James Bruce (1732–1791)



Count James Bruce or Yakov Alexandrovich Bruce (1732–30 November 1791) was a Russian general. He was a grandson of Lieutenant General Robert Bruce and great-nephew of Jacob Bruce. His father was Lieutenant Colonel Count Alexander Bruce, Ekaterina Alekseyevna Dolgorukova was his stepmother. James Bruce married Praskovia Rumiantseva, sister of General (and later Field Marshal) Pyotr Rumyantsev. Praskovia was a lady-in-waiting and friend of Catherine the Great. These connections greatly helped the career of James Bruce. In 1774, he became Commander of the Finland Division.

However, even after Praskovia was in 1779 banned from the court after having had an affair with the Empress' lover, Bruce stayed in favour and received new posts. Bruce first became simultaneously Governor-General of Moscow and Saint Petersburg Governorate between 1784 and 1786, and then of Saint Petersburg only until 1791. He died the same year, without male offspring, and with him ended the line of the Russian counts Bruce. His only daughter Catherine died childless in 1829.