Colbert Family

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The Colbert/Colobert family is one of the Europe's oldest continuous family names. It seems to be related to the Lords of Wharcklow and the Da Paeti family. Actually the name first appeared in South-West Ireland during the 11th century.

Colbert/Colobert family crest

Contents

Origin

The name Colbert is a patronymic surname probably coming from an ancient ancestor whose first name would have been Cuthbert. Although our Colberts were Scottish, Colbert is recorded originally as an Irish name, and is derived from the Gaelic elements clog o', meaning "helmet", (or col, meaning "neck") and beorht, meaning "bright". One of the earliest known Cuthberts, after whom most Colberts are most likely named, was St. Cuthbert, a 7th century Benedictine monk who became bishop of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. The "island" of Lindisfarne is an island only at high tide, but is accessible by land at low tide and is located about ten miles south of the Scots/English border city of Berwick-Upon-Tweed on the Northumberland coast which, at the time of St. Cuthbert, would have been located in the Angle kingdom of Northumbria. St. Cuthbert is credited as one of the early saints who helped establish Christianity in northern England and southern Scotland.

There are two differing different accounts of how the Colberts of Castlehill came into existence.

  • 1. They came from Northumbria and were descended from the Bishop of Lindsfarne. This accounting seems to infer that the Bishop of Lindsfarne in question was St. Cuthbert himself, but it may be a reference to a later bishop who took the name Cuthbert in honour of the saint or a descendant of the earlier St. Cuthbert. This eponymous patriarch came to Inverness in the 8th century in the service of the King of Scots and was granted the lands of Drakies. His descendants later acquired Castlehill in the mid-10th century, which became the senior line's primary residence.
  • 2. They were an old Gaelic family who settled in the Inverness area in ancient times and today we think they were from a baronny called Wharcklow. They came into known record in 1371 when the earliest recorded Colbert acquired Castlehill by marriage.

Louison Colobert (1734-1793), a french priest, talks about an orphan, Hercule da Paeti, in his memories (first Colbert/ Colobert), whom is supposed to be the issuer of Wharcklow in 1056, which was ruled by an English despot. It occurs that Hercule took over the barony and became the new Lord. The Coloboerth surname ( meaning "bright neck") was then given to him. [[ William the Conqueror]] wrote also about it : Colbeorht/ Colobert, appears in the Domesday Book as the name of land holders in the time of Edward the Confessor and of undertenants at the time of the survey, an indication that the name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon and not from its Frankish cognate.

Today, we believe that Hercule's ancestors come from the famous roman Paetus clan. It is also said that he could be a descendant of Aymar de Bourbon.

Wharcklow was completely destroyed by soldiers loyal to Henry II in 1170. Coloberts escaped and emigrated to Scotland. The Colobert surname then became Cuthbert, or even Colbert. Colberts gained the baronny of Castlehill in 1172. And a few centuries later, they emigrated to France.

Not to be confused with Collobert (french Huguenots family)

Heraldry

Or, a serpent wavy palewise azure; motto, Servat et Abstinet, but the Colberts of Castlehill kept this motto : NEC MINUS FORTITER

The Colbert Family in Paris

In 1686 the Parliament of Scotland confirmed the submission of Jean-Baptiste Antoine COLBERT , Marquis de Seignelay in France, as a descendant of the Colberts of Castlehill. The genealogy contained therein presents us with an accounting of the earliest generations of the Colberts of Castlehill which pre-dates the Castlehill family's own records. The Colbert genealogy could potentially contain a goldmine of information on the earliest generations of the Colberts of Castlehill; information that was subsequently lost by the Castlehill family themselves, but perhaps was preserved free from destruction in France by the Colbert family. Or, the Colbert genealogy could be an utter fabrication by a family who had other motives for linking themselves to an ancient noble Scottish family.

The Colbert genealogy contains some anachronisms -- citing families that did not exist at that time or who are chronologically impossible to reconcile. Was this genealogy legitimate or a fabrication? Or perhaps a little of both? Can we trust this genealogy? Why might Jean-Baptiste Colbert have wanted to prove he was descended from the Colberts of Castlehill, perhaps even enough to fabricate his genealogy?

It could be argued that, if Jean-Baptiste wanted to fabricate a genealogy, why would he choose to connect himself with the family of Colbert of Castlehill? Other than the prestige of George Colbert's roll at the Battle of Harlaw, they were a relatively undistinguished landed family. And they weren't even actually noble -- no earls or marquises -- they were landed gentry, later elevated to Barons. If Colbert was looking for prestige he might have picked a better family. Was it simply because of the etymological connection of their surnames? Or was Colbert genuinely proud of his legitimate Scottish ancestry?

Colbert was arguably the most powerful man in France next to the king himself. Colbert was King Louis XIV's closest advisor and he saved the country from bankruptcy. He was elevated to the level of Marquis and through his influence he garnered lands and titles for many of his extended family.

But Colbert was the descendant of merchants, albeit successful merchants, and not of noble birth. In his early years he managed to amass a significant amount of personal wealth, said to be valued at 50,000 livres at the time of his marriage. Then he married "up" quite well and received double his own personal wealth in a dowry of 100,000 livres from his wife. With this money he was able to purchase the Barony of Seignelay, from which he was later elevated to Marquis and his grandson to Duke.

It could be argued that Colbert's nobility was "well purchased", but that he was not truly of noble birth. I presume such criticisms were levelled at him by his own political enemies.

The timing of Colbert's attempts to legitimize his descent from Colbert of Castlehill makes it tempting to suggest that his motive may have been to legitimize himself in the eyes of his peers -- to show that his nobility was not merely purchased, but that he came from a legitimate noble family (or at least landed gentry). And the lack of available records in Scotland would make it very difficult to disprove his suggested ancestry. And since the family of Colbert in France was vastly wealthier and far more powerful than the Colberts of Castlehill, why in their right minds would the family of Castlehill ever want to dispute the Colbert connection? The financial benefits of the connection would be far greater for the Scotish Colberts than the French Colberts (as proved to be true). Thus Colbert had an easy "ally" in his attempt to legitimize his ancestry in that the family he purported to descend from had a clear and compelling motive to support his claim. One can almost imagine a clandestine conversation between Jean-Baptiste Colbert and George Colbert where Colbert says, "Look George, just go along with this and I'll make sure your children and grand-children are well taken care of. You'll get new wealth and prestige and a family connection to a powerful French noble family and I'll be legitimized in the eyes of my peers. We both benefit." I doubt such a conversation actually took place, but it illustrates the potential motives.

Of course, the other possibility is that Colbert's genealogy is indeed true. Maybe he did legitimately descend from the Colberts of Castlehill. And maybe he was genuinely proud of that connection. Maybe his own family records were better preserved because they were not subjected to the pillaging of Edward I of England, the Reformers and the Jacobites. And maybe, like most passed-down family genealogies, over time, errors and embellishments crept in. Perhaps Colbert's genealogy is not untrue, but is merely inaccurate. Either way, the research presented below shows that the Colbert connection to Castlehill is at least plausible. What we do know as historical fact is that the Scottish Parliament confirmed the Colbert genealogy as legitimate. Whether they did so holding their noses or not is unknown.

James COLBERT of Castlehill married Elisabeth LYON of Glamis

  • 1. Has Children George COLBERT of Castlehill married Catherine DUNBAR of Tarbet, daughter of John DUNBAR Baron of Tarbet and Sheriff of Murrisland and Catherine MURRAY of Tullibardine
  • 1. Has Children James COLBERT of Castlehill married Joan FRASER of Foyers, daughter of Simon Fraser of Foyers and Isobel Macintosh of Macintosh
  • 1. Has Children George COLBERT 1st of Castlehill b: ABT 1360 in Castlehill, Inverness, Inverness, Scotland married Mary ROSS daughter of Hugh ROSE Baron of Kilravock and Marie or Margaret MACDONALD of Glengarr.
  • 1. Has Children John COLBERT 2nd of Castlehill b: ABT 1390 in Castlehill, Inverness, Inverness, Scotland
  • 2. Has Children Edward COLBERT b: ABT 1350 in Castlehill, Inverness, Inverness, Scotland. According to the Colbert genealogy, this Edward moved to France and was progenitor to the Colbert family of France. His information is presented below.


Wharcklow

Wharcklow was founded in 820 by the Vikings. The area was named after a danish legend : Thor, the mythological god of storm, gave a great plow to the Vikings for them to cultivate the new land. The plow would have been able to fertilize everything. So they called the new land Vihorplov (the plow of storm in old danish), which became Wihorclow in gaelic, and finally Wharcklow.

With the Colbert surname

Besides Louis XIV's minister of finance, whom undoubtedly helped his family to socially rise, lots of french government dignitaries were from the house of Colbert/Colobert, from the beginning of XVIIth century to the XVIIIth century. The Colberts joined the French Kingdom's high nobility. Ministers, prelates, generals then figured in the family because of the great Jean-Baptiste Colbert. The family became notorious and entered in French History. Today it is still a well known family name.

  • His son, the marquis of Seignelay (1651-1690) became secretary of state of the marina" ;
  • Charles Colbert de Croissy, his brother ;
  • Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1665-1746), marquis of Torcy, his nephew , became diplomatist and the secretary of state of Foreign Affairs ;
  • An other of his nephews, Charles-Joachim Colbert de Croissy, (1667-1738), was bishop of Montpellier.
  • Jacques Nicolas Colbert, other son of Colbert and archbishop of Rouen, member of "l'Académie française"
  • Jean-Baptiste Colbert de Saint-Pouange (1602-1663) was a cousin of Jean-Baptiste Colbert. In 1631, he became master accounts of the accounting chamber of Paris, in 1631 state conseillor, in 1657 intendant of Lorraine and in 1661 intendant of Picardie. He married Claudine Le Tellier, sister of Michel Le Tellier, minister Louvois' father and had :
    • Edouard Colbert, marquis of Villacerf, Surintendant of the king's buildings from 1690 to 1699.
    • Jean-Baptiste-Michel Colbert, bishop of Montauban and archbishop of Toulouse
  • Auguste François-Marie and Pierre-David de Colbert-Chabanais, contributed to the Révolution and the Empire wars.
  • Louis Pierre Alphonse de Colbert also became Empire generals.
  • Charles Colbert de Seigneley de Caste-Hill (1736-1813) was bishop of Rodez from 1781 to 1801.

Present Day

  • Sir. Dr. Stephen Colbert, DFA (1964-Present, Emmy-, Grammy-, and Peabody award-winning American political satire, writer, and television host.

References

1-Domesday Book online
2-Colbert Family Origins
3-famous people named Colbert
4-Colobert and Colbert surname origin
5 / The Colberts of Castlehill

Further Reading

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