (late 1651) Penelope Rawdon, probably daughter of George Rawdon (qv), 1st earl of Moira; second, Honora, daughter of Thady O'Hara of Crebilly, Ballymena; and third (1676) Rose Leslie of Ballymoney, granddaughter of Henry Leslie (qv), bishop of Meath. After her death (1693), he married Olivia, daughter of Sir Oliver St George, who survived him. He had at least two sons and two daughters from these marriages; a son married a daughter of Sir John Temple (qv).