William Bruce (1684 - 1762)

Born 1684 in Grange, Banffshire, Scotland [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 19 Dec 1762 at about age 78 in Grange, Banffshire, Scotland

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Lynda Pollitt [send private message]

Biography

William Bruce was the 3x great grandfather of Australian Prime Minister Stanley Bruce.

Alexander Bruce baptised 20 Sep 1732 to William Bruce and Margaret Keith at Grange, Banffshire.^[1]

William was buried at Grange in 1762.

William Bruce married Janet Taylor 13/11/1711 at Grange, and baptised Margaret 28/9/1712 (address of Bracco).

William Bruce married Janet Bremner at Grange 16/6/1715 and baptised William 16/6/1717 (of Craiglethie), Agnes 27/5/1719 (of Braccobrae)), Isobell 8/12/1720 (of Craiglethie) and Jannet 30/9/1723,

William Bruce of Craiglethy then married Margaret Keith 16/4/1724 and had Jean 11/7/1725, Bessie 19/11/1727, Elspet 24/5/1730 and Alexander 20/9/1732.

According to the Grange register^[2] William gave his address as Bracco (Bracobrae) and later as Craiglethie, located close together 3km north of Grange. They are also close to Edingight, where another family of Bruces lived (see below).

Several ancestry trees suggest he was the son of Thomas Bruce of Portsoy, Fordyce Parish, but there is no baptism record there. There is a record of a William Bruce to George Bruce and his wife 'Shearer' at Grange, Banff on 11 May 1684.^[3]

George Bruce gave his address as 'Nether Mill' which is located on the banks of the River Isla near Grange.

Other early Bruce records at Grange were:

1. Thomas Bruce of 'New Crannach; and Margaret Robertson who had a son George in Grange in 1685 (later of Edingight);^[4]

2. Alexander Bruce of Edingight who married Janet Steinson (or Strachan) 9/12/1703. He (or his father) held a pew allocation at Grange in 1704 (9 Jun 1704 "Alexander Bruce in Edingight".) They baptised Agnes 9/9/1716.

3. John Bruce^[5] of Croylet and his wife Margaret Wilson who had Janet (30/11/1707) witnessed by 'George Bruce in Edingight'; and Alexander (21/7/1709) witnessed by 'Alex'r Bruce elder & younger in Edingight'; Anna 3/5/1713 witnessed by Alex;r Bruce; 'of Myrietown' baptised Helen 28/6/1714 (wit. George Bruce) and Jannet 27/9/1719.

4. George Bruce married Margaret Allan 31/7/1712, of 'Brambleburn' baptised Alexander 1/9/1713 (wit Alex'r Bruce), of 'Edingight' bap. Isobell 10/2/1714 wit. John Bruce; Janet 6/3/1717-8 witm 'Janet Bruce in Bracco', Margaret 29/3/1721, Joseph 28/11/1723, Elspet 14/6/1726 (wit John Bruce in Myrietown), George 19/10/1729

5. Isobel Bruce of Nethermill who was married to Patrick Chizet and baptised William 28/3/1709 (witnessed by William Bruce in Bracco) and John 19/5/1713 (witnessed by Isobel Shearer, a cousin??) and of Edingight by 1715 (when Margaret Chizet was baptised)

6. Jannet Bruce married to William Hendrie of Braccobrae, and baptised Isobell 17/10/1715 and Elspet 10/10/1717

The register does not go back any earlier than 1680 Kirk records go back to 1652 ^[6] and are now on FindMyPast. They mention William Bruce (1683-1686) and Alexander Bruce (1683) on the poor list at Grange, John Bruce (1703) and Janet Bruce (1701) who gave in their testimonials, Isabel Bruce (1706) who 'drank during time of divine service', and Alexander Bruce (1704) 'in Edingight, had a seat in the Wiver's loft'.

Sources

• parish records cited on profile of William Bruce in FamilyTree on FamilySearcch

1. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY6C-GMB : 8 December 2014), Alexander Bruce, 20 Sep 1732; citing GRANGE,BANFF,SCOTLAND, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 990,995, 990,996.
2. ↑ https://www.freeukgenealogy.org.uk/
3. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY6C-8D6 : 10 February 2018), George Bruce in entry for William Bruce, 11 May 1684; citing GRANGE,BANFF,SCOTLAND, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 990,995, 990,996.
4. ↑ See Rootschat discussion on the Bruce family
5. ↑ Ccould he be the John Bruce, son of Alexander, baptised in Fordyce in 1685?
6. ↑ https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/BAN/Grange/GrangeKS