Bruce / Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Bruce / Family History

Bruce / Family History

The Bruce ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. The ancestor of families of the name Bruce was Sir Robert de Brus, a Norman knight. He arrived in England with William the Conqueror who granted him vast lands in Yorkshire. His son, Robert, went to Scotland and was made Lord of Annandale by David, whose great granddaughter Isabella married Robert Bruce, fifth Lord of Annandale. Through his marriage their son Robert, sixth Lord of Annandale, Regent of Scotland, inherited a right to the Crown to which he was nominated by Alexander III before the birth of the 'Maid of Norway'. Robert, seventh Lord, married the Celtic Countess of Carrick. Their son became that Earl of Carrick who was to wear the Scottish Crown, complete the liberation of Scotland, and be familiarly known as Robert the Bruce. He was born in 1274 and died at Cardross, on the Clyde, in 1329. His heart was buried at Melrose and his body at Dunfermline Abbey. From Scotland the name spread throughout England and Ireland where it became particularly well known in Ulster Province and in County Cork. The Bruce family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Bruce descendants.