James Bruce (Chief Justice)

James Bruce (1691-1749) was the Chief Justice of Barbados and the son of Alexander Bruce of Gartlet. Through the paternal line James Bruce was a direct descendant of Thomas Bruce 1st Baron of Clackmannan. Sir James Bruce was the ancestor of two black Bruce families in the British Gold Coast and Barbados.

Background and ancestry

Sir James Bruce was born in 1691 in Clackmannan to Alexander and Margaret Bruce Earl of Gartlet. Sir James's grandfather, Robert Bruce, was the esquire of Kennet. James Bruce was also an indirect descendant of Robert the Bruce through his paternal great grandfather, Archibald Bruce Lord Balfour of Burleigh and husband to Margaret Bruce. Margaret Bruce was the only daughter of Robert Bruce of Wester Kennet, and she continued his lineage through Archibald. Sir James was a descendant of De Brus through an illegitimate daughter of Robert II.

Patriarch of Black Bruce families

Trough James Bruce's first son was Robert Bruce (Merchant Adventurer) and his descendants are the Bruces of Jamestown, Ghana. Sir James Bruce was the ancestor of the Barbadian Bruce family through his wife in Barbados, Keturah, who was the daughter of Joseph French. Sir James' son, Joseph Bruce, was also a governor of Barbados.

Death

James Bruce died on 19 September 1749 and was buried at All Hallows Staining in London, England; [http://www.rangeweb.net/~hmscook/ances/ances-p/p3.htm Cook family] ] his wife Keturah, who died in 1775, was also buried at All Hallows.

References

ources

*http://books.google.com/books?id=GJ3KCnhqAdMC&pg=PA446&dq=governor+joseph+bruce+barbados
*http://www.brucefamily.com/lineage.htm#gartlet