Laurence Bruce

Laurence Bruce of Cultmalindie (20 January 1547 – August 1617) was the son of John Bruce of Cultmalindie and Eupheme Elphinstone. Easter Cultmalindie is a small hamlet or "fermtoun" in Tibbermore parish, Perthshire, Scotland.

The Bruces of Cultmalindie were a minor branch of the Bruce family in Scotland, and were descendants of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland (1306-1329). Laurence Bruce was the half brother of Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney. Earl Robert was the recognized illegitimate son of James V, King of Scotland, and Eupheme Elphinstone.

About 1571 Laurence Bruce was appointed sheriff (the anglicised equivalent to the actual Norn-Scottish title of Foud or "faud", coming from the Norse term 'fogde', meaning approximately bailiff) of the Shetland Islands by Earl Robert. Accompanied by his nephew William Bruce of Crail (son of his full-brother Robert Bruce: although he may have been a son of Laurence) and other officials and armed men, Laurence Bruce moved to his new domain and set up his seat on the island of Unst. Once there he rapidly became unpopular due to his oppressive and corrupt rule. For example, it was alleged that he took bribes and that he had altered the official weights and measures to enhance the revenues of Earl Robert. His armed men felt free to seize control of ships and to billet themselves in the homes of the local people. Evidently Laurence Bruce helped himself to the local women, and is believed to have fathered approximately twenty-four illegitimate children beyond his ten legitimate children by his wives Helen Kennedy and Elizabeth Gray. Escalating conflict with the local Shetland Islanders resulted in a petition being sent to the royal court in Edinburgh. In response, a royal commission, the 'Mudy commission', travelled to Shetland and in February 1577 took evidence from 700 male Shetlanders. As a result, Laurence Bruce was removed from office. But by June of the following year, he had returned to the islands as "sheriff-depute".

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