Lord Balfour of Burleigh
Encyclopedia
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. With that year's Act of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England were combined into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was...
. It was created in 1607 for Sir Michael Balfour
Michael Balfour, 1st Lord Balfour of Burleigh
Michael Balfour, 1st Lord Balfour of Burleigh PC was a Scottish peer.Balfour was the son of Sir James Balfour, President of the Court of Session, and his wife Margaret . James Balfour, 1st Baron Balfour of Glerawly, was his younger brother...
. He was succeeded by his daughter Margaret, the second holder of the title. She married Robert Arnot, who assumed the surname of Balfour in lieu of Arnot, and sat as Lord Balfour of Burleigh in the Scottish Parliament in right of his wife. Their son, the third Lord, fought with the Covenanter
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
s at the Battle of Drumclog
Battle of Drumclog
The Battle of Drumclog was fought on 1 June 1679, between a group of Covenanters and the forces of John Graham of Claverhouse, at High Drumclog, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.- The battle :...
. His grandson, the fifth Lord, was attainted in 1715 for his role in the Jacobite rebellion of that year.
In 1869 the attainder was reversed by Act of Parliament in favour of Alexander Hugh Bruce. He was the great-great-grandson of Hon. Mary Balfour (d. 1758), sister of the fifth Lord, and her husband Brigadier-General Alexander Bruce. Lord Balfour of Burleigh was a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and sat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
as a Scottish Representative Peer
Representative peer
In the United Kingdom, representative peers were those peers elected by the members of the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland to sit in the British House of Lords...
from 1876 to 1921 and served Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State for Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
between 1895 and 1903. His second son, the seventh Lord, was a Scottish Representative Peer from 1922 to 1963. the title is held by the latter's son, the eighth Lord, who succeeded on his father's death in 1967.
The original family seat was Burleigh Castle
Burleigh Castle
The remains of Burleigh Castle are located just outside the village of Milnathort, 1.5 miles north of Kinross, in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The castle dates from the 15th and 16th centuries, and now sits beside the A911 road, opposite a 19th century steading, recently adapted into...
, near Kinross
Kinross
Kinross is a burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It was formerly the county town of Kinross-shire.Kinross is a fairly small town, with some attractive buildings...
, which is now in ruins.
Another member of the Balfour family was James Balfour, 1st Baron Balfour of Glenawley (in the Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
). He was the younger brother of the first Lord Balfour of Burleigh.
Lords Balfour of Burleigh (1607)
- Michael Balfour, 1st Lord Balfour of BurleighMichael Balfour, 1st Lord Balfour of BurleighMichael Balfour, 1st Lord Balfour of Burleigh PC was a Scottish peer.Balfour was the son of Sir James Balfour, President of the Court of Session, and his wife Margaret . James Balfour, 1st Baron Balfour of Glerawly, was his younger brother...
(d. 1619) - Margaret Balfour, 2nd Lady Balfour of Burleigh (d. 1639)
- John Balfour, 3rd Lord Balfour of BurleighJohn Balfour, 3rd Lord Balfour of BurleighJohn Balfour , was the third Lord Balfour of Burleigh. He succeeded his father Robert, the second Lord Balfour of Burleigh, in 1663.In his youth he went to France for his education. He was wounded there in an 'affair of honour'...
(d. 1688) - Robert Balfour, 4th Lord Balfour of Burleigh (d. 1713)
- Robert Balfour, 5th Lord Balfour of BurleighRobert Balfour, 5th Lord Balfour of BurleighRobert Balfour, 5th Lord Balfour of Burleigh , was a Jacobite.Balfour, when a youth fell in love with a 'pretty face,' far inferior in rank, much to the annoyance of the family. He was sent to travel abroad in the hope that he would forget his attachment. Before he set out he declared to his...
(d. 1757) (forfeit 1715) - Heirs but for the attainder:
- Margaret Bruce, sister of the 5th Lord (d. 1769)
- Robert Bruce, Lord Kennet, grandson of the 4th Lord (1718-1785)
- Robert Bruce (1795-1864)
- Alexander Hugh Bruce, 6th Lord Balfour of BurleighAlexander Bruce, 6th Lord Balfour of BurleighAlexander Hugh Bruce, 6th Lord Balfour of Burleigh KT GCMG GCVO PC DL JP was a Scottish Unionist politician, banker and statesman, who took a leading part in the affairs of the Church of Scotland...
(1849–1921) (restored 1869) - George John Gordon Bruce, 7th Lord Balfour of Burleigh (1883–1967)
- Robert Bruce, 8th Lord Balfour of Burleigh (b. 1927)
The Heiress Presumptive is the present holder's daughter the Hon. Victoria Bruce, Mistress of Burleigh (b. 1973)