Johnson / Bryans Families

Tracing the ancestry of Pamela Murdoch Bryans and Maurice Alan Johnson

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Rev. Archibald Adair Brice

Clergyman (Rector of South Elmham St James)
Male 1769 - 1828  (58 years)

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  • Name Archibald Adair Brice 
    Relationshipwith Marion Murdoch Johnson
    Gender Male 
    Birth 10 Nov 1769  Kilroot House, Kilroot, County Antrim, Ireland Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3] 
    Education 26 Jul 1787  [4] 
    Education 27 Jan 1792  Pembroke College, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, Kingdom of Great Britain Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    Education 11 Feb 1792  Clare College, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, Kingdom of Great Britain Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    Ordained 22 Dec 1793  Norwich, Norfolk, England, Kingdom of Great Britain Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Occupation Between 1795 and 1828  South Elmham St James, Suffolk, England, Kingdom of Great Britain Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Clergyman (Rector of South Elmham St James) 
    Education 10 Jun 1795  Emmanuel College, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, Kingdom of Great Britain Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    Name Archibald Adair Bruce 
    Ordained 28 Jun 1795  Windsor Castle Chapel, Windsor, Berkshire, England, Kingdom of Great Britain Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Death 1828  61 High Street, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 
    Burial 7 Oct 1828  St Swithins, Walcot, Bath, Somerset, England, United Kingdom Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 
    Siblings 4 brothers and 2 sisters 
    Half-siblings 1 half brother (family of Edward Brice and Rose Stewart) 
    Last Modified 24 Jan 2021 

    Father Edward Brice
              b. Abt [J] 1721  
              d. 8 May 1808, Bath, Somerset, England, United Kingdom Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 87 years) 
    Mother Jane Smith Adair
              b. 20 Dec 1737, London Find all individuals with events at this location
              d. 5 Feb 1825, Bath, Somerset, England, United Kingdom Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 87 years) 
    Marriage 4 Dec 1758  Belfast, Ireland Find all individuals with events at this location  [7] 
    Count of Children 6 

    Wife Martha Porter
              b. 19 Dec 1770, Shepperton, Surrey, England, Kingdom of Great Britain Find all individuals with events at this location
              d. 16 Dec 1834, Walcot, Bath, Somerset, England, United Kingdom Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 63 years)  [8] 
    Marriage 11 Mar 1800  St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom Find all individuals with events at this location  [9, 10] 
    Age at Marriage Archibald was 30 years old - Martha was 29 years old. 
    Children 
     1. Rev. Courtenay Boyle Brice
              b. 7 Nov 1800, Broome, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom Find all individuals with events at this location
              d. 6 Dec 1854 (Age 54 years)
     2. Maria Isabella Brice
              b. 13 Jan 1802  
              d. Dec 1804 (Age 2 years)
     3. William Adair Brice
              b. 3 Jul 1803, Bungay, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom Find all individuals with events at this location
              d. Oct 1893, Bath, Somerset, England, United Kingdom Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 90 years)
    Last Modified 1 Oct 2018 

  • Notes 
    • Early Life
      Archibald Adair Brice was the fourth and youngest son of Edward Brice and Jane Adair, of Kilroot in Ireland. Archibald was born on the 10th of November 1769, most likely at Kilroot House which was the family home.

      Career
      At the age of 18, Archibald was signed up by his father for a five-year clerkship (in preparation to becoming a lawyer) with Oliver Farrer of Bedford Square and James Farrer of Chancery Lane. This life clearly didn't appeal to him as, four and a half years later he was admitted to Pembroke College in Cambridge. He swapped colleges a few times, transferring to Clare (or perhaps Clare Hall, there are records for both). In the interim, he was ordained Deacon in December 1793, aged 24. Finally ending up at Emmanuel College, Archibald graduated on the 10th of June 1795 and was ordained priest 18 days later, apparently at Windsor Castle chapel. The same year, Archibald was appointed Rector of South Elmham St James in Suffolk, a position which he held for the rest of his life.

      It is worth pointing out that Archibald's grandfather William Adair owned the Flixton estate in Bungay - a few miles from South Elmham. Almost certainly this was no coincidence - perhaps William (or rather his nephew and heir Alexander Adair 1743-1834 given that William died in 1783) pulled some strings to find Archibald a suitable curacy.

      Family Life
      Archibald married Martha Porter, daughter of William Porter and Mary Haultain on the 11th of March 1800 at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London when he was 30. Evidently this union was very much not approved by Martha's father, who in his will (dated 1795) had indicated that he would disinherit Martha if she married Archibald (beyond the will itself, this friction between William Porter and Archibald is revealed in a court case taken by Martha and Archibald against the executors of her father's will, one of whom was Francis Haultain, her uncle).

      Martha's maternal family were the Haultains, and this marriage was not the only intersection between the Brice and Haultain families: her first cousin Arthur married Maria Isabella Anstruther Brice, who was Archibald's niece through his brother Robert.

      Archbald and Martha had three children:
      1. Courtenay Boyle, born 7th November 1800, who married Margaret Augusta Kelso
      2. Maria Isabella, born 13th Jan 1802 (died aged 2)
      3. William Adair, born 3rd July 1803, who married first Elizabeth Merceron and secondly Henrietta Mount

      Archibald obtained a Royal grant to change his name from Brice to Bruce on 1st October 1825, something his cousin Edward (b. 1753) had also done 14 years earlier. Thus the descent from the "noble house of Bruce, of Airth in Scotland" (quoting from the grant) was re-established, albeit I've still to find any actual evidence of the link. For a considerable amount of analysis of whether the Brices really did descend from the Bruces of Airth, see the entry for Edward Bryce.

      Legal Disputes
      As mentioned above, Archibald helped his wife Martha in a claim against the executors of her father's will, including Francis Haultain (her uncle). In turn, Francis counter-sued (see here).

      Death
      Archibald died in 1828 in Cheltenham aged 59, and was buried at Walcot St Swithin near Bath in Somerset. Both his father and mother were buried at the same church.

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 10 Nov 1769 - Kilroot House, Kilroot, County Antrim, Ireland Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsEducation - 27 Jan 1792 - Pembroke College, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, Kingdom of Great Britain Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsEducation - 11 Feb 1792 - Clare College, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, Kingdom of Great Britain Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOrdained - 22 Dec 1793 - Norwich, Norfolk, England, Kingdom of Great Britain Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Clergyman (Rector of South Elmham St James) - Between 1795 and 1828 - South Elmham St James, Suffolk, England, Kingdom of Great Britain Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsEducation - 10 Jun 1795 - Emmanuel College, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, Kingdom of Great Britain Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOrdained - 28 Jun 1795 - Windsor Castle Chapel, Windsor, Berkshire, England, Kingdom of Great Britain Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 11 Mar 1800 - St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 1828 - 61 High Street, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - 7 Oct 1828 - St Swithins, Walcot, Bath, Somerset, England, United Kingdom Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Documents
    Articles of Clerkship - Archibald Adair Brice    		Articles of Clerkship - Archibald Adair Brice
    Details the 5-year clerkship at Lincoln's Inn

  • Sources 
    1. [S0117] Various, CCED, (db.theclergydatabase.org.uk), Ordination Record.

    2. [S0095] Ancestry, Cambridge University Alumni, 1261-1900, (ancestry.co.uk).

    3. [S0112] Ancestry, Somerset, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1914, (ancestry.co.uk), 2016, Burial - Archibald Brice.

    4. [S0114] Ancestry, UK, Articles of Clerkship, 1756-1874, (Ancestry.com), Archibald Adair Brice.

    5. [S0095] Ancestry, Cambridge University Alumni, 1261-1900, (ancestry.co.uk), Archibald Brice.

    6. [S0117] Various, CCED, (db.theclergydatabase.org.uk), Archibald Brice - Appointment.

    7. [S0339] Various, Ancestry Message Boards, https://www.ancestry.com.au/boards/surnames.adair/1374.2.1.3.1.1.1.1.2.3/mb.ashx.

    8. [S0255] Ancestry, London and Surrey, England, Marriage Bonds and Allegations, 1597-1921, (ancestry.co.uk), Marriage - Archibald Adair Brice.

    9. [S0305] FindMyPast, Westminster Marriages, (findmypast.co.uk), 11 Mar 1800, Porter/Brice;.

    10. [S0170] Ancestry, England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973, (ancestry.co.uk), 11 Mar 1800, Brice / Porter; FHL Film Number 561159, 561160, 561161, 561162.