George Bruce

GEORGE BRUCE

Ancestry: George Bruce

[OPR.42 20 169]

Birth: Jun. 10, 1798 Wick Highland, Scotland Death: Jul. 18, 1871 Guelph Wellington County Ontario, Canada

Son of John Bruce and Isobel (Gunn) Bruce.

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Marriage

George Bruce married Elizabeth Taylor on 21 September 1824 in Arbroath, Angus, Scotland. Find A Grave Memorial

Children

1. Ann Just (Bruce) Hood
2. John Bruce,
3. Jean Taylor Bruce
4. George Bruce. He succeeded his father in his business.
5. Alexander Bruce. He succeeded his father in his business
6. David Bruce
7. James Bruce
8. William Bruce
9. Donald Bruce
10. Josiah Bruce
11. Robert Bruce,
12. Baxter Bruce
13. Ebenezer Bruce
14. Isabella Bruce

Biographical Account by Robert G. Hill reproduced from The Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada

George Bruce (1798-1871) was a carpenter and builder active in Guelph, Ont. Born at Wick, Caithness, Scotland on 10 June 1798, he emigrated to Upper Canada in 1836. He is almost certainly the same 'Mr. Bruce of Guelph' who was awarded first premium in 1852 for his competition-winning design for the Grey County Court House & Gaol, Third Avenue East, OWEN SOUND, ONT. (Weekly Leader [Toronto], 14 Sept. 1852, 3; Minutes of the Second Session of the Municipal Council of the County of Grey, 1854, Appendix, 18).

He was ambitious enough to submit a design in 1856 for the competition for the Market House, Guelph, Ont., but his scheme was set aside in favour of that by William Thomas of Toronto (Tri-Weekly Advertiser [Guelph], 6 June 1856, 2). In 1860 he drew plans for alterations to the Grand Jury Room in the Wellington County Court House, Woolwich Street, GUELPH, ONT., and shortly after designed the Registry Office, Woolwich Street, GUELPH, ONT. (M. Macrae & A. Adamson, Cornerstones of Order, 1983, 108).

He submitted drawings for an addition and extensive alterations to the North Ward School, GUELPH, ONT., 1867 (demol.), and was again commissioned in 1869 to plan additional improvements to the Wellington County Court House, in this instance to enlarge the County Treasurer's office and to install a system of gas lighting (Guelph Evening Mercury, 15 May 1869, 2, t.c.).

George Bruce died in Guelph on 18 July 1871, leaving his contracting business to his brother Alex Bruce. (death notice in Weekly Mercury [Guelph], 20 July 1871, 2; inf. Gordon Couling; Marion Macrae)