Person Bruce; Robert (1626 - 1685); 2nd Earl of Elgin and 1st Earl of Ailesbury; nobleman and politician Bruce Robert nobleman and politician 1626 - 1685 British Male Parish of St Bartholomew-the-Less, London, England, Europe c. March 1626 0 Houghton Park, Ampthill, Bedfordshire, England, Europe 20 October 1685 16851020 Burial: Maulden, Ampthill, Bedfordshire, England, Europe (26 October 1685)

Houghton Park, Ampthill

Career: Travelled in Italy (c. 1645) where he met John Evelyn (FRS 1663); Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire (1660-death), Huntingdonshire (1681-death), Cambridgeshire (1685-death); MP for Bedfordshire (1660-1661); Privy Councillor (1678); Custos Rotulorum for Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire (1681-death); Recorder of Bedford and Godmanchester (1684-death); Gentleman of the King's Bedchamber; Lord Chamberlain to James II (1685) Honours: Baron Bruce of Skelton, Viscount Bruce of Ampthill and Earl of Ailesbury 1664 Parents: Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin, and Anne Chichester; succeeded his father (1663) Married: Diana Gray [Grey] Father-in-law: Nicholas Bagenall (FRS 1664) Children: Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury; Lady Diana Bruce; fifteen others Bruce was a staunch royalist supporter during the Civil War and raised monetary efforts in support of Charles II. After the Restoration, this loyality helped him secure a variety of appointments, such as joint Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire with the Earl of Cleveland. During his tenure as sole Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, he supported the anti-exclusionist cause in Bedfordshire in the times of the Exclusion Crisis. Royal Society roles: Council: 1669-1670; 1674-1675 Original Fellow 20/05/1663 37 Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB; GEC; Evelyn; Henning Notes: The election date is Bruce's election date into the Society after the grant of the second charter in April 1663. All Fellows admitted in a two-month window after this charter, until 22 June 1663, are considered Original Fellows. International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 c 1626 - 20 Oct 1685 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 06/12/2021 as part of Name Authority Project update. NA6089 21/11/2001 Andyg pmab 28/03/2023 RS_NET\JonathanB Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/56963658 c5dad9b5-cc5f-4100-ac30-8c0e4553ead7