Modern English biography, volume 1 (of 4), A-H by Frederic Boase
1865. _d._ Boston, United States 19 Sep. 1867. _bur._ Dunfermline
1823 words | Chapter 190
abbey 8 Oct. _D. C. Boulger’s History of China iii_, (1884); _G.M.
iv_, 677–8(1867).
BRUCE, GEORGE (_brother of David Bruce 1770–1857_). _b._ Edinburgh
26 June 1781; a type founder in New York 1816 to death; harmonised
and graduated size of different bodies of type as they ranged in
the 11 series from pearl to canon; introduced the body called
“agate” which is largely used by American newspapers; pres. of New
York Type founders association 1863 to death; invented with his
nephew David Bruce type-casting machine which was in general use
many years. _d._ New York 6 July 1866.
BRUCE, SIR HENRY WILLIAM (_3 son of Rev. Sir Henry Hervey Aston
Bruce, 1 Baronet who d. 17 Oct. 1822_). _b._ 2 Feb. 1792; entered
navy 1803; captain 16 Nov. 1821; commodore on West Coast of Africa
5 March 1851; commander in chief in the Pacific 25 Nov. 1854 to 8
July 1857 and at Portsmouth 1 March 1860 to 1 March 1863; admiral
27 April 1863; K.C.B. 28 June 1861. _d._ Fairfield near Liverpool
14 Dec. 1863.
BRUCE, HERBERT. Entered Bombay army 1842; captain 2 European
regiment 27 March 1855 to death; C.B. 26 July 1858. _d._ on board
Messageries Imperiales steamer, near Suez 26 Feb. 1866 aged 39.
BRUCE, JAMES. _b._ Aberdeen 1808; editor of the _Fifeshire Journal_
at Cupar; edited successively _Madras Athenæum_, _Newcastle
Chronicle_ and _Belfast Northern Whig_; author of _The black
kalendar of Aberdeen_ 1840; _Lives of eminent men of Aberdeen_
1841; _Table talk_ 1845; _Classic and historic portraits_ 1853;
_Scenes and sights in the East_ 1856. _d._ Belfast 19 Aug. 1861.
BRUCE, SIR JAMES LEWIS KNIGHT (_3 son of John Knight of Fairlinch,
Devon who d. 1799_). _b._ Barnstaple, Devon 15 Feb. 1791; ed. at
Bath gr. sch. and Sherborne 1799–1805; articled to B. C. Williams
of Lincoln’s Inn Fields solicitor 1807–12; barrister L.I. 21 Nov.
1817, bencher 6 Nov. 1829, treasurer 1842–3, laid foundation stone
of the new hall 20 April 1843; practised in Court of Chancery;
K.C. Nov. 1829; recorder of Brecon; M.P. for Bishop’s Castle 30
April 1831 to 3 Dec. 1832; contested borough of Cambridge Aug.
1837; spoke for 7 days in case of Small _v._ Attwood Nov 1831;
leader in Sir Lancelot Shadwell’s court 1834; made £18,000 a year
1835–41; assumed by royal license additional surname of Bruce 4
Sep. 1837; vice chancellor 28 Oct. 1841; knighted at Windsor
Castle 15 Jany. 1842; P.C. 15 Jany. 1842; chief judge in
bankruptcy Nov. 1842; exercised jurisdiction of the old Court of
Review, after it’s abolition 1847; senior lord justice of appeal
in chancery 8 Oct. 1851 to Oct. 1866; F.R.S. 18 March 1829, D.C.L.
Ox. 1834. _d._ The Priory, Roehampton, Surrey 7 Nov. 1866. _Law
mag. and law review v_, 244–50 (1858), _xxii_, 278–93 (1867);
_London Society xi_, 181–8 (1867), _portrait_; _The bench and the
bar_, _part 1_, _portrait_.
BRUCE, JOHN. _b._ London 1802; a founder of Camden Society 2 March
1838, director 19 years; edited the first and 12 other volumes for
the Society; F.S.A. 1830, treasurer 1849–54; edited _Gent. Mag._
some years; edited _Calendars of state papers, domestic series
Charles i 1625–39, 12 vols._ 1858–71; contributed many papers to
the _Archæologia_. _d._ suddenly in Montagu sq. London 28 Oct.
1869, his library was sold at Sotheby’s 27 April to 2 May 1870.
_Proc. of Soc. of Antiq. 2 series iv_, 472–5 (1870).
BRUCE, SIR MICHAEL, 7 Baronet. _b._ 31 March 1796; succeeded 1827.
_d._ Scotstown, Aberdeen 14 Dec. 1862.
BRUCE, MICHAEL. _b._ 16 May 1823; ensign Grenadier guards 15 Dec.
1840, lieut. col. 16 May 1865 to 22 Sep. 1875; L.G. 31 Oct. 1880;
placed on retired list with hon. rank of general 1 July 1881. _d._
Glenelg, Bournemouth 29 Sep. 1883.
BRUCE, ROBERT (_3 son of Thomas Bruce, 7 Earl of Elgin 1766–1841_).
_b._ 15 March 1813; ensign Grenadier guards 18 June 1830, major 16
Sep. 1856 to 7 Dec. 1858 when placed on h.p.; military secretary
to his brother Lord Elgin in Jamaica 1841–47, in Canada 1847–54;
surveyor general of the ordnance 1855; governor to Prince of Wales
9 Nov. 1858 to death; M.G. 7 Dec. 1859. _d._ St. James’s palace,
London 27 June 1862. _I.L.N. xli_, 58, 61 (1862), _portrait_.
BRUCE, ROBERT (_eld. son of Alexander Bruce of Kennet, co.
Clackmannan_). _b._ 8 Dec. 1795; ed. at Eton; ensign 1 Foot guards
9 Dec. 1813, lieut. 1820–24 when he sold out; served in the
Peninsula and at Waterloo; M.P. for Clackmannan 27 March 1820 to
July 1824; vice lieut. and convener of Clackmannan 1853; chairman
of Scottish Central railway board; claimed Scottish peerage of
Balfour of Burley which was allowed to his son by committee for
privileges in House of Lords 23 July 1868. _d._ Kennet house near
Alloa 13 Aug. 1864. _M. F. Conolly’s Biog. dict. of eminent men of
Fife_ (1866) 88–90.
BRUCE, REV. WILLIAM (_2 son of Rev. Wm. Bruce of Belfast,
Presbyterian minister 1757–1841_). _b._ Belfast 16 Nov. 1790;
entered Trin. coll. Dublin 2 July 1804, B.A. 1809; licensed by
presbytery of Antrim 25 July 1811; presbyterian minister at
Belfast 19 Jany. 1812 to 21 April 1867; professor of Classics and
Hebrew in Belfast Academical Instit. 27 Oct. 1821 to 1825 and of
classics only 1825 to Nov. 1849; moderator of northern presbytery
of Antrim 4 April 1862. _d._ 25 Oct. 1868.
BRUCE, WILLIAM. Captain 79 foot 14 March 1811; served in Peninsula
1812–4 and at Waterloo; major 75 foot 31 Dec. 1827 to 27 Nov. 1828
when placed on h.p.; K.H. 1837; lieut. col. 23 Nov. 1841. _d._
Grosvenor hotel, London 28 Nov. 1868.
BRUCE, WILLIAM DOWNING (_eld. son of Samuel Barwick Bruce of Ripon,
surgeon 1786–1853_). _b._ 14 Aug. 1824; barrister L.I. and M.T. 30
April 1853; consul in Scotland for Monte Video 1856; recorder of
Wallingford June 1863 to 1869; counsel in Yelverton appeal case;
district judge at Spanish Town, Jamaica 1869 to death; author of
_Chronological tables_ 1847; _An account of the ecclesiastical
courts_ 1852; _How the ecclesiastical courts rob the public_ 1856.
_d._ Jamaica 1875.
BRUEN, HENRY. M.P. for county Carlow 30 Oct. 1812 to 23 April 1831;
colonel commandant of Carlow militia to death. _d._ Oak park, co.
Carlow 5 Nov. 1852 in 62 year.
BRUNEL, ISAMBARD KINGDOM (_only son of Sir Mark Isambard Brunel,
civil engineer 1769–1849_). _b._ Portsmouth 9 April 1806; engineer
of Great Western Railway 7 March 1833 which was completed 30 June
1841; constructed the station at Paddington 1849–54; constructed
South Devon railway 1844–6, where his system of atmospheric
propulsion failed; constructed Royal Albert bridge at Saltash
1853–9; designed Great Western Steamship launched 19 July 1837 and
the Great Britain the first large iron steamship, launched 19 July
1843; designed the Great Eastern steamship 1852, she was floated
31 Jany. 1858; conducted experiments for Admiralty with screw
propeller 1841–4; F.R.S. 10 June 1830. _d._ 18 Duke st.
Westminster 15 Sep. 1859. _Life of I. K. Brunel by I. Brunel_
1870, _portrait_; _Drawing room portrait gallery of eminent
personages 2 series_ 1859, _portrait_; _Proc. of Royal Soc. x_,
7–11 (1860); _Min. of proc. of Instit. of C.E. xix_, 169–73
(1860).
BRUNKER, JAMES ROBERT. Ensign 91 foot 9 April 1825; deputy adjutant
general in Ceylon 24 Aug. 1852 to 6 Aug. 1858; major 15 foot 2
Oct. 1854 to 2 Feb. 1855 when placed on h.p.; M.G. 10 March 1866;
commanded forces in China 16 Dec. 1867 to death. _d._ Hong Kong 24
March 1869.
BRÜNNOW, ERNST PHILIPP IVANOVITCH, Count de. _b._ Dresden 31 Aug.
1797; Russian envoy and minister in London 1840 to 8 Feb. 1854 and
4 Feb. 1861 to July 1874; raised to the rank of Count, April 1871.
_d._ Darmstadt 11 April 1875. _Illust. News of the World iii_,
(1859), _portrait_.
BRUNSWICK AND LUNEBURG, KARL FRIEDRICH AUGUST WILHELM HERZOG VON.
_b._ Brunswick 30 Oct. 1804; lived at Vauxhall in London 1809–15;
laid foundation stone of Vauxhall bridge 1814; entered on exercise
of his authority as Duke of Brunswick 30 Oct. 1823; fled to
England 7 Sep. 1830, abdicating in favour of his brother William;
was much libelled in the _Age_ and _Satirist_ 1843; crossed to
France in Green’s balloon the Victoria in 5 hours 31 March 1851;
lived in Paris at 52 Champs Elysees and in London at Brunswick
house, New road; bequeathed all his property including his
collection of valuable diamonds to city of Geneva. _d._ Geneva 18
Aug. 1873, his decorations consisting of various orders of
principal European courts enriched with jewels were sold at
Debenhams in London 25 June 1874. _Temple Bar lxxiii_, 353–63
(1885); _Life of T. S. Duncombe ii_, 44–99 _and_ 162–90 (1868).
BRUNTON, REV. ALEXANDER. _b._ Edinburgh 1772; minister of parish of
Bolton 1797–1803, of New Greyfriars church Edin. 1803–9 and of the
Tron church Edin. 23 Nov. 1809 to death; professor of Oriental
languages in Univ. of Edin. 19 May 1813 to death; D.D. Edin. 17
Dec. 1813; moderator of General Assembly 22 May 1823; author of
_Sermons and lectures_ 1818; _Outlines of Persian grammar with
extracts_ 1822; _Forms for public worship in the Church of
Scotland_ 1848. _d._ Jordonstone house, Coupar Angus 9 Feb. 1854.
_W. B. Crombie’s Modern Athenians_ (1882), _portrait_.
BRUNTON, ROBERT. _b._ Lockwinnock N.B. 10 Feb. 1796; chief assistant
to his brother W. Brunton 1823; engaged by Banks & Co. of Bilston;
principal assistant of Isaac Dodds at the Horsley iron works
Staffs.; in service of Indian iron company 1835 to death;
constructed and managed works at Porto Nuovo on coast of
Coromandel; acting engineer of Maestaeg iron works Glamorganshire
to death; M.I.C.E. 1842; author of _A compendium of mechanics or
text book for engineers, millwrights, machine makers_ 1824, _2
ed._ 1825. _d._ Maestaeg iron works 6 July 1852. _Min. of proc. of
Instit. of C.E. xii_, 149 (1853).
BRUNTON, WILLIAM (_eld. son of Robert Brunton of Dalkeith, watch
maker_). _b._ Dalkeith 26 May 1777; partner in and manager of
Eagle foundry Birmingham 1815–25; civil engineer in London
1825–35; partner in Cwm Avon tin works Glamorganshire 1835–8; had
a large share in introduction of steam navigation; invented the
Calciner used in nearly all Cornish tin mines and Mexican silver
mines, and a walking machine called the Steam Horse which was used
at Butterley 1813–5 when it exploded and killed 13 persons; took
out many patents. _d._ Camborne, Cornwall 5 Oct. 1851. _Min. of
proc. of Instit. of C.E. xi_, 95–9 (1852).
BRUNTON, WILLIAM (_3 son of the preceding_). _b._ Birmingham 3 April
1817; resident engineer of West Cornwall railway 1847; invented
the apparatus for washing and separating ores from their matrix
known as “Brunton’s endless cloth”; invented a fuse making machine
of most ingenious construction, this process has never been
divulged, its introduction at once reduced the selling price of
fuse by 75 per cent.; chief engineer of the Punjab railway 1865;
leaseholder of a sheeprun of 30000 acres in New Zealand; district
engineer of railways in Southland, N.Z. 1871; M.I.C.E. 7 March
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