Bruce Family History & Genealogy

William Nigel Ernle Bruce (4 February 1895 – 8 October 1953) was a British character actor on stage and screen. He was best known for his portrayal of Dr. Watson in a series of films and in the radio series The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes). Bruce is also remembered for his roles in the Alfred Hitchcock films Rebecca and Suspicion. Biography Bruce was the second son of Sir William Waller Bruce, 10th Baronet (1856–1912) and his wife Angelica Lady Bruce (died 1917), daughter of General George Selby, Royal Artillery. Bruce was born in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, while his parents were on holiday there. His older brother was the author and adventurer Sir Michael Bruce. He was educated at the Grange, Stevenage and at Abingdon School, Oxfordshire. He served in France from 1914 as a lieutenant in the 10th Service Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry and the Honourable Artillery Company, but was severely wounded at Cambrai the following year, with eleven bullets in his left leg, and spent most of the remainder of the war in a wheelchair. He made his first appearance on stage on 12 May 1920 at the Comedy Theatre as a footman in Why Marry? In October of that year, he went to Canada as stage manager to Henry V. Esmond and Eva Moore, also playing "Montague Jordan" in Eliza Comes to Stay; upon returning to England, he toured acting the same part. He appeared constantly onstage thereafter, and eight years later started also working in silent films. In 1934, he moved to Hollywood, later setting up home at 701 North Alpine Drive, Beverly Hills. Nigel Bruce typically played buffoonish, fuzzy-minded gentlemen. During his film career, he worked in 78 films, including Treasure Island (1934), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), Rebecca (1940), and Suspicion (1941). Bruce participated in two landmark films: Becky Sharp (1935), the first feature film in full Technicolor, and Bwana Devil (1952), the first 3-D feature. He uncharacteristically played a detestable figure in The Rains Came (1939) which became the first film to win an Oscar for special effects. Watson role Bruce's signature role was that of Dr. Watson in the 1939-1946 Sherlock Holmes film series with close friend Basil Rathbone as Holmes. Bruce starred as Watson in all 14 films of the series and over 200 radio programs of The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.[4] Although Watson often appears to be the older of the two main characters, Bruce was actually three years younger than his co-star Rathbone. Though for most viewers Nigel Bruce formed their vision of Dr. Watson, Holmes purists have long objected that the Watson of the books was intelligent and capable (although not an outstanding detective), and that Bruce's portrayal made Watson far dimmer and more bumbling than his literary original. (A nickname resulting from this portrayal was "Boobus Britannicus." Loren D. Estleman wrote of Bruce: "If a mop bucket appeared in a scene, his foot would be inside it, and if by some sardonic twist of fate and the whim of director Roy William Neill he managed to stumble upon an important clue, he could be depended upon to blow his nose on it and throw it away." Conan Doyle said Watson was Holmes' foil; but surely he need not have made him such a clot. Rathbone, however, spoke highly of Bruce's portrayal, saying that Watson was one of the screen's most lovable characters. The historian David Parkinson wrote that Bruce's "avuncular presence provided the perfect counterbalance to Rathbone's briskly omniscient sleuth".[6] Historian Alan Barnes notes that, despite the criticisms against him, Bruce rehabilitated Watson, who had been a marginal figure in the cinematic Holmes canon to that point: "after Bruce, it would be a near-unthinkable heresy to show Holmes without him". The Rathbone-Bruce film series lapsed with the death of producer-director Roy William Neill in 1946. Since then, most major modern adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, especially since the 1970s, have consciously defied the popular stereotype, and depicted Watson faithfully as a capable man of action. Family Nigel Bruce was married from 1921 until his death to British actress Violet Campbell (née Violet Pauline Shelton; 1892–1970) whom he always lovingly called "Bunny" and they had two daughters: Jennifer, married in 1944 (divorced in 1946) Jay Gould III, son of Jay Gould II; Pauline, married in 1946 the British flying ace Alan Geoffrey Page. Later life Bruce, known as "Willie" to his friends, was a leading member of the British film colony in Los Angeles, and was captain of the (mostly British) Hollywood Cricket Club. Unlike some of his contemporaries, and along with other British actors such as Basil Rathbone and Charlie Chaplin, Bruce maintained his British citizenship, despite long residence in the United States. He also retained his membership of London's Garrick Club and Buck's Club until his death. His final film, World for Ransom, was released posthumously in 1954. Death Bruce died from a heart attack in Santa Monica, California in 1953, aged 58. He was cremated, and his ashes stored in the vault at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles. He wrote an autobiography called Games, Gossip and Greasepaint which has never been published; however, excerpts have been printed in the Sherlock Holmes Journal, and these have been posted online, with permission. Filmography Year Title Role 1929 Red Aces Kinsfeather, T.B. 1930 The Squeaker Collie Escape Constable Birds of Prey Manager 1931 The Calendar Lord Willie Panniford 1932 The Midshipmaid Major Spink Lord Camber's Ladies Lord Camber 1933 I Was a Spy Scottie Channel Crossing Nigel Guthrie 1934 Coming Out Party Troon, the Butler Stand Up and Cheer! Eustis Dinwiddle Murder in Trinidad Bertram Lynch Treasure Island Squire Trelawney The Lady Is Willing Welton Springtime for Henry Johnny Jewlliwell The Scarlet Pimpernel The Prince of Wales 1935 Becky Sharp Joseph Sedley She Horace Holly Jalna Maurice Vaughn The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo Ivan 1936 The Trail of the Lonesome Pine Thurber Under Two Flags Capt. Menzies The White Angel Dr. West Follow Your Heart Henri Forrester The Charge of the Light Brigade Sir Benjamin Warrenton 1936 The Man I Marry Robert Hartley 1937 Thunder in the City Duke Of Glenavon The Last of Mrs. Cheyney Lord Willie Winton 1938 The Baroness and the Butler Major Andros Kidnapped Neil MacDonald Suez Sir Malcolm Cameron 1939 The Hound of the Baskervilles Dr. Watson The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Dr. John H. Watson The Rains Came Lord Albert Esketh 1940 The Blue Bird Mr. Luxury Adventure in Diamonds Col. J.W. Lansfield Rebecca Major Giles Lacy Lillian Russell William S. Gilbert Susan and God Hutchins Stubbs A Dispatch from Reuter's Sir Randolph Persham 1941 Hudson's Bay Prince Rupert Play Girl William McDonald Vincent Free and Easy Florian Clemington This Woman Is Mine Duncan MacDougall The Chocolate Soldier Bernard Fischer, Critic Suspicion Beaky 1942 Roxie Hart E. Clay Benham This Above All Ramsbottom Eagle Squadron McKinnon Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror Dr. John H. Watson Journey for Margaret Herbert V. Allison 1943 Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon Dr. John H. Watson Forever and a Day Maj. Garrow Sherlock Holmes in Washington Dr. John H. Watson Sherlock Holmes Faces Death Dr. John H. Watson Lassie Come Home Duke of Rudling Crazy House Dr. John H. Watson (Cameo appearance) 1944 The Spider Woman Dr. John H. Watson The Scarlet Claw Dr. John H. Watson The Pearl of Death Dr. John H. Watson Gypsy Wildcat High Sheriff Frenchman's Creek Lord Godolphin 1945 Sherlock Holmes and the House of Fear Dr. John H. Watson The Corn Is Green The Squire Son of Lassie Duke of Radling The Woman in Green Dr. John H. Watson Pursuit to Algiers Dr. John H. Watson 1946 Terror by Night Dr. John H. Watson Dressed to Kill Dr. John H. Watson 1947 The Two Mrs. Carrolls Dr. Tuttle The Exile Sir Edward Hyde 1948 Julia Misbehaves Col. Bruce "Bunny" Willowbrook 1950 Vendetta Sir Thomas Nevil 1952 Hong Kong Mr. Lighton Limelight Postant, an Impresario Bwana Devil Dr. Angus McLean 1954 World for Ransom Governor Sir Charles Coutts (final film)

Myron Bruce of Burns, Harney County, Oregon United States was born on June 10, 1938 in Battle Creek, Calhoun County, MI, and died at age 36 years old in August 1974 in Burns, Harney County, OR.

Jennifer Beryl Bruce was born on September 19, 1924 to Violet Campbell and Nigel Bruce, and has a sister Pauline Margaret Bruce. She married Arthur Sebastian Gilbey, and they were married until Arthur's death on May 25, 1964. Jennifer Bruce has children Patricia Gilbey, Linda Gilbey, and Christopher Sebastian Bruce Gilbey. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jennifer Beryl Bruce.

Sharon Schultz was born March 1st 1949 in Houston Texas to Mary Elizabeth Hegwood and Leroy David Schultz. She married and had a daughter with Ted Wayne Sapp In 1971. They divorced in 1974. She then married Carroll Wayne Bruce and they had a son in 1973. They were married until his death March 16th 1988.

Virginia Bruce Born September 29, 1909 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Died February 24, 1982 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA (cancer) Birth Name Helen Virginia Briggs Height 5' 6" (1.68 m) American leading lady of the 1930s and 1940s, Virginia Bruce was born in Minnesota but grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, and came to California to attend college. Her blond good looks got her an entry into films, and after a few extra roles and bit parts she began to make serious inroads as a leading woman in secondary films and as the "other" woman in more prestigious productions. She married screen legend John Gilbert, then in his decline. Subsequently she was married to director J. Walter Ruben and to Turkish producer/director Ali Ipar, for whom she appeared in some Turkish films all but unseen in America. She died in 1982. Ali Ipar (13 November 1952 - 16 January 1964) ( divorced) Ali Ipar (27 August 1946 - 30 July 1951) ( divorced) J. Walter Ruben (18 December 1937 - 16 August 1942) ( his death) ( 1 child) John Gilbert (11 August 1932 - 25 May 1934) ( divorced) ( 1 child) Was one of the 20 original The Goldwyn Girls, along with Betty Grable, Paulette Goddard and Ann Sothern. She was divorced from Ali Ipar for the first time in 1951 when he began his compulsory Turkish army service because Turkish law forbids commissions to men married to foreigners. Her daughter Susan Ann Gilbert was born in 1933. She also had a son, Christopher Ruben, in 1941. After ex-husband John Gilbert died in 1936, she made 14 movies in 16 months. Portrayed soprano Jenny Lind in The Mighty Barnum (1934) and a character loosely based on Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.'s mistress Lillian Lorraine in The Great Ziegfeld (1936). Her third husband Ali Ipar ventured into a misguided Turkish shipping business that eventually put him behind bars. Virginia was a major contributor to the business. Very good friends with Cesar Romero and Joan Crawford. Her brother Stanley Briggs was married to Buddy Ebsen's sister and dance partner Vilma Ebsen. Her promising "A" MGM status was hurt following the death of Irving Thalberg. She subsequently was relegated to "B" films. Failed seven screen tests for the lead in Red-Headed Woman (1932), which went to Jean Harlow. Lovely but demure, and not especially ambitious or self-promoting, she was prodded by her parents, who were going through financial reversals, to skip her initial plans on a music education at UCLA and pursue film work. According to Scott O'Brien's biography entitled "Virginia Bruce: Under My Skin," and his accompanying article on Virginia for Classic Images (February, 2010), Virginia was "discovered" by director William Beaudine when the young beauty accompanied her aunt, a clothing designer, to the home of a client, Mrs. Beaudine. Virginia played the piano and sang for him that day. Paramount, under Beaudine's suggestion, took an option out on her and placed her in walk-on and bit parts, her first being Beaudine's Fugitives (1929). Coached by Roger Edens her soprano voice was used to introduce the Cole Porter song "I've Got You Under My Skin" to film audiences in the MGM musical Born to Dance (1936), singing the song to James Stewart. She was a very active member of both the Hollywood Democratic Committee and The Hollywood Anti-Nazi League and donated much of her time and money to many liberal causes (such as the Civil Rights Movement and the creation of The United Nations) and political candidates (including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Henry Wallace, Adlai Stevenson, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Jimmy Carter) during her lifetime. Her great-grandson is actor Hutch Dano. Cousin of actress Ruth Hart. Pale-eyed blonde in lead Hollywood roles during the 30's to mid-40's, though often in "B" entries as well. Personal Quotes (1) My chief purpose in life is to fall in love. I don't know why I want to, but I do.

Charlotte Mary (Simcock) Bruce of Richmond, City of Yarra County, VIC Australia was born in 1878 in Richmond to Timothy Simcock and Charlotte (Close) Simcock. She had siblings Maria Ann Simcock, Charles Robert Read Simcock, Henry"Harry" Simcock, George Ernest Simcock, Edward Joseph Kimber Simcock, William David Simcock, and Louise Marie Simcock. She married Peter Bruce in 1904, and died at age 74 years old on March 31, 1953 in Gardenvale, Glen Eira City County. Charlotte Bruce was buried at Boroondara General Cemetery High St, in Kew, Boroondara City County.

Although my dad died when I was 5, I still miss him greatly today!

Sharon L (Schultz) Bruce of TX was born circa March 1, 1949 in Houston, Harris County.

Rudolph Bruce of Ithaca, Tompkins County, NY was born on February 2, 1901, and died at age 77 years old in May 1978. Rudolph Bruce was buried at Perkins in Dryden.

Pauline Margaret Bruce was born on December 27, 1922 to Violet Campbell and Nigel Bruce, and has a sister Jennifer Beryl Bruce. She married Alan Geoffrey Page in 1946, and they were married until Alan's death on August 3, 2000. Pauline Bruce has children Pauline Shelley Page, Nigel Geoffrey Page, and Jamie Douglas Page. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Pauline Margaret Bruce.

William Leighton Bruce of Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom was born on August 4, 1858 in Glamis. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember William Bruce.

Ethan Andrew Bruce was born on August 1, 2010 at Great Bend Ks to Benjamin Bruce, and has a sister Alayna Robertson. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Ethan Andrew Bruce .

John Bruce of Saint John, Stafford County, Kansas United States was born in 1986 at Amarillo Texas. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember John Bruce .

Billy Joe Bruce 11 is the son of Maeline Smith and Billy Bruce

Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Kenneth Bruce.

Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Ivy Pierre (Bruce) Jr.

Adam Joseph Bruce Sr was born on March 9, 1955. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Adam Joseph Bruce Sr.

Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Liam Bruce.

Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Larry F. Bruce.

Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Cyrus Bruce.