The Bruce Lockhart family is of Scottish origins, and several members have played rugby football for Scotland, but since the early 20th century most have lived and worked in England or Canada, or else overseas, in India, Malaya, Australia, Russia, Rhodesia, Fiji, and elsewhere.
Origins The first of the family to combine the two names was the schoolmaster Robert Bruce Lockhart (12 February 1858 — 18 Nov 1949), born at Montreal in Upper Canada and a graduate of the University of Edinburgh, who was the son of Robert Arthur Lockhart (1832–1904) and Annabella Wilson (1833–1888), both of whom had been born in Glasgow and died in Edinburgh.Sir Robert Hamilton Bruce Lockhart, The Diaries of Sir Robert Bruce Lockhart, Volume 1 (Macmillan, 1973), p. 9"Robert Bruce Lockhart M.A. 1878" (obituary) in University of Edinburgh Journal, Volumes 15-16 (1951), p. 107: "ROBERT BRUCE LOCKHART, M.A. 1878, late headmaster of Eagle House, Sandhurst, previously of Waid Academy, Anstruther, Spiers School, Beith, and Seafield House, Broughty Ferry : in London, 18th November 1950, aged 91." His mother was a daughter of William Wilson and Annabella Bruce (1807–1884) herself a daughter of James Hamilton Bruce (1783–1823), who was a great-great-grandson of Alexander Bruce, 2nd Earl of Kincardine. He was descended from Thomas Bruce, 1st Baron of Clackmannan, as are most Bruces, including the Chiefs of Clan Bruce. Thomas Bruce is known to have been related to Robert the Bruce (1274–1329), king of Scotland, but how is not clear.Jamie Bruce Lockhart & Alan Macfarlane, Dragon Days (2013) (full text online at cam.ac.uk), p. 11Sir Robert Douglas, The Peerage of Scotland: containing an historical and genealogical account of the Nobility of that Kingdom, (Edinburgh: R. Fleming, 1764), p. 294
Lockhart was headmaster of several schools: first the Waid Academy, at Anstruther, then Spier's School, Beith, a new school. In 1895 he founded Seafield House Preparatory School at Broughty Ferry, and in 1906 bought Eagle House School, at Sandhurst, Berkshire. For Lockhart, the name Bruce was a middle Christian name, celebrating distinguished ancestors,When he died in 1949, probate on his estate was granted to "LOCKHART, Robert Bruce": from Probate Index for 1950 at probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar, accessed 12 April 2018 and most of his sons also had it as a middle name, their surname as registered at the General Register Office remaining simply Lockhart. However, by the use of the name by almost all the men of the family, and later by all its daughters, too, the name Bruce has come to be regarded as part of the surname, in some cases leading to the adoption of a hyphen.
Family character In his book Dragon Days (2013), James Bruce Lockhart sums up the family character when he arrived at the Dragon School in 1949: "The Bruce Lockhart family were schoolmasters, imperial soldiers, and diplomats, they taught, directed, and administered; and they played games in their spare time; muscular Christianity was their thing."Lockhart & Macfarlane, Dragon Days (2013), p. 9
Family members Robert Bruce Lockhart married Florence Stewart McGregor (1864–1928), who had been born in Riverton, New Zealand. Both were Scottish by descent, and in My Scottish Youth, their eldest son claimed "There is no drop of English blood in my veins."R. H. Bruce Lockhart, My Scottish Youth (Reprinted by B&W Publishing, Edinburgh, 1993, ), pp. 313–353 Their children and descendants are: Sir Robert Hamilton Bruce Lockhart (1887–1970), or Bertie, later sometimes known as Sir Bruce Lockhart, diplomat, spy, and author, in 1913 he married firstly Jean Bruce Haslewood, and in 1948 secondly Frances Mary Beck;John Smirkin, "Robert Bruce Lockhart", Spartacus Educational, accessed 6 March 2023 he was the father of Robert Norman Bruce Lockhart (1920–2008), naval intelligence officer, journalist, stockbroker, and author, known as Robin married 1st Margaret Graham Crookdake (born 1921), 2nd Ginette Martens, 3rd Eila Owen. Father of Sheila Margaret Bruce Lockhart (born 1950) John Harold Bruce Lockhart (1889–1956), called Rufus, schoolmaster, Scotland footballer, cricketer, and headmaster of Sedbergh School from 1937 to 1954; married Alwine Mona Ivy Brougham (1891–1980) and was the father of John Macgregor Bruce Lockhart (1914—1995), schoolmaster and deputy director of MI6; he married Margaret Hone, daughter of Campbell Hone, and had two sons and a daughter;John Taylor, OBITUARY:John Bruce Lockhart in The Independent dated Friday 12 May 1995, accessed 12 April 2018 he was the father of James Robert Bruce Lockhart (1941–2018),"James Bruce-Lockhart obituary. Intelligence officer from a family of spies, who followed in John Le Carré's footsteps in Germany and was an accomplished artist," The Times, 5 December 2018, accessed 22 February 2019 diplomat, spy, author, and artist,BRUCE-LOCKHART, Jamie, at suffolkartists.co.uk, accessed 12 April 2018 the father of Dugald Alastair Roddick Bruce Lockhart (born in Fiji, 1968), actor, married Penelope Rawlins and is the father of Mackenzie Bruce Lockhart (born 2015) Andrew John James Bruce Lockhart (born 1969)Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, Burke's Irish Family Records (London: Burkes Peerage Ltd, 1976), p. 598 Alexander John (Sandy) Bruce-Lockhart, Baron Bruce-Lockhart (1942–2008), a farmer in Southern Rhodesia who returned to farm in Kent and became leader of Kent County Council. He married Tessa D. Pressland in 1966 and was the father of Mark Alexander Bruce Lockhart (born 1967), married Jessica Davina Burn in 2000, the father of Jemima Kate Bruce-Lockhart (born 2002) Isabel Anna Bruce-Lockhart (born 2004) Olivia Rose Bruce-Lockhart (born 2007) Emma Natasha Bruce Lockhart (born 1970), married 1999 Rupert John SloaneBurke's Peerage, volume 1, (2003), p. 555 Xanthe Clementine Sloane (born 2001) India Victoria Sloane (born 2003) Simon David Bruce-Lockhart FGA (born 1973), a ruby and sapphire buyer for Thaigem, and writer on precious stones, living in ChanthaburiSimon Bruce-Lockhart FGA, "Sapphires from Northern Ethiopia" in Gems and Gemology vol. 53 (August 2017) Sarah Katharine M. Lockhart (born 1955), married 1977 Michael C. Waller-Bridge Rab Brougham Bruce Lockhart (1916–1990), schoolmaster and Scotland rugby footballer, head master of Loretto School from 1960 to 1976, married Helen Priscilla Lawrence Crump in 1941. Father of Karen Bruce-Lockhart (born 1942), Edinburgh advocate and Writer to the Signet, governor of Sedbergh SchoolKaren Bruce-Lockhart at checkcompany.co.uk Alastair Kim Bruce-Lockhart (1946—1980),"Bruce-Lockhart Alastair K / Crump" in Register of Births for Surrey N.W. Registration District, vol. 2a (1946), p. 829a teacher and squash international, known as Kim, the father of Anna Bruce-Lockhart (1977), editor living in Geneva, Switzerland Malcolm Bruce Lockhart (born 1948)"Bruce-Lockhart Malcolm / Crump" in Register of Births for Harrow Registration District, vol. 5f (1948), p. 604 Harrow School teacher, living in Somerset Dr Patrick Bruce Lockhart (1918—2009), called Paddy, obstetrician, President of the Ontario Medical Association,Dr Paddy Bruce-Lockhart (obituary) in The Scotsman dated 25 August 2009 at scotsman.com/news/obituaries, accessed 21 April 2018 married firstly Mary Campbell Seddall, 1942, and after her death in December 1960 married secondly Eve Didychuk. He was the father ofPatrick Bruce-Lockhart (25 May 1918 – 6 August 2009) (obituary), accessed 12 April 2018 Michael Bruce-Lockhart (born 1947), Professor of Computer Engineering at Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1979 to 2009, the father of Cullam J. Bruce-Lockhart (born 1983), software designer Simon C. Bruce-Lockhart (born 1949), headmaster of Albert College, Belleville, 1986–1990, then of Shawnigan Lake School, 1990–2000,Ashley Thomson, Sylvie Lafortune, The Handbook of Canadian Boarding Schools (1999), pp. 117, 118 Mulgrave School, 2003–2004, and Glenlyon Norfolk School, 2004–2015, the father of Rab Bruce-Lockhart Dr Katherine Bruce-Lockhart (born 1991), called Kate, a historian at the University of TorontoBruce-Lockhart, Katherine at utoronto.ca Catherine Bruce Lockhart (born and died 1950) Ferelyth Bruce-Lockhart (born 1954) Retired Team Lead Speech & Language Therapist at NHS Highland Logie W. Bruce-Lockhart Tacye Bruce-Lockhart (born 1961), Mrs McLagan Patrick Bruce-Lockhart (born 1969), married Amanda Stack, is a technology executiveSoftchoice appoints Patrick Bruce-Lockhart Logie Bruce Lockhart (1921–2020), Scotland rugby footballer, headmaster of Gresham's School, and author; he married Josephine Agnew in 1944, and they had two sons and three daughters:Burke's Peerage, volume 1 (2003), p. 556 Jennifer Bruce Lockhart (born 1945), called Jenny Ruraidh Bruce Lockhart (born 1949)"Lockhart Ruraidh B / Agnew" in Register of Births for Tonbridge Registration District, vol. 5b (1949), p. 1241 Kirsten A. Bruce Lockhart, known as Kirsty (1953—1959)"LOCKHART Kirsten A / AGNEW", Tonbridge vol. 5b (1953), p. 1,221; "LOCKHART Kirsty A B, aged 7" in Norwich Outer vol. 4b (1960), p. 579 Fiona Jacqueline Bruce-Lockhart (born 1957), married George P. S. Drye in 1983 and is a schoolteacher and Head of English Alastair George Bruce-Lockhart Drye (born 1985) property developer Dacre Bruce-Lockhart Drye (born 1985), author Duncan Rhoderick Macgregor (Bede) Bruce-Lockhart (born 1967), executive of Piper Jaffray, later of MatrixIan King, Business big shot: David Wilson of Matrix in The Times 21 December 2010 Sir Robert McGregor MacDonald Lockhart (1893—1981), Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army, called Rob Lockhart. On 2 September 1918, in Mussoorie, India, he married Margaret Amy Campbell, daughter of Colonel Sir Robert Neil Campbell.Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage (1963), p. 2810"Sir Rob Lockhart" in Janet Podell, ed., Annual Obituary, 1981 (1982), p. 582 Mary Mavora Lockhart (1919–2000), who married firstly Alastair T. Scott (divorced) and secondly Henry Casselton Chapman Sally Anne Scott(1943–1944) Wendy Louise Chapman(1954–2000) Lt. Col. Norman Neil Campbell Lockhart (1925–2020), named after Norman Douglas Stewart Bruce Lockhart and commissioned into his uncle's regiment, the Seaforth Highlanders.The London Gazette, 27 August 1946, Issue 37706 (Supplement), p. 4351 He married Audrey Carrol Beadon, daughter of Brigadier H. D. Beadon Elizabeth Winifred (1924–1985), who married Major E. P. Woods, Welsh Guards Phyllis Margaret, who married Lt. Cmdr James Mcnie Whyte R. N. Norman Douglas Stewart Bruce Lockhart (1894–1915), an officer in the Seaforth Highlanders, killed at the Battle of Loos.Norman Douglas Stewart Bruce Lockhart at forces-war-records.co.uk Before the war, he had played rugby union for London Scottish F.C.Mentioned in "Logie Bruce-Lockhart 1921–2020 RIP", londonscottish.com, accessed 11 August 2026
William Rupert Wilson Lockhart (1899–1993), known as Rupert Bruce Lockart, an opera teacher"LOCKHART, William Rupert Wilson (otherwise known as Rupert Bruce Lockhart)" The London Gazette, Issue 53223, 18 February 1993, p. 3101 and actorRupert Bruce Lockhart at imdb.com Jean Frances Winifred Phyllis Lockhart, known as Freda Bruce Lockhart (1909–1987), actress, disability advocate and author,London Disabled at Amazon.com and film critic;Freda Bruce Lockhart (1909-1987), Actress and film critic at npg.org.uk married 1940 Hilton Roy Schleman, a film publicity director and writer on jazz."FORTHCOMING MARRIAGE: Mr H. R. Schleman–Miss F. Bruce Lockhart The engagement is announced between Hilton Roy only son of the late Captain H. A. Schleman and of Mrs Schleman, of 29 Queen Anne Street, London W., and Freda only daughter of Mr Robert Bruce Lockhart...", The Scotsman, Wednesday 1 May 1940, p. 8
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