Robert Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury

Robert Bruce
Earl of Ailesbury

Reign	18 March 1664 - 20 October 1685
Spouse	Diana Grey
Issue Hon. Edward Bruce (1644/5 - 1662) Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury Hon. Henry Bruce (b. 1656?, d. young). Lady Diana Bruce (d. 15 July 1672) Mary Bruce (born 31 December 1657, buried 15 May 1711) Lady Christian (or Christiana) Bruce (born 1658) Lady Anne Bruce (1st Anne, b. ca. 1660, d. before 1717) Hon. Robert Bruce (1st Robert?, d. 1652). Hon. Charles Bruce (d. 1661). Hon. Bernard (or Barnard) Bruce (b. 1666, d. 1669). Arabella Bruce (d. young). Anne Charlotte Bruce (2nd Anne, bur. 13 March 1713) Henrietta Bruce; married Thomas Ogle. Hon. Robert Bruce (2nd Robert?, d. 1728). Hon. James Bruce (d. 1738). Christian Bruce (1st Christian?, d. young). Elizabeth Bruce (d. young).
Father	Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin
Born	ca. March 1626
Died	20 October 1685 Houghton House, Bedfordshire,

Robert Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury and 2nd Earl of Elgin, PC, FRS (ca. March 1626 – 20 October 1685) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1663 when he inherited his father's title as Earl of Elgin.

Life

Bruce was the son of Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin. During his father's lifetime, Lord Bruce, as he was styled, was Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire in the Convention Parliament in 1660 and the Cavalier Parliament in 1661, until he succeeded to his father's titles in 1663.^[1] The following year (18 March 1664) he was created Earl of Ailesbury, Viscount Bruce of Ampthill and Baron Bruce of Skelton for his services in procuring the English Restoration. He was Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire from 1660 with the Earl of Cleveland and solely from 1667 to his death.^[2]

In October 1678, Lord Ailesbury was invested as a Privy Counsellor (PC) and a Gentleman of the Bedchamber. He was Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire and Hampshire from 1681 to his death. In 1685, he was invested as a Fellow of the Royal Society and Lord Chamberlain on 30 July 1685.^[2]

Lord Ailesbury died in 1685, aged 58 at Houghton House, just north of Ampthill, Bedfordshire, and was buried on 26 October of that year, at Maulden. ^[2] His widow built Ampthill House nearby in 1686, originally as a dower house.

Marriage & progeny

Diana, Countess of Ailesbury, by Henri Gascar

Lord Bruce married Lady Diana Grey, daughter of Henry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford, on 16 February 1645. They had seventeen children, nine of which seem to have survived to adulthood:

Hon. Edward Bruce (b. 1644/5, d. 1662).
Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury (b. 1656, d. 16 December 1741).^[3]
Hon. Henry Bruce (b. 1656?, d. young).
Lady Diana Bruce (d. 15 July 1672); married firstly Sir Seymour Shirley, 5th Baronet on 29 January 1666;^[4] married secondly John Manners, 1st Duke of Rutland on 10 November 1671.^[5]
Mary Bruce (b. 31 December 1657, bur. 15 May 1711),^[6] married Sir William Walter, 2nd Baronet.^[7]
Lady Christian (or Christiana) Bruce (b.1658),^[8] married firstly, on 4 June 1677 at Ampthill, John Rolle (d.1689), eldest son and heir apparent of Sir John Rolle (d.1706), KB, MP, of Stevenstone in Devon;^[9] she married secondly Sir Richard Gayer (or Geyer/Gere) of Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire.
Lady Anne Bruce (1st Anne, b. ca. 1660, d. before 1717);^[10] married Sir William Rich, 2nd Baronet in 1672.^[11]
Hon. Robert Bruce (1st Robert?, d. 1652).
Hon. Charles Bruce (d. 1661).
Hon. Bernard (or Barnard) Bruce (b. 1666, d. 1669).
Arabella Bruce (d. young).
Anne Charlotte Bruce (2nd Anne, bur. 13 March 1713);^[12] married Sir Nicholas Bagnall/Bagenall of Newry, a grandson of Henry Bagenal.^[13]
Henrietta Bruce; married Thomas Ogle.
Hon. Robert Bruce (2nd Robert?, d. 1728).
Hon. James Bruce (d. 1738).
Christian Bruce (1st Christian?, d. young).
Elizabeth Bruce (d. young).

Notes

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References

Henderson, Thomas Finlayson (1886). "Bruce, Robert (d.1685)". In Stephen, Leslie. Dictionary of National Biography 7. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

External links

Website with information about the Ailesbury Mausoleum at Maulden

Parliament of England
Preceded by Unknown	Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire 1660–1663 With: Samuel Browne 1660–1661 Sir Humphrey Winch, 1st Baronet 1661–1663	Succeeded by Sir Humphrey Winch, 1st Baronet Sir John Napier
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Earl of Bolingbroke	Custos Rotulorum of Bedfordshire jointly with The Earl of Bolingbroke 1671–1681 1671–1685	Succeeded by The Earl of Ailesbury
Preceded by The Earl of Cleveland	Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire jointly with The Earl of Cleveland 1660–1667 1660–1685

Preceded by The Earl of Manchester	Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire (in the absence of The Earl of Sandwich) 1681–1685
Preceded by The Lord Alington	Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire (in the absence of The Earl of Sandwich) 1685	Vacant Title next held by The Lord Dover
Political offices
Preceded by The Earl of Arlington	Lord Chamberlain 1685	Succeeded by The Earl of Mulgrave
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by Thomas Bruce	Earl of Elgin 1663–1685	Succeeded by Thomas Bruce
Peerage of England
New title	Earl of Ailesbury 1664–1685	Succeeded by Thomas Bruce

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