Edward Bruce, 10th Earl of Elgin



Edward James Bruce, 10th Earl of Elgin, 14th Earl of Kincardine KT, CMG, TD, CD, JP (9 June 1881 – 27 November 1968) was the son of Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin who became Assistant Private Secretary to the Secretary State for the Colonies (1908–11) and a director of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

He had been a Captain in the Forfar and Kincardine Royal Garrison Artillery Militia, and when the Territorial Force was created in 1908 he became Commanding officer of the Highland (Fifeshire) Heavy Battery, RGA with the rank of Major, a position that he held at the outbreak of World War I. He served in the war, attaining the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, and being mentioned in dispatches twice. In 1918–19 he was Assistant Director of Labour and a Temporary Colonel and Labour Commandant. After the war he received the CMG.

On 5 January 1921, he married Katherine Cochrane, daughter of Lt.-Col. Thomas Cochrane, 1st Baron Cochrane of Cults and Lady Gertrude Boyle. In 1938, his wife was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).

The couple had six children:
 * Lady Martha Veronica Bruce OBE (born 7 November 1921), who became governor of Greenock and Cornton Vale prisons
 * Lady Jean Christian Bruce (born 12 January 1923)
 * Andrew Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin (born 17 February 1924)
 * Hon. James Michael Edward Bruce (26 August 1927 – 22 April 2013)
 * Lady Alison Margaret Bruce (born 17 October 1931)
 * Hon. Edward David Bruce (born 29 February 1936)

He was made a Knight of the Thistle (Scotland's premier order of chivalry) on 3 June 1933. He also held the Order of Polonia Restituta.

As a Colonel in the Territorial Reserve the Earl held a number of honorary colonelcies in the Territorial Army and Canadian Militia:
 * City of Edinburgh (Fortress) Royal Engineers (TA).
 * Elgin Regiment (RCAC), Canadian Permanent Militia, appointed 23 November 1938.
 * 71st (Forth) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA) and its successor, the 371st (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Forth), RA (TA), appointed  28 January 1939.
 * 357th Medium Regiment (Lothians), RA (TA)
 * No 948 Balloon Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force (Honorary Air Commodore)

He was also Lieutenant of the Royal Company of Archers the Queen's Bodyguard for Scotland.

He died at the age of 87 in 1968.