Robert Bruce
Earl of Ailesbury
Portrait by Henri Gascar
Tenure18 March 1664 – 20 October 1685
PredecessorThomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin
SuccessorThomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury
Other titles2nd Earl of Elgin
Viscount Bruce of Ampthill
Baron Bruce of Skelton
Bornca. March 1626
Died20 October 1685
Houghton House, Bedfordshire,
NationalityScottish
ResidenceHoughton House
Spouse(s)Lady Diana Grey
IssueHon. Edward Bruce
Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury
Diana Bruce, Lady Roos
Mary Bruce, Lady Walter
Christiana Bruce, Lady Rolle
Anne Bruce, Lady Rich
Hon. Robert Bruce (d. 1652)
Hon. Charles Bruce
Hon. Bernard Bruce
Anne Charlotte Bruce, Lady Bagenel
Henrietta Bruce-Ogle
Hon. Robert Bruce (d. 1728)
Hon. James Bruce
ParentsThomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin
Anne Chichester

Robert Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury (later styled Aylesbury) and 2nd Earl of Elgin, PC, FRS (ca. March 1626 – 20 October 1685), was a Scottish politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1663, when he inherited his father's title as Earl of Elgin.

Life

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Robert Bruce was the son of Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin by his first wife, Anne Chichester. His portrait, as "Lord Kinloss" at the age of 9 was painted by Cornelius Johnson.[1] He went on a Grand Tour in Europe in the years 1642 to 1646.[2]

Coat of arms of the Earl of Elgin

During his father's lifetime, Lord Bruce, as he was styled, was Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire in the Convention Parliament in 1660 and the Cavalier Parliament in 1661, until he succeeded to his father's titles, becoming the 2nd Earl of Elgin in 1663.[3] The following year, he was created Earl of Ailesbury on 18 March 1664, as well as Viscount Bruce of Ampthill and Baron Bruce of Skelton, for his services in procuring the English Restoration. He was Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire from 1660 with the Earl of Cleveland, and solely, from 1667 to his death.[4]

In October 1678, Lord Ailesbury was invested as a Privy Counsellor (PC) and a Gentleman of the Bedchamber. He was Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire and Hampshire from 1681 to his death. In 1685, he was invested as a Fellow of the Royal Society and Lord Chamberlain on 30 July 1685.[4]

Robert Bruce died in 1685, aged 58, at Houghton House, just north of Ampthill, Bedfordshire, and was buried on 26 October of that year, at Maulden.[4] His widow, the Dowager Countess of Ailesbury, built Ampthill House nearby in 1686, originally as a dower house. By this time, the Bruce family had extensive estates, among them were: Whorlton Castle, West Tanfield, Manfield, and Clerkenwell Priory.

Marriage and progeny

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Diana Grey, Countess of Ailesbury, by Henri Gascar

Robert Bruce married Lady Diana Grey, daughter of Henry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford and Lady Anne Cecil, on 16 February 1645. They had seventeen children, nine of whom seem to have survived to adulthood:

Notes

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robert Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury.
  1. ^ 'Robert, Lord Bruce', National Galleries of Scotland
  2. ^ Karen Hearn, Cornelius Johnson (London, 2015), pp. 35-6.
  3. ^ History of Parliament Online - Robert, Lord Bruce
  4. ^ a b c Henderson 1886.
  5. ^ Stirnet: Bruce05 (Thomas Bruce, 3rd Earl of Elgin, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury)
  6. ^ Stirnet: Shirley2 (Seymour Shirley, 5th Bart of Staunton Harold)
  7. ^ Stirnet: Manners2 (John Manners, 1st Duke of Rutland)
  8. ^ Stirnet: Bruce05 (Mary Bruce)
  9. ^ Stirnet: WZmisc04 (William Walter, 2nd Bart of Saresden)
  10. ^ Stirnet: Bruce05 (Christian Bruce)
  11. ^ Stirnet: Rolle1 (John Rolle, younger of Stevenstone)
  12. ^ Stirnet: Bruce05 (Anne Bruce)
  13. ^ Stirnet: Rich3 (Sir William Rich, 2nd Bart of Sonning)
  14. ^ Stirnet: Bruce05 (Anne Charlotte Bruce)
  15. ^ Stirnet: Bagnall01 (Sir Nicholas Bagnall/Bagenall of Newry)

References

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Henderson, Thomas Finlayson (1886). "Bruce, Robert (d.1685)" . In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 7. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

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Parliament of England Preceded byNot represented in the restored Rump Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire 1660–1663 With: Samuel Browne 1660–1661Sir Humphrey Winch, 1st Baronet 1661–1663 Succeeded bySir Humphrey Winch, 1st BaronetSir John Napier Honorary titles Preceded byThe Earl of Bolingbroke Custos Rotulorum of Bedfordshirejointly with The Earl of Bolingbroke 1671–1681 1671–1685 Succeeded byThe Earl of Ailesbury Preceded byThe Earl of Cleveland Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshirejointly with The Earl of Cleveland 1660–1667 1660–1685 Preceded byThe Earl of Manchester Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire(in the absence of The Earl of Sandwich) 1681–1685 Preceded byThe Lord Alington Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire(in the absence of The Earl of Sandwich) 1685 VacantTitle next held byThe Lord Dover Political offices Preceded byThe Earl of Arlington Lord Chamberlain 1685 Succeeded byThe Earl of Mulgrave Peerage of Scotland Preceded byThomas Bruce Earl of Elgin 1663–1685 Succeeded byThomas Bruce Peerage of England New creation Earl of Ailesbury 1664–1685 Succeeded byThomas Bruce Preceded byThomas Bruce Baron Bruce of Whorlton 1663–1685
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