Rare glimpse of Bruce’s sword
● Weapon said to have knighted Robert Burns
Lord Charles Bruce with an early 14th century sword said to have belonged to Robert the Bruce. The weapon is due to go on show to the public at Treasures of Broomhall House at Bonhams in Edinburgh on Monday
It is an imposing weapon which, according to legend, was once owned by the father figure of Scottish independence and was even used to confer an unofficial honour upon the nation’s bard.
Now, a double-handed broadsword said to have been owned by Robert the Bruce is set to go on public display in Edinburgh.
The early 14th century Sword of State, which has been treasured by the Bruce family for centuries, will be the centrepiece of a new exhibition devoted to Bruce and his descendents.
The weapon, which is rarely exhibited in public, is thought to have been used by the King of Scots, although it remains unclear whether he wielded it in battle.
The historic sword, which weighs eight pounds and has a 44-inch long blade and bog oak haft, was later kept in C lack mann an tower, wherein 1787, it is said to have touched another towering figure in Scottish history.
That year, Lady Katherine Bruce, the widow of Henry Bruce, the last of the male line, reportedly used the sword to perform a knighting ceremony on a young visiting poet by the name of Robert Burns.
Within a few decades, however, the mansion and tower were abandoned, and the sword was taken for safekeeping to Broomhall House, the Bruce family seat near Dunfermline and home of the Earl of Elgin, where it has remained ever since.
Now, it will feature in Treasures from Broomhall House and the Bruce Family, a new exhibition being held at Bonhams in Edinburgh.
Lord Charles Bruce, the current earl’s son, said he could not remember a time when the sword had gone on public display in Scotland. He described it as a “very cherished” possession which, much like the Bruce family, has a storied history.
“The sword was a gift from David II, the surviving son of King Robert,” he said. “His marriages did not produce an heir and, realising that the Bruce dynasty would come to an end, he presented his father’s sword to his first cousin, Thomas Bruce of Clackmannan.
“The sword was kept at Clackmannan Tower for 14 generations until 1791 when it passed by descent to the Earls of Elgin and Kincardine.”
Lord Bruce said that although the blade does not show much in the way of evidence of having been used in the heat of battle, it could not be ruled out.
“It could easily have been,” he added. “It is the finest tempered steel and beautifully balanced. It would certainly have been a weapon of choice to fight with.”
Other items being shown at the exhibition, which takes runs from 22 to 27 January, include a suit in the Bruce tartan from around 1760, which was worn by James Bruce of Kinnaird, who discovered the source of the Blue Nile in 1770.
Bonhams will also display silver from the collection of Alexander Bruce, 2nd Earl of Kincardine, a noted Scottish 17th century inventor who collaborated in the invention of the first reliable marine chronometer. Together with Robert Boyle and Christopher Wren, he was a founding member of the Royal Society.
A portrait by Allan Ramsay of Charles Bruce, 5th Earl of Elgin, who was a founding member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, will also feature.
Lord Bruce added: “There are about 20 different items covering several hundred years of the family’s history. The most recent is a gold medal from the Empire Exhibition at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow, from 1938, so it is a very eclectic array of items that we are lending to this exhibition.”
Charles Graham-campbell, managing director in Scotland for Bonhams, said: “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to be hosting these treasures from Broomhall House belonging to the Bruce family.”