Papers Of William & Charles Bruce, Wick

Reference Accession
P250/ NHA/P250

The Bruce's were prominent in local contemporary affairs and also cultivated an interest in local history. William was Provost of Wick 1836-1838 and 1839-1843. He died in 1851 and his son Charles in 1897.

The following papers fall into three categories: personal and official correspondence and accounts; original legal or financial documents (probably collected by them in their official capacities, but not contemporary with them, mostly 18th century); their own notes and transcripts on matters relating

to local history. The sections have been listed in the order noted above.

P250/ 1 John Sheppard letters 1841.
Letters to William Bruce from various sources regarding the death of John Sheppard, 1841.
Also copy of outgoing letter from Bruce, 17 April 1841, to the Reverend William Adams of Hartshead in Essex.
17 letters (if including the contemporary copy); 2 with separate envelopes

P250/ 2 Receipts and accounts 1850-1860
Receipts from George Simpson, fishcurer and ropemanufacturer in Wick, paid to William Miller as collector on behalf of the magistrates of Wick 3 items

P250/3 Legal correspondence re effects of John Sheppard 1861
Letters (from G Coope at Lincolns Inn Fields) and copy letters relating to costs incurred checking the effects of the above and other legal matters relating to his death (Sheppard was formerly provost of Wick, see P250/1 above).
8 letters, one envelope

P250/ 4 Letter to Town Clerk, 1874
Letter from M. MacLennan [High St] to William Miller, Town Clerk, re settlement of an account 1 item

P250/5 MacLeod of MacLeod letters 1874-1879
Letters to Charles Bruce from MacLeod of MacLeod re the latter's holdings in the British Fisheries Society 1874-1879
9 letters; 1 envelope, 1 unidentified list of figures

P250/6 Publications and condoleances 1888-1897
Charles Bruce correspondence with Thomas Sinclair re his publications on local history; letters of condoleance to Bruce's children upon his death in 1897. Some of the letters from Sinclair tie in with documents, transcripts and drafts listed below
31 letters; 18 postcards; 6 groups of notes

P250/7 Disposition in favour of George Petrie 1743
Disposition of the houses of Meikle sold to George Petrie, merchant in Wick, by William Calder, son of the late John Calder, bailie of Wick, 1743
1 item covering two separately folded sheets

P250/8 Letter from Mr Calder to Hugh Campbell 1761
Letter regarding the tenement held by Grisall Calder (sic) of Calhells(?) 1 item

P250/9 Letter from John Campbell re house letting 1768
Letter of John Campbell to Mrs Campbell, his mother, of Lochininear, Thurso, authorising her to act on his behalf re his properties in Wick 1 item

P250/10 Grizell Calder sasine 1771
Notarial instrument drawn up by James Campbell in favour of Grizell Calder 1 item

P250/11 Disposition by Donald Robertson 1774
Grant by Donald Robertson, shipmaster, to Isobell Gunn his wife to secure her a settlement after his decease; separate document of sasine 2 items

P250/12 Marjorie Robert sasine 1793
Sasine in favour of Marjorie Robert, 20 May 1793, re lands in Achies
Outsize document with part of the last few lines frayed and missing

P250/13 MacIvor and Macvicar charge against Mrs Christian Bowie or Craig
Summons of adjudication against the heritage of the late Alexander Bowie, Wick, by McIver McVicar and MacCorquadale of Liverpool, 20 June 1817

P250/14 Master of Berridale 1636 charter
Transcript by Bruce. Copy charter of 1636 document of Andrew Mowatt on the Stewarttis tenement in Wick. Original signed by J Sinclair, copy apparently made 1877

P250/15 Curing stations at Pulteneytown etc
Transcript of evidence on the curing stations at Pulteneytown Harbour and before a Committee of the House of Lords, 1862. Also notes giving a general history of Wick

P250/16 Earls of Caithness
Notes on the Earls of Caithness in the 16th-19th centuries) and on St Fergus

P250/17 Miscellaneous local history notes
Notes including biography of Rev. David Gunn b.1773 and notes from the Convention of Royal Burghs, 1667

P250/18 Scottish parliament and miscellaneous
Transcripts from the Scottish parliament, 1669, and miscellaneous local history notes