Earl of Elgin

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Earldom of Elgin
held with
Earldom of Kincardine
Or, a saltire and chief gules on a canton argent a lion rampant azure armed and langued of the second[1]
Creation date21 June 1633
Created byCharles I
PeeragePeerage of Scotland
First holderThomas Bruce, 3rd Lord Kinloss
Present holderAndrew Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin
Heir apparentCharles Bruce, Lord Bruce
Remainder toHeirs male forever, bearing the name Bruce[1]
Subsidiary titlesBaron Elgin
Lord Bruce of Kinloss
Lord Bruce of Torry
SeatBroomhall House
MottoFuimus ("We have been")[1]

Earl of Elgin (/ˈɛlɡɪn/ ELG-in) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1633 for Thomas Bruce, 3rd Lord Kinloss. He was later created Baron Bruce, of Whorlton in the County of York, in the Peerage of England on 30 July 1641. The Earl of Elgin is the hereditary Clan Chief of Clan Bruce.[1]

History

The family descended from the Bruces of Clackmannan, whose ancestor was Thomas de Bruys. According to Sir James Balfour Paul, there is no evidence that this branch of the family was descended from Robert the Bruce (King Robert I), despite claims that Thomas was an illegitimate son of the king.[2] However, King Robert's son David II made a grant of land in 1359 to Robert Bruce referring to him as dilecto consanguineo suo (our beloved cousin).[3] It was generally accepted that Clackmannan branch descended from John de Brus who was a younger son of Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale.[4][5]

The first earl was succeeded by his son, Robert, who also was created Earl of Ailesbury in the Peerage of England. The two Earldoms continued united until the death of the fourth Earl of Elgin, when the Ailesbury and Baron Bruce (of Whorlton) titles became extinct, and the Elgin title passed to the Earl of Kincardine; the Lordship of Kinloss became dormant. Thereafter, the Earldoms of Elgin and Kincardine have remained united.[1]

In Dublin there are roads that come from the Earl's titles. These are Elgin Road and Ailesbury Road.

The most famous Earl was the 7th Earl, who removed and transported to Britain the so-called Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon.

As well as the titles Earl of Elgin and Earl of Kincardine, Lord Elgin also holds the titles Lord Bruce of Kinloss (created 1604), Lord Bruce of Torry (1647) and Baron Elgin, of Elgin in Scotland (1849). The first two are in the Peerage of Scotland; the third is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.[1]

The Lordship of Kinloss held by the first four Earls was inherited on the death of the 4th Earl by the 3rd Duke of Chandos. Through his daughter it passed to the Dukes of Buckingham and Chandos, and is now held by these Dukes' heir of line.[1]

The family seat is Broomhall House, three miles south-west of Dunfermline, Scotland.[6]

Feudal Barons of Clackmannan

Lords Bruce of Kinloss (1604)

Earls of Elgin (1633)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son Charles Edward Bruce, Lord Bruce (b. 1961).[1]
The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son James Andrew Charles Robert Bruce, Master of Bruce (b. 1991).[1]

Line of succession (simplified)
  • James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin, 12th Earl of Kincardine (1811–1863)
    • Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin, 13th Earl of Kincardine (1849–1917)
      • Edward Bruce, 10th Earl of Elgin, 14th Earl of Kincardine (1881–1968)
        • Andrew Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin, 15th Earl of Kincardine (born 1924)
          • (1). Charles Edward Bruce, Lord Bruce (born 1961)
            • (2). Hon. James Andrew Charles Robert Bruce, Master of Bruce (born 1991)
            • (3). Hon. George Benjamin Thomas Bruce (born 1993)
            • (4). Hon. Benedict Bruce (born 2003)
          • (5). Hon. Adam Robert Bruce (born 1968)
            • (6). Robert Frederick Angelo Granito Pignatelli Bruce (born 2007)
            • (7). Orlando Antonio Andrew Granito Pignatelli Bruce (born 2008)
          • (8). Hon. Alexander Victor Bruce (born 1971)
        • Hon. James Michael Edward Bruce (1927–2013)
          • (9). John Edward Bruce (born 1958)
            • (10). George Robert Bruce (born 1998)
            • (11). Archie James Bruce (born 2000)
          • (12). Michael Andrew Bruce (born 1961)
            • (13). Alasdair James Thomas Bruce (born 1991)
            • (14). Angus William Robert Bruce (born 1996)
          • (15). Alexander James Bruce (born 1977)
            • (16). James Ranald Edward Bruce (born 2012)
          • (17). Simon Alistair Bruce (born 1979)
        • (18). Hon. Edward David Bruce (born 1936)
          • (19). Newton Edward John Bruce (born 1964)
            • (20). Jamie Peveril Bruce (born 2000)
            • (21). Arthur Edward Zachary Bruce (born 2001)
      • Hon. John Bernard Bruce (1892–1971)
        • Henry Victor Bruce of Salloch (1924–2011)
          • male issue and descendants in remainder
        • Francis Bernard Bruce (1930–2017)
          • male issue and descendants in remainder
        • other male issue and descendants in remainder
    • Hon. Frederick John Bruce (1854–1920)[7]
      • Lewis Bruce (1880–1961)
        • Robert Richard Fernie Bruce (1915–2012)
          • Anthony James Lewis Bruce (1948–2017)
            • male issue and descendants in remainder
        • James Alexander Bruce (1919–1989)
          • male issue in remainder
      • Charles Bruce (1883–1958)
        • David Charles Richard Bruce (1928–1957)
          • male issue and descendants in remainder

[8][9]

Family tree

See also

References

  1. Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. pp. 1293–1299. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
  2. Balfour Paul, James, ed. (1906). The Scot's Peerage, Vol. III. Edinburgh: David Doulas. pp. 466–467. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  3. "The peerage of Scotland: containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that Kingdom by George Crawfurd, Esq". Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  4. "The peerage of Scotland: containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom, ... collected from the public records, and ancient chartularies of this nation, ... Illustrated with copper-plates. By Robert Douglas, Esq". Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  5. "The Scots peerage; founded on Wood's edition of Sir Robert Douglas's peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom by Paul, James Balfour". Internet Archive. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  6. Cameron, Courtney (16 May 2014). "Robert the Bruce heir says No to independence". The Scotsman. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  7. "The Hon. Frederick Bruce". The Times. 27 January 1920. Retrieved 2 January 2026 – via Newspapers.com.Limited access icon
  8. Morris, Susan; Bosberry-Scott, Wendy; Belfield, Gervase, eds. (2019). "Elgin and Kincardine, Earl of". Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage. Vol. 1 (150th ed.). London: Debrett's Ltd. pp. 1335–1344. ISBN 978-1-999767-0-5-1.
  9. Butler, Alfred T., ed. (1915). "Elgin and Kincardine". Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage (83rd ed.). London: Burke Publishing Co. Ltd. pp. 732–735.

Attribution