Bruce Castle has always had a fascination for me, thinking of the changes
that have taken place since Robert Bruce, father of Robert Bruce, King of
Scotland, who died in 1303, lived in the castellated mansion that
formerly occupied the site. Later on, when it came into the possession
of Sir William Compton, he re-built it, and again it seems associated
with Scotland, for on the Saturday after Ascension Day, in 1516, King
Henry VIII. met his sister, Margaret, Queen of Scots, at “Maister
Compton’s house beside Tottnam.” One can imagine the scene that was
enacted there, when Sir William’s grandson, Henry Lord Compton, was
honoured by a visit from Queen Elizabeth in May, 1578. History says the
Castle was repaired, and almost re-built, in the latter part of the
Seventeenth Century, by Henry Lord Coleraine, who succeeded the Comptons.
He removed the arms of Compton from the old porch, and placed them over
the entrance of the inside, out of respect to that illustrious family.
At this time there was stabling for twelve horses, and a treble
coach-house, with lofts over. Gradually the glory of the place departed;
it passed from owner to owner, and when Mr. Ede, a merchant, of London,
purchased it in 1814, these stables and coach-houses were pulled down.
Up till the early part of last Century the principal entrance was in the
centre of the Castle, and on either side of the door orange and lemon
trees were growing in large tubs, which gave it a very pretty appearance.
This door was afterwards closed, and the entrance made at the side. In
1827 Mr. Ede sold the mansion, with 15 acres of pleasure grounds,
gardens, etc., to Messrs. Hill, who started a boys’ school, which was
under their management for fifty years. It is interesting to know that
Sir Rowland Hill, to whom we are indebted for the Penny Postage Stamp,
was one of the joint purchasers. In 1877 the Rev. W. Almack, M.A., took
over the school, and it remained in his hands until the school was
dissolved in 1890, when Mr. Pedley rented the Castle and grounds for two
years, and during this time the building was used for a Loan and
Industrial Exhibition. The estate was finally sold for the use of the
public, and called Bruce Castle Park. Till within quite recent years the
trees and bushes in the front of the Castle were a sight to behold when
out in full bloom—white and pink horse-chestnuts, laburnum, white and
pink may, guelder roses, and lilac. The ivy was so thick and broad on
the top of the wall for some distance down Lordship-lane that it formed
quite a verandah. During a heavy storm a great part was blown down. In
olden times a curious custom prevailed at Bruce Castle: When any of the
family died the corpse was not allowed to be carried through the gate, so
an opening was made in the wall near the Church, and through this the
coffin was taken. In the time when corpses could be arrested for debt a
man died there and, owing to this custom, the family were able to get the
corpse into the churchyard before the creditors could claim the body.
When the last aperature was opened a Gothic door was fixed in its place.