Clan Melville Explained

Clan Name:	Clan Melville
Chiefs Crest:	A ratch hound's head erased Proper, collared Gules.
Chiefs Motto:	Denique Coelum (Heaven at Last)

Clan Melville is a Lowland Scottish clan.^[1] The clan does not currently have a chief and is therefore considered an Armigerous clan registered with the Lyon Court.

History

The name is derived from the barony of Maleville, in the Pays de Caux region of Normandy, France.^[2] Guillaume de Malleville was a companion of William, Duke of Normandy, at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. During the reign of King David I of Scotland, the Melville family were granted lands in Midlothian, which the lands and barony were then named after them.

Castles

The following is a list of castles known to have been in the ownership of the family.

• Melville Castle, Midlothian (ancestral seat)
• Melville House, Fife (former home of Lord Meville and Earl of Melville)
• Glenferness House, Highland (current home of Earl of Leven/Earl of Melville)

Notes and References

1. Book: Martine, Roderick . Scottish clan and family names : their arms, origins, and tartans . Mainstream Pub . Don Pottinger . 1987 . 1-85158-418-8 . 2 . Edinburgh . 173 . 29847774.
2. Book: Coventry, Martin . Castles of the clans : the strongholds and seats of 750 Scottish families and clans . 2008 . Goblinshead . 978-1-899874-36-1 . Musselburgh, Scotland . 574 . 231839806.