Michael Bruce (MP)

[[File:John Hely-Hutchinson, 3rd Earl of Donoughmore; Sir Robert Thomas Wilson; Michael Bruce from NPG.jpg|thumb|Three defendants at the trial of parties to the escape from France of the Comte de Lavalette, Michael Bruce to the right, with [[John Hely-Hutchinson, 2nd Earl of Donoughmore]] (left), and [[Robert Wilson (British Army officer, born 1777)|Robert Wilson]] (centre).<ref>{{cite web |title=Hely Hutchinson, John I (1787-1851), of Palmerston House, Dublin, History of Parliament Online |url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/member/hely-hutchinson-john-1787-1851 |website=www.historyofparliamentonline.org}}</ref>]] '''Michael Bruce''' (1787–1861) was a British adventurer, who gained the nickname "Lavelette Bruce" for his part in smuggling [[Antoine Marie Chamans, comte de Lavalette]] out of France at the time of the [[Bourbon Restoration in France|Bourbon Restoration]]. He is now largely remembered as a lover of [[Lady Hester Stanhope]]. He was a Member of Parliament in 1830–1.<ref name="HoP">{{cite web |title=Bruce, Michael (1787-1861), of 44 Upper Brook Street, Mdx. History of Parliament Online |url=http://www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1820-1832/member/bruce-michael-1787-1861 |website=www.histparl.ac.uk}}</ref>

==Life== Born in [[Bombay]] where his father was a merchant, he was the son of [[Patrick Craufurd Bruce]] and his wife Jane Smith, and was educated at [[Eton College]]. He matriculated at [[St John's College, Cambridge]] in 1806. Later, in 1821, he was admitted to [[Lincoln's Inn]], and was [[called to the bar]] in 1826.<ref name="HoP"/><ref>{{acad|id=BR805M|name=Bruce, Michael}}</ref>

Bruce did not complete a degree at Cambridge, after a year or so beginning to travel in Europe. It was during his voyages in the Mediterranean and Near East that he encountered Lady Hester Stanhope, on [[Malta]] in 1810. They lived together for three years, spent on trips that included [[Damascus]] and [[Palmyra]]. They parted in 1813.<ref name="HoP"/><ref>{{cite ODNB|id=26247|first=Norman N.|last=Lewis|title=Stanhope, Lady Hester Lucy}}</ref>

Moving to [[Vienna]] and then [[Paris]], Bruce took part in the successful plot to smuggle the Comte de Lavalette out of France: he was a supporter of Napoleon condemned by the Bourbons. When Bruce was put on trial for this offence in 1816, he received a sentence of three months. His reputation, however, was not badly sullied, and [[Lord Palmerston]], a college friend, acted as his [[best man]] two years later.<ref name="HoP"/>

Bruce then went in for Whig party politics, as a friend of [[John Cam Hobhouse]], but hampered by the collapse of his father's bank in 1816. In the end the [[William Vane, 1st Duke of Cleveland|Marquess of Cleveland]], who had in recent years moved from the Whigs to supporting the Tory ministry, found him the seat of [[Ilchester (UK Parliament constituency)|Ilchester]] in 1830. His patron then switching to support for reform, Bruce made himself conspicuous for his reluctance to do the same. He was replaced by Cleveland for the [[1831 United Kingdom general election|1831 general election]], and left public life.<ref name="HoP"/>

==Notes== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruce, Michael}} [[Category:1787 births]] [[Category:1861 deaths]] [[Category:People educated at Eton College]] [[Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge]] [[Category:UK MPs 1830–1831]] [[Category:Whig (British political party) MPs for English constituencies]]