Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 4.djvu/386

 388 KINCARDINE. II. 10G2. 2. Alexander (Bruce), Earl of Kincardine, &&,, [S.], br. and h., sue, to the Earldom [S.] in 1602 ; was in great favour with King Charles It P.O., 1602 ; joint Commissioner of State for Scot- laud, 1666-74, being also one of the Lords of Session [S.J 1667-80. He m. (contract 16 June 165!) at the Hague) Veronica (a fortune of 80,000 guilders), da of Cornoille Van Arson Van SOUMELSDTCK, Lord of Sotnerlsdyck and Spycke in Holland, CoL of a Reg. of Cavalry. He tl . 9 July 16S0.( : >) His widow d. before 4 Jan. 1707. [Charles Bruce, Master of Kincardine, styled Lord Bruce, s. and h. ap. He d. v.p. and unm. III. 1G30. 3. Alexander (Bruce), Earl of Kincardine, «xc. [S.] 2d and yst., but only surv. s. and h., sue- to the Earldom 9 July 16S0, and was served h. to his uncle, the 1st Earl, 1 Feb. 16S3. His father having died much in debt, the family estate of Carnock was sold in 1700. Ho lost his eye- sight some years before his death. He d. unm. Nov. 1705. (") IY. 1705. 4- Alexander (Bruce), Earl of Kincardine, &c. [S.], cousin and h. mal», being only s. and h. of Robert Bm'ce, of Broomhall, a Lord of Session [8. J, by Helen, da. of Sir James Skene, of Curriehill, which Robert (who d. 25 Juuc 1052), was od B. of Sir George Bruce, of Camock {d. 6 May 1625), who was grandfather of the first Earl. He was M.P. for Culross, 1661-63, 1669-74, 167S, and 1686-86, and for Sanquhar, 169'-', till expelled in 1702; was joint Receiver Gen. of Supply and Excise, 1693-95. He was knighted before 1704. His claim to the Earldom [S.J to which, as heir male, he sue. Nov. 1705, was opposed by the sister( c ) and heir of line of the late Earl, but he took his seat 10 Oct. 1706, and gave his vote against the proposed Union. He m. Christiau, da. of Robert Bruce, of Blairhall, by Catharine, da. of Sir Robert Pheston, Bait., of Valley field. He d. 10 Oct. 1706,(1) aged about 70. V. 170G. 5. Robert (Bruce), Earl of Kincardine, &c. [S.], s. and h., appears to have survived his father and sue. to the Earldom, &c. [S.] in 1702 but to have d. unm. soon afterwards.^") YI. 1710'! G. Alexander (Bkuce), Earl of Kincardine, &o. [S.], br- and h., b. 19 Jan. 1662 ; reg. at Edinburgh; sue. to the Earldom, &c. [S.] about 1710. He rf. s.p.m, probably about 1720. ( a ) A most favourable character of him is given by Pp. Burnet (in his " History of his own times") with whom for 17 years he was in great friendship, who speaks of him as " both the wisest and the worthiest man that belonged to his country, and lit for governing any affairs but his own, which he neglected to his ruin." ( b ) Of his 3 Bisters, the eldest and heir of line, Alary, >«., in 1681, William Cochrane, of Ochiltree, and was mother of Thomas, 8th Earl of Uuudonald [S.] (') Her claim (see note " b " next above) was based on a resignation in her favour by her brother (whose sanity was questioned) which resignation it was held that the Crown (tho' it had not done so in the lifetime of the resiguer) was com- petent to accept and make valid. No such acceptance was, however, made before the act of Union [S.] after which date the power of the Crown to interfere in such a matter is held to have ceased. The lady Mary Cochrane, however entered protests at the election of Scotch Beers in 1708 and 1710. See M Jtiddeli," pp. 33-34. ( d ) Macky thus speaks of him when '■ Sir Alexander Bruce " and heir presumptive to the Earldom, ''Hath been in and out of the administration all the thrco reigns of King Charles, King James, and King William ; hath spent a vast deal of money and is always poor ; hath a great deal of wit ; was banished Scol land for a speech he made against Presbytery and yet hath been on all sides ; he hath now a pension from the Queen and is a very blustering, bold man, of near 70 years old." ( 9 ) In Wood's "Douglas's Peerage" (edit. 1813) is this note "Robert, is inserted on the authority of the first edition, but his existence seems doubtful as Alexander Bruce is mentioned as younger of Broomhall in 1702."