Lord Balfour of Burleigh, in the County of Kinross, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1607 for Sir Michael Balfour. 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 Covenanters at the Battle of Drumclog. 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 politician and sat in the House of Lords as a Scottish Representative Peer from 1876 to 1921 and served Secretary of State for Scotland between 1895 and 1903. His second son, the seventh Lord, was a Scottish Representative Peer from 1922 to 1963. As of 2007 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, near Kinross, which is now in ruins. Another member of the Balfour family was James Balfour, 1st Baron Balfour of Glenawley (in the Peerage of Ireland). He was the younger brother of the first Lord Balfour of Burleigh.
Lords Balfour of Burleigh (1607)
- Michael Balfour, 1st Lord Balfour of Burleigh (d. 1619)
- Margaret Balfour, 2nd Lady Balfour of Burleigh (d. 1639)
- John Balfour, 3rd Lord Balfour of Burleigh (d. 1697)
- Robert Balfour, 4th Lord Balfour of Burleigh (d. 1713)
- Robert Balfour, 5th Lord Balfour of Burleigh (d. 1757) (forfeit 1715)
- Alexander Hugh Bruce, 6th Lord Balfour of Burleigh (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 Hon. Victoria Bruce, Mistress of Burleigh (b. 1973)
See also
References
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page
