Earl of Elgin

Lord Elgin redirects here. For the brand of wrist watch, see Elgin National Watch Company.

Arms of Bruce, Earl of Elgin: Or, a saltire and chief gules on a canton argent a lion rampant azure armed and langued of the second, adopted 1867; Crest: A lion statant azure armed and langued gules, motto: FUIMUS ("We have been")

The title Earl of Elgin /ˈɛlɡɪn/ was created on 21 June 1633 in the Peerage of Scotland for Thomas Bruce, 3rd Lord Kinloss. He was later created Baron Bruce of Whorlton in the Peerage of England on 30 July 1641. His son, Robert, succeeded him, and was also created Earl of Ailesbury in the Peerage of England. The two Earldoms continued united until the death of the fourth Earl of Elgin, when the Ailesbury and Bruce titles became extinct, and the Elgin title passed to the Earl of Kincardine; the Lordship of Kinloss became dormant. Thereafter, the Earldoms of Elgin and Kincardine have remained united. The most famous Earl was the 7th Earl, who removed and transported to Britain the so-called Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon. In Dublin there are roads that come from the Earl's titles. These are Elgin Road and Ailesbury Road.

As well as the titles Earl of Elgin and Earl of Kincardine, Lord Elgin also holds the titles Lord Bruce of Kinloss (created 1608), Lord Bruce of Torry (1647) and Baron Elgin, of Elgin in Scotland (1849). The first two are in the Peerage of Scotland; the third is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

The Lordship of Kinloss held by the first four Earls was inherited on the death of the 4th Earl by the 3rd Duke of Chandos. Through his daughter it passed to the Dukes of Buckingham and Chandos, and is now held by these Dukes' heir of line.

The Earl of Elgin is the hereditary Clan Chief of Clan Bruce.

The family seat is Broomhall House, three miles south-west of Dunfermline, Scotland.

Lords Bruce of Kinloss (1608)

• Edward Bruce, 1st Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1548–1611)
• Edward Bruce, 2nd Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1594–1613)
• Thomas Bruce, 3rd Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1599–1663) (created Earl of Elgin 1633)

Earls of Elgin (1633)

• Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin (1599–1663)
• Robert Bruce, 2nd Earl of Elgin, 1st Earl of Ailesbury (1627–1685)
  • Hon. Robert Bruce (d. 1652)
  • Hon. Edward Bruce (d. 1662)
• Thomas Bruce, 3rd Earl of Elgin, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury (1656–1741)
  • Robert Bruce, Lord Bruce (1679–before 1741)
• Charles Bruce, 4th Earl of Elgin, 3rd Earl of Ailesbury (1682–1747)
  • Hon. Robert Bruce (d. 1738)
• Charles Bruce, 5th Earl of Elgin and 9th Earl of Kincardine (1732–1771)
• William Robert Bruce, 6th Earl of Elgin and 10th Earl of Kincardine (1764–1771)
• Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, 11th Earl of Kincardine (1766–1841) - of the eponymous Elgin Marbles
  • George Charles Constantine Bruce, Lord Bruce (1800–1840)
• James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin, 12th Earl of Kincardine (1811–1863)
• Victor Alexander Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin, 13th Earl of Kincardine (1849–1917)
• Edward James Bruce, 10th Earl of Elgin, 14th Earl of Kincardine (1881–1968)
• Andrew Douglas Alexander Thomas Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin, 15th Earl of Kincardine (b. 1924)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son Charles Edward Bruce, Lord Bruce (b. 1961)

The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son James Andrew Charles Robert Bruce, Master of Bruce (b. 1991)

References

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk

See also

• Clan Bruce
• Elgin Marbles