Individual Details
John Robert BRUCE I
(7 Sep 1690 - 23 Sep 1748)
John Bruce brought his family to America probably by way of Ireland after 1724. It is considered that John may have lived for some time in southeastern PA before settling his family in the Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia area between 1731 and 1735, under guidance of Joist Hite's son. [Source: Frederick Morton, The Story of Winchester in Virginia, p. 43].
For John to have established credibility among his peers by 1740, he would have had to live in the Winchester area for at least a few years, or to have been their neighbor in a former place of residence. Yet another reason would be that John's two oldest daughters later married into families remaining in Chester and Bucks counties in PA.
During the 1730's, the offer of patented land to settlers in the lower
Shenandoah Valley, near the Opequon, attracted many Scot-Irish. Patents were issued under the seal of the Colony of Virginia and were grants from the Crown, free of any obligation of feudal services to the Fairfax family, who claimed the land as lords/proprietors of the Northern Neck of Virginia. [Source: George W. Vale, Genealogy of the Walker & Littler Families, p. 281)
Among the 70 grantees receiving patents on 12 Nov 1735 were many Irish
families (the Albins of County Meath, the Calverts from County Dromgora) as well as John Bruce -- his land adjoining the land owned by the Calverts, Hugh Parrell, William Albin, James Carter and George Hollingsworth. [Source: T.K.Cartmell, Shenandoah Valley Pioneers, p.18)
On 24 July 1740 he was appointed to make an inventory of the estate of
Michael Sheppard, deceased; Hugh Parrell, Robert Calvert and William
Glover were delegated also and any three of them were required to form
the audit commission. (Source, Orange County, Virginia Court Book 2,
page 210)
John Bruce was a landowner, farmer and operator of a grist mill. He
died in an epidemic that was rampant in the Winchester area. John,
Sarah and family came from Scotland after 1724. Between 1737 and 1740,
he settled on Opecuon Creek near Winchester, Virginia. By 1740, John
Bruce and Mary Littler (George Bruce's mother-in-law) were operating
grist mills, sawmills and carding/fulling fills. This 255-acre tract is located on Turkey Run, a branch of Opequon Creek (headwaters Evan Thomas/Branson Spring). The SE corner of the 255 acres is present-day Brucetown. Frederick County Highway 667 (Braddocks Road/Great Road from Winchester VA to Shepardstown WV) and Highway 672 cross the south and east section of this tract. A landowner and farmer, he operated a grist mill on Turkey Run, Nebraska of Winchester.
With other families settling in the area, the community became a flourishing little village known as Brucetown (in NE corner of Frederick Co, 8 miles NE of Winchester, near border of Berkley Co, West Virginia.
In 1748, Hugh Parrell willed 300 acres of land to John Bruce; Parrell engaged James Wood to survey this land (recorded at the time as 402 acres) on 10 Mar 1735/36. James and George Bruce, sons of John Bruce, commissioned another survey on 26 April 1753. (Source: Cognetes, English Duplicates of Lost Virginia Records, p. 118; Joyner, Northern Neck Warrants and Surveys, Frederick County, Virginia, Volume II, p. 21) Out of this survey, George received 315 acres and James received 310 acres from Lord Fairfax on 12 and 14 April 1760. (Source: Gray, Norther Neck Grants K-103, K-104)
John Bruce comes from a long line of Scottish people going back to the 1400's. His father is Thomas and mother Mary Christian Bruce. John was the first in this line to come to the United States and make this his home.
Scottish line goes back to 1066 when Robert de Brix came from Normandy, France with William the Conqueror and married into the royal Scottish line and had many descendants including Robert the Bruce, King of Scots.
For John to have established credibility among his peers by 1740, he would have had to live in the Winchester area for at least a few years, or to have been their neighbor in a former place of residence. Yet another reason would be that John's two oldest daughters later married into families remaining in Chester and Bucks counties in PA.
During the 1730's, the offer of patented land to settlers in the lower
Shenandoah Valley, near the Opequon, attracted many Scot-Irish. Patents were issued under the seal of the Colony of Virginia and were grants from the Crown, free of any obligation of feudal services to the Fairfax family, who claimed the land as lords/proprietors of the Northern Neck of Virginia. [Source: George W. Vale, Genealogy of the Walker & Littler Families, p. 281)
Among the 70 grantees receiving patents on 12 Nov 1735 were many Irish
families (the Albins of County Meath, the Calverts from County Dromgora) as well as John Bruce -- his land adjoining the land owned by the Calverts, Hugh Parrell, William Albin, James Carter and George Hollingsworth. [Source: T.K.Cartmell, Shenandoah Valley Pioneers, p.18)
On 24 July 1740 he was appointed to make an inventory of the estate of
Michael Sheppard, deceased; Hugh Parrell, Robert Calvert and William
Glover were delegated also and any three of them were required to form
the audit commission. (Source, Orange County, Virginia Court Book 2,
page 210)
John Bruce was a landowner, farmer and operator of a grist mill. He
died in an epidemic that was rampant in the Winchester area. John,
Sarah and family came from Scotland after 1724. Between 1737 and 1740,
he settled on Opecuon Creek near Winchester, Virginia. By 1740, John
Bruce and Mary Littler (George Bruce's mother-in-law) were operating
grist mills, sawmills and carding/fulling fills. This 255-acre tract is located on Turkey Run, a branch of Opequon Creek (headwaters Evan Thomas/Branson Spring). The SE corner of the 255 acres is present-day Brucetown. Frederick County Highway 667 (Braddocks Road/Great Road from Winchester VA to Shepardstown WV) and Highway 672 cross the south and east section of this tract. A landowner and farmer, he operated a grist mill on Turkey Run, Nebraska of Winchester.
With other families settling in the area, the community became a flourishing little village known as Brucetown (in NE corner of Frederick Co, 8 miles NE of Winchester, near border of Berkley Co, West Virginia.
In 1748, Hugh Parrell willed 300 acres of land to John Bruce; Parrell engaged James Wood to survey this land (recorded at the time as 402 acres) on 10 Mar 1735/36. James and George Bruce, sons of John Bruce, commissioned another survey on 26 April 1753. (Source: Cognetes, English Duplicates of Lost Virginia Records, p. 118; Joyner, Northern Neck Warrants and Surveys, Frederick County, Virginia, Volume II, p. 21) Out of this survey, George received 315 acres and James received 310 acres from Lord Fairfax on 12 and 14 April 1760. (Source: Gray, Norther Neck Grants K-103, K-104)
John Bruce comes from a long line of Scottish people going back to the 1400's. His father is Thomas and mother Mary Christian Bruce. John was the first in this line to come to the United States and make this his home.
Scottish line goes back to 1066 when Robert de Brix came from Normandy, France with William the Conqueror and married into the royal Scottish line and had many descendants including Robert the Bruce, King of Scots.
Events
| Birth | 7 Sep 1690 | Portsoy, Fordyce, Aberdeenshire, Scotland |  | ||
| Christen | 8 Sep 1690 | (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland, Aberdeen, Scotland |  | ||
| Marriage | Abt Aug 1714 | Scotland - Sarah PARRELL | |||
| Immigration | 1730 | Chester County, Pennsylvania, British America | |||
| Occupation | 1730 | carpenter | |||
| County Records State of Virginia | 1735 | Recorded judgments - Orange County, Virginia, British America | | ||
| Will | 4 Nov 1747 | . His estate was probated on 1 Nov 1748 in Frederick County, Virginia, British America, Frederick County, Virginia, British America | | ||
| Death | 23 Sep 1748 | Bruceville, Frederick, Virginia, British America |
Families
| Spouse | Sarah PARRELL (1691 - 1749) |
| Child | Robert BRUSE ( - ) |
| Child | Margaret BRUCE (1714 - ) |
| Child | Jannet BRUCE (1714 - ) |
| Child | Mary Elizabeth BRUCE (1715 - 1765) |
| Child | David BRUCE (1720 - ) |
| Child | James BRUCE Sr. (1720 - 1800) |
| Child | John BRUCE (1722 - ) |
| Child | Anne BRUCE (1725 - ) |
| Child | George G. BRUCE (1729 - 1748) |
| Father | John Thomas "Thomas" BRUCE (1658 - 1725) |
| Mother | Mary CHRISTIAN (1666 - 1725) |
| Sibling | Margaret BRUCE (1692 - ) |
| Sibling | Helen BRUCE (1694 - ) |
| Sibling | Elizabeth BRUCE (1696 - 1790) |
| Sibling | Christian BRUCE (1698 - ) |
| Sibling | Grisel Grace BRUCE (1702 - 1796) |
| Sibling | Peter BRUCE (1704 - 1794) |
Notes
Christen
In Aberdeen Scotland, three of John's Children Were Also Christened James On 20 May 1720, George on 27 Apr 1722 and Margaret on 5 Mar 1727.County Records State of Virginia
John Bruce was in Orange County, Virginia by 1735, when the followingjudgements were recorded:
1/ John Bruce vs Francis Williams. For debt 3 pounds, 10 shillings, 8
pence, in tobacco at 12 shillings per ct wt to 588 lbs of tobacco.
Summons to Francis Williams, July 17, 1735, returned July 17, 1735 by
Wm Henderson, Deputy Sheriff.
2/ Henry Willis, Esq vs John Bruce, account with John Bruce, peddler,
1735, for 12 lbs, 12 shillings, 5 3/4 pence. Willis asks damages to 15
lbs.
3/ Summons to John Bruce, peddlar, May 18, 1736 by Gideon Marr.
Judgement.
4/ George Stuart vs John Bruce in 1736. For divers cattle -- John
Bruce detained and for the other animals etc. How did the defendant
come by the animals?
Will
"At the time John Bruce wrote his will (Will Book 1, page 205), hisyoungest son and daughter were probably unmarried. Mention in the will
of a partially completed house and barn on George's 140 acres could be
an indication that George was contemplating marriage at that time.
John Bruce died 23 Sept 1748 apparently in an epidemic that was
rampant in the Winchester area. His will of 4 Nov 1747 was entered 1
Nov 1748 records of Frederick Co, Virginia."
It goes on to state that his two eldest daughters later married into
families remaining in Chester and Bucks counties, Pennsylvania. Those
would be Mary Bruce m William Albin c 1737; William probably being
from Chester Co, Pennsylvania. And Margaret Bruce m Richard Carter
before 4 Nov 1747; Richard being from Bucks Co, Pennsylvania. It also
states that George Bruce who married Rachel Littler died 1800
Frederick Co, Virginia. and that Anne Bruce b c 1724 Scotland or
Ireland m James McCoy c1747 and that she died 1808 probably Uniontown,
Pennsylvania.
John was deceased by 1 Nov 1748 when his will (written 4 Nov 1748) was
proved in Frederick County Court, Virginia. He willed 150 acres ("the
plantation I now live on") to his wife, Ann and son George. His will
mentioned daughters Margaret Carter (wife of Richard) and William
(son-in-law) and Mary Albin. (Source: Frederick County Will Book 1,
page 205)
Endnotes
1. , transcriber, Scotland Births and Baptisms 1564-1950 (N.p.: n.p., n.d.), , John Bruice Baptism September 7, 1690.