The current chief is Andrew Douglas Alexander Thomas Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin. The Bruces are descended from a Norman Knight who arrived in England with William the Conqueror in 1066. Sir Robert de Brus, Knight, who accompanied William the Conqueror to England, is the progenitor of this Family. His son, Robert de Brus, was Companion-at-Arms to Prince David, later King of Scots, from whom he received the Lordship of Annandale. Robert, the fourth Lord, married a niece of William the Lion, and on this marriage was based the claim through which the seventh Lord of Annandale and third of Carrick became King Robert the Bruce. It was his decisive victory over the English at Bannockburn in 1314 that finally established the independence of Scotland. From the Bruces of Clackmannan is descended the Earl of Elgin, the present Head of the Family.The name Bruce comes from the French de Brus or de Bruis, which comes from the land known today as Brix which is in Normandy.Robert The Bruce is arguably one of the most well-known and influential people in Scottish history, due to his presence he really put the Bruce Clan on the map.
You must be logged in to post a comment.