John Collingwood Bruce

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Rev John Collingwood Bruce LL.D, F.S.A. (1805-1892) was a Tyneside author and historian. He co-operated with the author John Stokoe in compiling the hugely important Northumbrian Minstrelsy published in 1882[1][2]

Early life

Rev John Collingwood Bruce LL.D, F.S.A. was a Tyneside churchman, who wrote a large quantity of historical literature.

His main interest was in the history of Britain, in particular North East England and more specifically Roman Britain and Hadrian's Wall.

With regards to Hadrian's Wall, in his books John Collingwood Bruce used a numbering system for the structures. In or around 1930 this system appeared to have been introduced generally as a standard method of distinguishing between the various structures. Using this system, the various structures were numbered after the Milecastle located to the east of the object. Example T33a or Turret 26B (Brunton) - (see Numbering system and naming)

His interest in music came from his general interest in anything historical, and in editing the Northumbrian Minstrelsy he co-operated with fellow author John Stokoe .

The article Music of Northumbria, credits John Stokoe with copying out, in 1850, some of the tunes from John Smith’s tunebook of 1750, a book now long lost, and the pair creating this comprehensive collection of old Northern Songs. The work was on behalf of, and published by, the Ancient Melodies Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, of which John Collingwood Bruce was an active committee member.

Family

His father, also John, had been a schoolteacher for over 40 years, first in Alnwick, then in Newcastle. He was an author and had written books, including a work on Geography. He died at his home in Percy Street, Newcastle on 31 Aug 1834 aged 80 years. This information is taken from Local Records for this day in Thomas Fordyce's "Local records : or, Historical register of remarkable events [3]

Death

John Collingwood Bruce died on 5 April 1892, his wife Charlotte died 7 April ???? and their daughter Frances died aged 18 months on 17 December 1839, They are buried in the family grave in Jesmond Old Cemetery.[4] Other children include Sir Gainsford Bruce.

A photograph of the simple headstone can be seen – [5] (courtesy of Steve Ellwood, Whitley Bay).

A sculptured marble sarcophagus within St Nicholas’ Cathedral shows the carved body of J. C. Bruce laid with his feet on a copy of his book Hadrian's Wall.[6]

Selected works

Music

The article Music of Northumbria, credits John Stokoe with copying out, in 1850, some of the tunes from John Smith’s tunebook of 1750, a book now long lost, and, together with John Collingwood Bruce, creating this comprehensive collection of old Northern Songs. The work was on behalf of, and published by, the Ancient Melodies Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Historical

  • A Handbook to Newcastle-on-Tyne (286 pages) - by John Collingwood Bruce - published 1863 [8]
  • The Hand-Book of English History, consisting of an epitome of the annals of the Nation and a series of questions upon each period – Third edition Brought down to the Present Period 1857 - by Rev John Collingwood Bruce LL.D, F.S.A.
  • Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Royal Mining, Engineering, and Industrial Exhibition, Jubilee Year, 1887. the Bridges and the Floods of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (42 pages) - by J. Collingwood Bruce – published 1887
  • A Guide To The Castle Of Newcastle Upon Tyne: Illustrated With Plans, Sections, And Numerous Engravings On Wood (64 pages) – by John Collingwood Bruce – published 1847
  • The Bayeux Tapestry Elucidated (204 pages) - John Collingwood Bruce,
  • Handbook To The Roman Wall: A Guide To Tourists Traversing The Barrier Of The Lower Isthmus (312 pages) - John Collingwood Bruce (Author), Robert Blair (Editor) – published 1895
  • The Roman wall a historical, topographical, and descriptive account of the barrier of the lower isthmus, extending from the Tyne to the Solway, deduced from numerous personal surveys - J. Collingwood Bruce - published 1851
  • Handbook to the Roman Wall: With the Cumbrian Coast and Outpost Forts (355 pages) - J. Collingwood Bruce
  • The Roman Wall, a Description of the Mural Barrier of the North of England (502 pages) - J Collingwood Bruce
  • The Life and Letters of John Collingwood Bruce (454 pages) – authors John Collingwood Bruce, Gainsford Bruce – published in 1905

Papers and magazine articles

  • “Hadrian, the Builder of the Roman Wall” - a paper read at the monthly meeting of the Society of Antiquaries, Newcastle upon Tyne, 4. Aug. 1852 (apparently 748 pages in written form)
  • “The Wall of Hadrian, with Especial Reference to Recent Discoveries” (76 pages) – two lectures in 1874
  • “Notice of a Stone, bearing a Rinnan Inscription, built into a Staircase in Jedburgh Abbey” in magazine 1885

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Allan’s Illustrated Edition of Tyneside songs and readings". 
  2. ↑ Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside songs and readings with lives, portraits and autographs of the writers, and notes on the songs. Revised Edition. Thomas & Gorge Allan, 18 Blackett Street, and 34 Collingwood Street, (Newcastle upon Tyne) – Sold by W. Allan, 80 Grainqer Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, B. Allan, North Shields and Walter Scott. London. 1891. 
  3. ↑ "Thomas Fordyce's Local records : or, Historical register of remarkable events".". 
  4. ↑ "Friends of Jesmond Old Cemetery". 
  5. ↑ "Bruce family grave". 
  6. ↑ "Marble statue of Bruce in St Nicholas’ Cathedral courtesy of Steve Ellwood". 
  7. ↑ "Northumbrian Minstrelsy by Bruce and Stokoe, 1882". 
  8. ↑ A Handbook to Newcastle-on-Tyne. 

External links

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