The family descended from the Bruces of Clackmannan, whose ancestor was Thomas de Bruys. According to Sir James Balfour Paul, there is no evidence that this branch of the family was descended from Robert the Bruce (King Robert I), despite claims that Thomas was an illegitimate son of the king.[2] However, King Robert's son David II made a grant of land in 1359 to Robert Bruce referring to him as dilecto consanguineo suo (our beloved cousin).[3] It was generally accepted that Clackmannan branch descended from John de Brus who was a younger son of Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale.[4][5]
The first earl was succeeded by his son, Robert, who also was 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 Baron Bruce (of Whorlton) 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.[1]
In Dublin there are roads that come from the Earl's titles. These are Elgin Road and Ailesbury Road.
The most famous Earl was the 7th Earl, who removed and transported to Britain the so-called Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon.
As well as the titles Earl of Elgin and Earl of Kincardine, Lord Elgin also holds the titles Lord Bruce of Kinloss (created 1604), 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.[1]
The heir apparent is the present holder's son Charles Edward Bruce, Lord Bruce (b. 1961).[1]
The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son James Andrew Charles Robert Bruce, Master of Bruce (b. 1991).[1]
Edward Bruce 1594–1613 2nd Lord Kinloss, Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1604), and Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1608)
Thomas Bruce 1599–1663 1st Earl of Elgin, Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1633), and Baron Bruce of Whorlton, 3rd Lord Kinloss, Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1604), and Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1608)
Robert Bruce 1627–1685 2nd Earl of Elgin, Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1633), and Baron Bruce of Whorlton, 1st Earl of Ailesbury, Viscount Bruce, and Baron Bruce of Skelton, 4th Lord Kinloss, Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1604), and Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1608)
Thomas Brudenell c. 1583–1663 1st Earl of Cardigan and Baron Brudenell of Stonton
Edward Bruce d. 1662 1st Earl of Kincardine and Lord Bruce of Torry
Alexander Bruce c. 1629–1680 2nd Earl of Kincardine and Lord Bruce of Torry
Alexander Bruce d. 1706 4th Earl of Kincardine and Lord Bruce of Torry
Thomas Bruce 1656–1741 3rd Earl of Elgin, Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1633), and Baron Bruce of Whorlton, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury, Viscount Bruce, and Baron Bruce of Skelton, 5th Lord Kinloss, Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1604), and Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1608)
Robert Brudenell 1607–1703 2nd Earl of Cardigan and Baron Brudenell of Stonton
Alexander Bruce c. 1666–1705 3rd Earl of Kincardine and Lord Bruce of Torry
Robert Bruce d. 1718 5th Earl of Kincardine and Lord Bruce of Torry
Alexander Bruce 1662–1721 6th Earl of Kincardine and Lord Bruce of Torry
Thomas Bruce 1663–1739/1740 7th Earl of Kincardine and Lord Bruce of Torry
Charles Bruce 1682–1747 4th Earl of Elgin, Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1633), and Baron Bruce of Whorlton, 3rd Earl of Ailesbury, Viscount Bruce, and Baron Bruce of Skelton, 6th Lord Kinloss, Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1604), and Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1608), 1st Baron Bruce of Tottenham
George Brudenell 1685–1732 3rd Earl of Cardigan and Baron Brudenell of Stonton
Charles Bruce 1732–1771 5th Earl of Elgin, Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1633) and Lord Bruce of Kinloss, 9th Earl of Kincardine and Lord Bruce of Torry, Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1604), Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1608)
James Brudenell🐴 1797–1868 7th Earl of Cardigan and Baron Brudenell of Stonton
George Brudenell-Bruce 1804–1878 2nd Marquess of Ailesbury, Earl Bruce, Viscount Savernake, 8th Earl of Cardigan and Baron Brudenell of Stonton, 3rd Earl of Ailesbury, 4th Baron Bruce of Tottenham
Ernest Brudenell-Bruce 1811–1886 3rd Marquess of Ailesbury, Earl Bruce, Viscount Savernake, 9th Earl of Cardigan and Baron Brudenell of Stonton, 4th Earl of Ailesbury, 5th Baron Bruce of Tottenham
James Bruce 1811–1863 8th Earl of Elgin and Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1633), 12th Earl of Kincardine (1647) and Lord Bruce of Torry, 1st Baron Elgin
Henry Brudenell-Bruce 1842–1911 5th Marquess of Ailesbury, Earl Bruce of Whorlton, and Viscount Savernake, 11th Earl of Cardigan and Baron Brudenell of Stonton, 6th Earl of Ailesbury, 7th Baron Bruce of Tottenham
Victor Alexander Bruce 1849–1917 9th Earl of Elgin and Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1633), 13th Earl of Kincardine (1647) and Lord Bruce of Torry, 2nd Baron Elgin
George William Thomas Brudenell-Bruce 1863–1894 4th Marquess of Ailesbury, Earl Bruce of Whorlton, and Viscount Savernake, 10th Earl of Cardigan and Baron Brudenell of Stonton, 5th Earl of Ailesbury, 6th Baron Bruce of Tottenham
George William James Chandos Brudenell-Bruce 1873–1961 6th Marquess of Ailesbury, Earl Bruce of Whorlton, and Viscount Savernake, 12th Earl of Cardigan and Baron Brudenell of Stonton, 7th Earl of Ailesbury, 8th Baron Bruce of Tottenham
Edward James Bruce 1881–1968 10th Earl of Elgin and Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1633), 14th Earl of Kincardine (1647) and Lord Bruce of Torry, 3rd Baron Elgin
Chandos Sydney Cedric Brudenell-Bruce 1904–1974 7th Marquess of Ailesbury, Earl Bruce of Whorlton, and Viscount Savernake, 13th Earl of Cardigan and Baron Brudenell of Stonton, 8th Earl of Ailesbury, 9th Baron Bruce of Tottenham
Michael Sydney Cedric Brudenell-Bruce 1926–2024 8th Marquess of Ailesbury, Earl Bruce of Whorlton, and Viscount Savernake, 14th Earl of Cardigan and Baron Brudenell of Stonton, 9th Earl of Ailesbury, 10th Baron Bruce of Tottenham
Andrew Douglas Alexander Thomas Bruce b. 1924 11th Earl of Elgin and Lord Bruce of Kinloss (1633), 15th Earl of Kincardine (1647) and Lord Bruce of Torry, 4th Baron Elgin
David Michael James Brudenell-Bruce b. 1952 9th Marquess of Ailesbury, Earl Bruce of Whorlton, and Viscount Savernake, 15th Earl of Cardigan and Baron Brudenell of Stonton, 10th Earl of Ailesbury, 11th Baron Bruce of Tottenham
Charles Edward Bruce b. 1961 styled Lord Bruce
Heir apparent to the Earldom of Elgin and the Earldom of Kincardine