Collections towards a history of the county of Clackmannan

40
absence for six months."
" Ordered that the said James Bruce be al-
lowed to be absent from this island six months
for the recovery of his health."
No. 325.— 12th July, 1749.— Extract from
Minutes of Council of Barbadoes in State Paper
Office, London. At a meeting of His Excel-
lency and Council at Pilguin, then His Excel-
lency informed the Board that by the departure
of the Hon. James Bruce from this island the
seat of Chief Judge of Common Pleas for St
Michael's was become vacont. (Vol. 84 State
Papers, Board of Trade State Paper Office.)
No. 326.— Will of James Bruce, Esq. of
Garlet,and of the island of Barbadoes,— to his
wife, Keteurah Bruce, the sum of two hundred
pounds, to be paid to her immediately after his
decease ; and also all his plate, household stuff,
furniture of every sort, and his chairot and two
horses ; and also the sum of one hundred and
fifty pounds current money per annum during
her life. To his kinsman Mr John Cleland,
the sum of ten pounds ; to the daughters
of his brother-in-law John Cleland, mer-
chant in Edinburgh, the sum of fifty pounds
sterling money of Great Britain, to be
paid to each of them two years after his
decease. To each of his sons, Alexander and
Robert Bruce, when they shall severally and
respectively attain their ages of 18 years, the
sum of .£2000 sterling ; to each of his daughters
Keteurah and Elizabeth Bruce, when they shall
severally and respecfully attain their ages of 18
years, the sum of £2000 sterling. Rest and resi-
due to his eldest son Joseph Osborne Bruce and
his heirs and assigns for ever, but if from any
unforeseen accident it should happen that such
rest and residue of his estate intended for his
said eldest son should not be of the value of at
least _ £0000 sterling, then younger children's
legacies to be curtailed proportionate. Ap-
points his wife during her widowhood, his
brother-in-law John French, Esq., his friends
Robert Osborne, George Walker, Gedney
Clarke, Abraham Cumberbatch, Thos. Forbes,
the Rev. John Pilgrim, Benjamin Bazwin, and
William Duke, executors of his will, and his
said wife during her widowhood, and his friends
and son guardians of the bodies and estates of
his children, until they shall severally and res-
pectively attain their ages of 21 years,— dated
24th day of April, 1749.
The will was proved and recorded in Barba-
does, 21st Feby., 1750. It will be observed
that in this settlement he mentions his kins-
man John Cleland, and his brother-in-law Mr
John Cleland, merchant in Edinburgh, but no
mention is made of his nephew Wm. Bruce, or
of any descendent from him, which, with other
evidence, goes to prove that he had before this
date died without issue. Mr James Bruce
appears during his residence of about forty
years in the island of Barbadoes " to have ac-
quired a handsome fortune." (Notice of his
death in " Scott's Magazine" for 1749, vol. xi.,
p. 463.) The same authority informs us that he'
was returning with his family to Scotland to
settle for life, when he died in London, 19th
Sept., 1749. A notice of him also occurs in
the "Gentleman's Magazine," the "London
Magazine," and the " Morning Advertiser," in
the latter of which it is stated that he died in
Mark Lane. At this date, James Bruce of
Kinnard, the celebrated Abyssinian traveller,
had just come to Loudon, and was residing with
Mr Allan, a wine merchant, in Mark Lane,
whose daughter he afterward married. Mr >
William Bruce, another cadet of this house,^
formerly a surgeon in the navy, (son of Captain
James Bruce, RN.,) but at that time an
extensive banker aud navy agent, was the
only householder in Mark Lane, (his daughter
Margaret was the mother of the Right Hon.
Sir James Lewis Knight Bruce, and John
Bruce Pryce, Esq., father ot the Right Hon.
Henry Austin Bruce, M.P. His eldest son,
Joseph Osborne Bruce, Esq., was appointed,
on the 13th September, 1756, one of the
Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in Bar-
badoes. He married Jane, only child of Gen.
Samuel Barwick, and left issue James Conrad,
Barwick, and Samuel la Rogue. Of James
Bruce's other two sons, Robert was an officer in
the 65th Regiment, and died of wounds ;
and Alexander was educated in Edinburgh,
under the care of his uncle, Mr John Cleland
and took out the degree of M.D. in 1755— he
left an only child Keteurah, wife, first of Capt.
Devenish, R.N., and second of Win. Murray —
by Mr Murray she had, with other issue, a
daughter, Elizabeth, wife of Major- General
Berkeley, Colonel 16th Regiment, and Com-
mander-in-Chief at Jamaica. Of James Bruce's
two daughters— the eldest, Keteurah, wed Rev. '
John Pilgrim, who is buried in St George's
Chapel, Windsor, and Elizabeth, who married
James Straker, barrister-at-law, whose only
child was the wife of Colonel Hew Dalrymple,
A.D.C. to the Duke of Rutland, when Viceroy
of Ireland, cousin of James Dalrymple, Sheriff
of Clackmannan, and afterwards Earl of Stair.
No. 327 — May 21st 1754.— Extract from the
parish Register of Clackmannan, " Robert
Bruce of Kennet, Esq., advocate in the parish,
and Miss Helen Abercrombie, eldest lawful
daughter to George Abercromby of Tullibody,
Esquire in the parish of Alloa, enlisted their
names, and after usual proclamations were mar-
ried June 6th, 1754, N.S."
No. 328.— July 17th, 1755 Extract from
the parish Register of Clackmannan, " Robert
Bruce, Esq., and Helen Abercromby baptised