Robert Bruce (British Army officer, born 1821)

General

Robert Bruce of Glendouglie

Born| 3 December 1821
Nord, Pas-de-Calais, France
Died| 14 October 1891
Milnathort, Kinross-shire, Scotland
Allegiance|  United Kingdom
Service / branch|  British Army
Rank| General
Commands| Commander of the Forces in Scotland
Battles / wars| 8th Xhosa War

General Robert Bruce of Glendouglie (3 December 1821 – 14 October 1891) was a British Army officer who became colonel of the Queen's Royal Regiment. He was Commander of the Forces in Scotland from 1878 to 1880.

## Early life and family

[edit]

Robert Bruce was born in 1821 in Nord, France, the third son of John Bruce Bruce-Pryce (born John Bruce Knight, later Bruce-Pryce; 1784–1872), a Royal Navy agent and banker; and his first wife, Sarah Ann Austin (1788–1842), daughter of Rev. Hugh Williams Austin. Henry Bruce, 1st Baron Aberdare, was his elder brother. He was of Scottish, Welsh and English descent and grew up at the family's estate Dyffryn, Glamorganshire.[1]

## Military career

[edit]

Bruce was commissioned as an ensign in the 74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot on 9 June 1838.[2] He saw action with his regiment in the 8th Xhosa War between 1851 and 1853.[2] He became commanding officer of the 2nd battalion of his regiment in August 1857 in which capacity he was deployed to Gibraltar.[2] He went on to become commander of the troops in the North British District in 1878.[3] He became colonel of the East Yorkshire Regiment on 4 February 1890[4] and colonel of the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) on 6 June 1891.[5]

## Marriage

[edit]

In 1857, Bruce married 1857 Rachel Frances Corbet, daughter of Richard Corbet of Adderley, Shropshire. They had seven daughters.[1]

* Constance Mary (23 January 1858 – ), married in 1879 Sir Francis Charles Gore
* Isabel (1860 – 27 February 1918), married in 1891 to Col. John Anstruther-Thomson of Charleton and Carntyne, 18th Lord St Clair (1818–1904), son of John Anstruther-Thomson
* Augusta Rachael (1861 – 15 February 1946), married in 1908 Lt-Col Sir Stewart Blakeley Agnew Patterson
* Amy Gertrude (1863 – 10 October 1939), married Thomas Edward Erskine
* Eleanor Blanche (20 November 1865 – 1947), married in 1896 John Hugh Armstrong Elliot
* Janet Sara (1866 – ), married in 1904 as his second wife Ludovick Duncombe-Jewell Cameron[6]
* Margaret Lucy (7 March 1872 – 12 April 1951)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Burke, Bernard (1925). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry. Burke Publishing Company. p. 1455. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
2. ^ a b c "General Robert Bruce 1891". Queen’s Royal Surreys. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
3. ^ "Hart's Army List 1879". p. 117. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
4. ^ "No. 26043". The London Gazette. 18 April 1890. p. 2274.
5. ^ "No. 26182". The London Gazette. 14 July 1891. p. 3722.
6. ^ Burnand, Sir Francis Cowley (1928). The Catholic Who's who and Yearbook. Burns & Oates. pp. 65–66. Retrieved 14 September 2024.

Military offices

Preceded by

Sir John Stuart

|  Commanding the troops in the North British District
1878-1880  | Succeeded by

Sir William Hope

Preceded by

Henry Smyth

|  Colonel of the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
June 1891-October 1891  | Succeeded by

Frederick Wilkinson