James William Colvile

Sir James William Colvile (12 January 1810 – 6 December 1880) was a British lawyer, civil servant and then judge in India, and a judge on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the court of last resort for the British colonies. Life He was born the eldest son of Andrew Wedderburn Colvile of Ochiltree and Crombie, Fife and educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated MA in 1834. He trained as a barrister and was called to the bar in 1835. He practised at Lincoln's Inn for ten years before being appointed Advocate General to the East India Company in 1845. He went to Calcutta and was appointed Puisne Judge to the Supreme Court of Bengal in 1848 and Chief Justice of Bengal in 1855. He was knighted in 1848. He was the first vice-chancellor of the University of Calcutta. He served in this office for two years, from 24 January 1857 to 24 January 1859. He was president of The Asiatic Society.