George William Thomas Brudenell-Bruce (1863 - 1894)

Born 8 Jun 1863 in London, Middlesex, England

Ancestors

Died 10 Apr 1894 at age 30 in Brixton, Lambeth, London, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

George Willam Thomas Brudenell-Bruce was the Fourth Marquess of Ailesbury. He was the eldest son of George John Brudenell-Bruce (died 1868) and the grandson of the Third Marquess (died 1886). He had secondary titles of the Earl of Cardigan and Viscount Savernake.^[1]

George was born in the district of St George Hanover Square in London in 1863.^[1][2]

George was known to be an unconventional character for the time period. When he was a boy, he ran away from Eton and was lost to his relatives for some time. It turned out that he had run away to the Continent where he traveled solo for several months. He was also said to dress in the style of "a London costermonger, dressed in a coachman's garb, light coat and enormous pearl buttons."^[3]

In 1884 George married Dorothy Julia Haseley, the eldest daughter of Thomas Haseley of Brighton^[1], a "shopkeeper".^[4] Dorothy "was a Gaiety Chorus Girl" whose stage name was Dolly Tester.^[3] The couple had no children.

Upon inheriting the marquisate from his grandfather in 1886, George set up a large racing stud but did not achieve any success on the turg. He was warned off the course in September 1887, along with his trainer.^[3]

George served as Lieutenant in the Third Battalion of the Berkshire Regiment (1881-1886).^[1] He possibly saw service at the Battle of Tofrek (1885) near Sudan.

George lived a profligate life and "was a well-known figure on the racecourse, and one of the best friends the bookmakers ever had. In a few years he ran through an immense fortune. His name was much before the public in connection with his attempt to sell the historic Savenake seat in Wiltshire to Lord Iveagh for GBP750,000. After costly litigation it was decided in 1891 that he be permitted to sell the property. New difficulties arose in the shape of the claim of the marchioness (ie. Dorothy) for a share in the spoil. At least Lord Iveagh wearied with all the bickering and withdrew his offer."^[5] The sale had also been disputed by his uncle, Henry Bruce, who inherited the marquisate on George's death. George was said to have racked up debts of quarter of a million pounds to London moneylenders, He had also become notorious for disorderly proceedings outside a London music hall and was brought before the police.^[3][6] It was believed he had died of heart disease. It appeared that the Marquess had fallen out of contact with his family for several months prior to his death, and he was not living with his wife at the time.^[7]

He was buried at Savernake at St Katherine's Churchyard.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} 1890 Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes, database on-line. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: 1890 Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes. London, England: Kelly & Co.
2. ↑ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:261D-B4L : 1 October 2014), George William Thomas Brudenell-Bruce, 1863; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, St. George Hanover Square, London, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Gloucester Citizen, 11 April 1894. Accessed via Find My Past.
4. ↑ Liverpool Echo, 07 September 1917. Accessed via Find My Past.
5. ↑ Northern Daily Telegraph, 11 March 1911. Accessed via Find My Past.
6. ↑ "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2JLZ-L6P : 31 December 2014), George W T (Marquis Of Ailesbury) Brudenell-Bruce, 1894; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death, Lambeth, London, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
7. ↑ Western Gazette, 13 April 1894. Accessed via Find My Past.
8. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:668P-5MWQ : 11 January 2022), George William Thomas Brudenell-Bruce, ; Burial, Savernake, Wiltshire Unitary Authority, Wiltshire, England, St. Katherine's Churchyard; citing record ID 234779613, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

See also:

• Debrett, John, C. F. J. Hankinson, and Arthur G. M. Hesilrige. Debretts peerage, baronetage, knightage, and companionage ...: comprises information concerning persons bearing hereditary or courtesy titles, privy councillors, knights, companions of the various orders, and the collateral branches of all peers and baronets. London: Odhams Press, 1947.