267 



origin from Robert de Brus, who accompanied the conqueror to 

 England, and was rewarded for his services with ninety-four lord* 

 ships in Yorkshire. His son obtained a footing in Scotland by a grant 

 of Annadale from David I. The sixth in descent was the com- 

 petitor of Baliol. His son succeeded to the title of Earl of Carrick 

 by a romantic incident of female gallantry, related by John de 

 Fordun, who dedicated his history of Scotland to the Bishop of Glas- 

 gow in 1377. As the heiress of the earl, who had died in the Holy 

 Land, was hunting with her squires and damsels, she met a beautiful 

 young knight, Robert de Bruce by name, son of Robert de Bruce, sur- 

 named the noble. Lord of Annadale in Scotland, and Cleveland in Eng- 

 land. After courtly salutations and kissing, after the manner of cour- 

 tiers, she entreated him to remain with her to hunt ; and when he de- 

 clined the invitation, she seized the rein of his bridle with a degree of 

 force (vi quadam, si dicere fas est), and led the captive knight, against 

 his will, to her castle. After some days they were married, without 

 the knowledge of the friends of either, and without the consent of 

 her liege lord, King Alexander, who upon this, took possession of 

 her castle and lands. The king, however, was pacified by the in- 

 tervention of friends and a sum of money, and restored them to 

 Bruce. He was father of king Robert, and Edward who was 

 crowned King of Ireland. Robert's son, David, died without issue, 

 and was succeeded by his sister, the mother of the Stuarts. The 

 Scotch and Irish families of Bruce are descended from John, the 

 uncle of King Robert. The sixth in succession from him was Sir 

 Alexander Bruce of Airth, father of the subject of this memoir. 



Michael, the first of the family who settled in Ireland, was 

 ejected from his church at Killinchy, in the reign of Charles II., and 

 afterwards imprisoned in Scotland, and sentenced to banishment at 

 Tangiers, for preaching without license. With this view he was 



VOL. XV. N N 



