Captain Evan Bruce-Gardyne
Encyclopedia
Captain Evan Bruce-Gardyne, DSO, RN, 13th Laird of Midddeton, (21 April 1885 - 24 July 1949) was a British Navy officer. He was a member of the well-known Scottish landowning family of Gardyne
who have been based in the county of Angus
since 1008 AD. Born on 21 April 1885 he was the son of David Greenhill Bruce-Gardyne and Azemia Sellar.
chief of the Clan Macpherson
. David Greenhill Bruce-Gardyne was a cousin of Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC (Can) first Prime Minister of Canada, and his wife Azemia Sellar was a granddaughter of the notorious Patrick Sellar
.
Bruce-Gardyne's brother Lieutenant Ian Bruce-Gardyne MC
was a professional soldier in the Black Watch
and won the military Cross during the first world war. He was also Alfred Anderson's
commanding officer.
, from which he joined the Navy. He was gunnery officer of HMS Tiger
at the battle of Jutland
, where the ship was badly damaged. Some blamed HMS Tiger' s performance on Bruce-Gardyne, and he was court martialled but found not guilty. Many believed he was made a scapegoat
and that the real problems lay with the British Navy's outdated ships.
Bruce-Gardyne was re-instated and went on to receive the Distinguished Service Order
for bravery at the bombardment of Zeebrugge
on 11-12 May, 1917, and of Ostend on 4-5 June, 1917. When junior officers were awarded the DSO it was an acknowledgement that the officer had only just missed out on receiving the Victoria Cross.
After the war Bruce-Gardyne became the officer in charge of the Royal Hospital School
Holbrook, before retiring to his estate in Scotland. He died on 24 July 1949 at age 64.
1.Charles Bruce-Gardyne, 14th Laird
of Middleton+1 b. 15 Feb 1927.Charles Bruce-Gardyne is a member of the Royal Company of Archers
and a member of the Sovereign's Bodyguard
in Scotland
. He married Dorothy Margaret Blair-Imrie, daughter of Lt.-Col. Hew Angus Christopher Blair-Imrie killed in action
, on 16 April 1966l. Charles Bruce-Gardyne's son Hugh is married to Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne
2.John Bruce-Gardyne , Baron Bruce-Gardyne+1 Conservative MP b. 12 Apr 1930. He married Sarah Louisa Mary Maitland
daughter of Commander
Sir
John Maitland (Conservative politician)
in 1959. He died of a brain tumour in Kensington and Chelsea at the age of 60.
3.Lt.-Cdr. Kenneth Patrick Bruce-Gardyne+1 of Nettlebed House, Droxford
Hampshire b. 13 Nov 1933. He married Angela Pauline Fane
, daughter of Charles William Fane and Pauline Margaret Blackie, on 11 April 1964. Charles William Fane was a son of Colonel William Vere Reeve King-Fane of Fulbeck Hall and Pauline Blackie was a daughter of Ernest Morell Blackie Dean of Rochester and Honorary Chaplain to the King
Clan Gardyne
Clan Gardyne or Clan Garden is an armigerous lowland Scottish Clan from Angus.The chiefly family of Garden or Gardyne of that Ilk are a very ancient family, who were proprietors in Angus from a remote period, and are first recorded in the locality of the Kirkdon of Angus in 1008 when they are...
who have been based in the county of Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
since 1008 AD. Born on 21 April 1885 he was the son of David Greenhill Bruce-Gardyne and Azemia Sellar.
Family
His father, David Greenhill Bruce-Gardyne was the son of Major William Bruce-Gardyne of Middleton and his wife Catherine Cameron Macpherson daughter of Lt-Col Donald Macpherson of Kingston Canada, illegitimate son of Ewen MacPherson of ClunyEwen MacPherson of Cluny
Ewen MacPherson of Cluny, also known as "Cluny Macpherson", was the chief of the Clan Chattan at the time of the Jacobite Rising of 1745. He took part as a supporter of Charles Edward Stuart and after the rebellion was crushed he went into hiding...
chief of the Clan Macpherson
Clan Macpherson
Clan Macpherson is a Highland Scottish clan from Badenoch, on the River Spey. It is a leading member of the Chattan Confederation.-Origins:...
. David Greenhill Bruce-Gardyne was a cousin of Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC (Can) first Prime Minister of Canada, and his wife Azemia Sellar was a granddaughter of the notorious Patrick Sellar
Patrick Sellar
Patrick Sellar was a Scottish lawyer who is notorious for his role in the Highland Clearances.Born into a wealthy family in Moray in 1780 and died in Elgin in 1851. He is buried in Elgin Cathedral...
.
Bruce-Gardyne's brother Lieutenant Ian Bruce-Gardyne MC
Ian Bruce-Gardyne
Lieutenant Ian Meredith Bruce-Gardyne MC was an Anglo-Scottish soldier and Sudanese Political Officer.-Family:Lieutenant Ian Meredith Bruce-Gardyne MC was a British soldier. He was a member of the well-known Scottish landowning Gardyne who have been based in the county of Angus since 1008 AD...
was a professional soldier in the Black Watch
Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
and won the military Cross during the first world war. He was also Alfred Anderson's
Alfred Anderson
Alfred Anderson was a Scottish joiner and veteran of the First World War. He was the last known holder of the 1914 Star , the last known combatant to participate in the 1914 World War I Christmas truce, Scotland's last known World War I veteran, and Scotland's oldest man for more than a year.In...
commanding officer.
Military career
Bruce-Gardyne was educated at HMS BritanniaHMS Britannia
Six ships and a shore establishment of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Britannia, after Britannia, the goddess and personification of Britain....
, from which he joined the Navy. He was gunnery officer of HMS Tiger
HMS Tiger
Fifteen ships of the British Royal Navy have carried the name HMS Tiger after the feline tiger, with a number of others provisionally bearing the name at various stages in their construction:...
at the battle of Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
, where the ship was badly damaged. Some blamed HMS Tiger
Scapegoat
Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited negative treatment or blame. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals , individuals against groups , groups against individuals , and groups against groups Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any...
and that the real problems lay with the British Navy's outdated ships.
Bruce-Gardyne was re-instated and went on to receive the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
for bravery at the bombardment of Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and a seafront resort with hotels, cafés, a marina and a beach.-Location:...
on 11-12 May, 1917, and of Ostend on 4-5 June, 1917. When junior officers were awarded the DSO it was an acknowledgement that the officer had only just missed out on receiving the Victoria Cross.
After the war Bruce-Gardyne became the officer in charge of the Royal Hospital School
Royal Hospital School
The Royal Hospital School, , is a British co-educational independent boarding school with naval traditions. It admits pupils from age 11 to 18 through Common Entrance or the school's own exam...
Holbrook, before retiring to his estate in Scotland. He died on 24 July 1949 at age 64.
Personal life
Bruce-Gardyne married Joan McLaren, daughter of Charles Edward McLaren of Rosehall and Barrister at law , on 10 February 1926. The couple had three sons:1.Charles Bruce-Gardyne, 14th Laird
Laird
A Laird is a member of the gentry and is a heritable title in Scotland. In the non-peerage table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire.-Etymology:...
of Middleton+1 b. 15 Feb 1927.Charles Bruce-Gardyne is a member of the Royal Company of Archers
Royal Company of Archers
The Royal Company of Archers is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's Bodyguard in Scotland, a role it has performed since 1822 and the reign of King George IV, when the company provided a personal bodyguard to the King on his visit to Scotland. It is currently known as the Queen's...
and a member of the Sovereign's Bodyguard
Sovereign's Bodyguard
Sovereign's Bodyguard is the name given to three ceremonial units in the United Kingdom who are tasked with guarding the Sovereign. These units are:*Her Majesty's Bodyguard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms - formed 1509...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He married Dorothy Margaret Blair-Imrie, daughter of Lt.-Col. Hew Angus Christopher Blair-Imrie killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
, on 16 April 1966l. Charles Bruce-Gardyne's son Hugh is married to Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne
Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne
Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne is a writer specialising in Cookery and food allergies.-Biography:Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne studied Physiology at the University of London...
2.John Bruce-Gardyne , Baron Bruce-Gardyne+1 Conservative MP b. 12 Apr 1930. He married Sarah Louisa Mary Maitland
Maitland
Maitland is an English and Scottish surname. It arrived in Britain after the Norman conquest of 1066. There are two theories about its source. It is either a nickname reference to "bad temper/disposition" , or it may be a locational reference to Mautalant, a place in Pontorson, France...
daughter of Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
John Maitland (Conservative politician)
John Maitland (Conservative politician)
Sir John Francis Whitaker Maitland was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. In the 1945 general election, he was elected as Member of Parliament for the safe Conservative seat of Horncastle in Lincolnshire...
in 1959. He died of a brain tumour in Kensington and Chelsea at the age of 60.
3.Lt.-Cdr. Kenneth Patrick Bruce-Gardyne+1 of Nettlebed House, Droxford
Droxford
Droxford is a village in Hampshire, England, lying in the Meon valley, and lies around 3¾ miles east of Bishop's Waltham within the new South Downs National Park. The A32 passes through the village between Gosport and Alton...
Hampshire b. 13 Nov 1933. He married Angela Pauline Fane
Fane (surname)
Fane is an English surname of Welsh origins that belongs to a family who have produced a number of notable members. The family originated with Ivon Vane, who was a Welsh landowner and mercenary captain in the service of the Black Prince. Ivon Vane or John Fane, as he was known in English, was one...
, daughter of Charles William Fane and Pauline Margaret Blackie, on 11 April 1964. Charles William Fane was a son of Colonel William Vere Reeve King-Fane of Fulbeck Hall and Pauline Blackie was a daughter of Ernest Morell Blackie Dean of Rochester and Honorary Chaplain to the King
Honorary Chaplain to the King
Honorary Chaplain to the King is an office conferred to a chaplain in the United Kingdom. They are also known as Honorary Chaplains to the Sovereign....