John Colville, officially known as David John Colville, 1st Baron Clydesmuir PC GCIE, acted as the Governor of Bombay Presidency from the year 1943 to 1948, in undivided India under the rule of the British East India Company. He also acted as a colonial administrator. Colville was also a well known Scottish Unionist politician and an industrialist as well. He acted as the director of David Colville and Sons, his family`s steel and iron business.

Early Life of John Colville
John Colville was born on 13 February 1894 in a Scottish family as the only son of John Colville MP of Cleland in Lanarkshire. He completed his education from Charterhouse and later studied at the Trinity College in Cambridge.

Career of John Colville
David John Colville, 1st Baron Clydesmuir served with the 6th Battalion of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) during the First World War. He later served in the National Government as Parliamentary Secretary to the Department of Overseas Trade from the year 1931 to 1935. Colville also acted as Under Secretary of State for Scotland from 1935 till 1936. Later he was appointed as Financial Secretary to the Treasury in the year 1936. He held the position till the year 1938. Eventually John Colville became Secretary of State for Scotland and served in the designation from 1938 until 1940.

After David John Colville PC GCIE, retired from Parliament in the year 1943, he was appointed as the Governor of Bombay Presidency on 24 March 1943. He was preceded by Lawrence Roger Lumley, 11th Earl of Scarbrough, KG, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, PC, DL TD, who retired from the post of Governor of Bombay on 24 March 1943. Bombay Presidency was one of the Presidencies and provinces of British India. It was first founded in the 17th century at Surat as a trading post for the British East India Company. The Presidency included the territories of modern states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, regions of Konkan, Kandesh and Desh and northwestern Karnataka state. Colville served in office even after the nation achieved independence from the rule of the British administration. He retired from the post on 5 January 1948.

Later Sir David John Colville served as Viceroy of India and also as Governor General of India from the year 1945 to 1947. After he returned from India, he was appointed a Privy Counsellor in the year 1936 and served as a Brigadier in the Royal Company of Archers. He acted as Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire from 1952 until 1954, when he died.

Personal Life of John Colville
Ronald Colville, 2nd Baron Clydesmuir, son of David John Colville, 1st Baron Clydesmuir PC GCIE served as Governor of the Bank of Scotland. John Colville died on 31 October 1954.

Honours of John Colville
David John Colville was knighted with the Knight Grand Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE).