Tour Scotland 4K early Autumn travel video of the graveyard and Sir William Bruce Mortuary Chapel on ancestry, genealogy, family history visit to the graveyard at Kirkgate on a promontory which extends into Loch Leven a half mile East South East of the centre of Kinross, Perthshire, Britain, United Kingdom. The Kirkgate Graveyard lies next to Kinross House. The builder of that property, King's Surveyor and Architect and Merchant, Sir William Bruce, born 1630, died 1710, lies here with his family in a small mausoleum. Sir William Bruce was born at Blairhall in West Fife. Bruce came to note when he acted as negotiator between General Monk, born 1608, died 1670, and the exiled King Charles II, born 1630, died 1685, to bring about the Restoration of the Stuart dynasty. This role endeared him to the King resulting in several appointments and sufficient wealth to enable him to purchase Balcaskie Estate in Fife in 1665. Bruce became King's Surveyor and Master of Works in 1671 and one of the richest men in the country. He was a pioneer of the Palladian style and rebuilt and extended the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. He was commissioned by land owners to design and build some of Scotland's greatest country houses, including Hopetoun and Thirlestane. An ambitious man, wishing to better his social position, he sold Balcaskie in 1684 and bought the estate of Kinross from the Earl of Morton, including the ancient Loch Leven Castle with its associations with Mary, Queen of Scots, born 1542, died 1587. He built Kinross House as his new home with the old castle forming part of a designed landscape. He had hoped to rise to the peerage but instead, with the death of his King and patron in 1685, he lost favour and money. He tried in vain to ingratiate himself with King James VII, but worse, following the Glorious Revolution of 1688, Bruce was seen as a supporter of the previous regime, arrested and brought to Edinburgh Castle. Although never convicted, he was a broken man and his project at Kinross House was never completed. He is buried in a small mausoleum in the adjacent kirkgate kirkyard. The surname Bruce was first found in Yorkshire, England, where Robert de Bruis was granted ninety four manors. His son Robert de Bruys travelled north with Earl David of Huntingdon who later became King of Scotland and was granted large estates in Annandale, Scotland about 1150. Robert de Bruys had two sons: Robert and William. Robert, who became known as Robert the Bruce, would later claim the crown of Scotland and unite Scotland against the English. He defeated the English army soundly in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. As a result of this battle Scotland gained its independence from England as declared in the Treaty of Northampton in 1328. Spelling variations of this family name include: Brywiss, Broyse, Bruce, Bruice, Bruise, Brus, Broys, Brywass, Brues, Brywess, Bruwes, Bruys, Bruze, Brwze, Brywes, Bruse, Braose, Bruis, Browse and many more. Douglas Bruce arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship William Nicol in 1840; Charles Bruce landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840; James Bruce arrived in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1749; George Bruce arrived in Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada, in 1862; Sarah Bruce arrived in Massachusetts, America, in 1643; Alexander Bruce who settled in Virginia, America, in 1716; James Bruce settled in South Carolina, America, in 1716. Clan Bruce, Scottish Gaelic: Brùs, is a Lowlands Scottish clan. It was a Royal House in the 14th century, producing two kings of Scotland, Robert the Bruce and King David II of Scotland, and a disputed High King of Ireland, Edward Bruce. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. Find things to see and do in Scotland where you are always welcome.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs
No comments:
Post a Comment