Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury

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Thomas Bruce, 3rd Earl of Elgin and 2nd Earl of Ailesbury (1656 – December 16, 1741) was the son of Robert Bruce, 2nd Earl of Elgin and Lady Diana Grey. His maternal grandparents were Henry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford and Lady Anne Cecil, daughter of William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter.

Lord Bruce, as he was styled from 1663 to 1685, was M.P. for Marlborough between 1679 and 1681 and M.P. for Wiltshire in 1685. From 1685, when he inherited the earldom, to 1688, he was a Lord of the Bedchamber, Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire (the latter in the absence of the Earl of Sandwich) and was a Page of Honour, at the coronation of King James II on 23 April 1685.

He married, firstly, Lady Elizabeth Seymour, granddaughter of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, on 31 August 1676. They had two children:

• Charles Bruce, 4th Earl of Elgin (1682–1747)
• Hon. Elizabeth Bruce (1689–1745), married George Brudenell, 3rd Earl of Cardigan and had issue.

He married, secondly, Charlotte d'Argenteau, comtesse d'Esneux, in Brussels (St Jacques sur Coudenberg) on 27 April 1700. They had one daughter:

• Hon. Marie Thérèse Bruce (1704–1736), married Maximilian Emmanuel, Prince Maximillian von Horn of Hornes and had issue.

He was one of only four peers who continued to support James II after the Prince of Orange embarked for England. On 18 December 1688 he accompanied King James to Rochester when he fled London. In May 1695, Lord Elgin was accused of having conspired to plan the restoration of King James II and in February 1696 he was imprisoned in the Tower of London, but admitted to bail a year later and allowed to leave England for Brussels, where he died and was buried.

Parliament of England
Preceded by Thomas Bennet Edward Goddard	Member of Parliament for Marlborough with Thomas Bennet 1679–1685	Succeeded by Sir John Ernle Sir George Willoughby
Preceded by Thomas Thynne Sir Walter St John	Member of Parliament for Wiltshire with Viscount Cornbury 1685	Succeeded by Viscount Cornbury Sir Thomas Mompesson
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Earl of Elgin	Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire 1685–1689	Succeeded by The Earl of Bedford
	Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire (in the absence of The Earl of Sandwich) 1685–1689	Succeeded by The Earl of Manchester
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by Robert Bruce	Earl of Elgin 1685–1741	Succeeded by Charles Bruce