BRUCE   FAMILIES IN HOPEMAN.

The origins of the BRUCE families are rather complicated, which is nothing unusual for Hopeman, as they are tied in with the SLATERS and so please also read the section on the Slater family for background information.

George Slater (Auld Dod Slater) b.1805 (Rathven or the Sloch) married Margaret Bruce b.1806 (Rathven) and they had seven of a family.  Rathven was the Parish around Buckie and ‘The Sloch’ was the old name for the fishing port of Portessie. Unfortunately Margaret Bruce died in 1843 aged 37 whilst in childbirth with daughter Margaret and later during 1844 Dod Slater married Isabella Hendry b.1807 (Burghead). During 1846 the family moved to Hopeman where the last child Joseph (Dovey) was born in 1848. The family who relocated to Hopeman comprised of Dod Slater, his wife Isabella Hendry, eight children, Dod’s widowed father Alex Slater (1744 -1861) and Elspeth Bruce b.1830 who was Margaret Bruce’s niece and the housemaid. Here we now have a tie in with the Bruce family.

George Bruce (1832-1874) (Banff) who was Dod’s maid Elspeth’s cousin and a relation of Dod’s wife, came to Hopeman during 1858 and married Margaret (Maggie) Kinnaird from Lossiemouth.

George died during 1874 aged 42 and on the 7 Nov 1880 Maggie, now aged 42, married John Main (Blude) of 61 Harbour Street and the family was a mixture of Main’s & Bruce’s. This was John Main’s third marriage and there was no children from this marriage.

From here on it should be relatively easy to trace the various Bruce families –

1          George Bruce (1832-1874) + Margaret Bruce Kinnaird (1838- 1927) from Lossiemouth and married 1858.   Lived at 3 Peepy Street during 1861 and had the following children.

1.1      Ann                       (1859 –    )
1.2      Margaret               (1861 -1933)        + George Campbell (1861–1940) Lossiemouth
1.3      George                  (1863 -1869)        aged 5yrs 10m
1.4      John (Jock)           (1865 -1915)        drowned at sea   + Isabella Sutherland (Isa Toman) (1864-1949)
1.5      Alexander             (1868 – 1868)       3 weeks old
1.6      William                  (1869 –    )
1.7      Jessie                   (1871 -1943)        + Alexander Young (1870-1943)
1.8      James (Jeemy)     (1873 -1942)        + Margaret R. McPherson (Mag Teen) (1880-1963)

1.8      James (Jeemy) Bruce (1873-1942)   +   Margaret Ralph McPherson (Mag Teen) (1880-1963)  married 1898.     They had the following children.
1.8.1            Margaret             (1899 -1971)       + James Masson Hay (1901-1989) Cummingston
1.8.2            William                (1900 -1976)       + Maggie Cowie (1907-1967)
1.8.3            Annie                   (1904 – 1905)        died in infancy
1.8.4            Jessie                  (1906 -1914)           8 yrs. old.
1.8.5            Helen                   (
1.8.6            Mary                    (
1.8.7            James                  (1911 -1985)       + Isabella Dick Young (Cissy) (1915-2008)

1.8.7   James Bruce (1911- 1985)   +   Isabella Dick Young (Cissy) (1915-2008) Married Campbellton, Argyle 1941.
            Family     Margaret, James and Daniel (Dan)

Within the photo gallery below the first four photos were taken during the 2nd world war on board the HMS Silver Fox which was a converted private yacht requisitioned by the Navy and used as a harbour patrol boat stationed at HMS Nimrod, Campbellton, Argyle. James Bruce was a Petty Officer on board during 1941. Photographs supplied by Philip Nichols the son of one of the crew members.

Gallery of Bruce Photographs and Information –