The Reverend William Bruce was minister of Largo United Free Church for 46 years, from 1871 until his death in 1917. The sketch of him above appeared in a biographical piece in the Dundee Evening Telegraph of 24 July 1899, at which time he was just over halfway through his time in Upper Largo. William Bruce was born in Aberdeen in 1845 to blacksmith and chain maker William Bruce and his wife Hannah Black. The family lived close to the Aberdeen Harbour, at Links Street.
By the age of 15, William was a clerk for a ship broker, supporting his widowed mother. Around this time, in 1859, a religious revival swept across Scotland, originating in Aberdeen. This period of intense religious fervour saw a young William turn his thoughts to religion. In 1863 he gained a bursary and went to University to study classics and moral philosophy. Afterwards, he spent four years at Divinity Hall in Aberdeen studying theology, leaving there in March 1871. From there he went to the Free Church at Peterhead to assist the Reverend James Yuill.
In the summer of 1871, candidates were being heard each Sunday at the Free Church in Largo, seeking to find a successor to the then minister the Reverend Robert Lundin Brown. William Bruce preached in July and the congregational meeting that followed resolved to stop the search for candidates and give the call to Bruce. He was ordained in Largo on 16 November 1871 (see 24 November 1871 East of Fife Record below). On 28 November, William married confectioner's daughter Mary Frances Glegg in Old Machar, Aberdeen. The newlyweds settled in Upper Largo, where William was colleague to Lundin Brown for six years. Bruce took sole charge upon the death of Brown in 1877.
William and Mary's first child, William Francis Bruce was born in 1875. He was followed by Hannah Black Bruce in 1876. Robert Glegg Bruce and Alexander Stewart Bruce in 1879, Mary Dalyell Haymes Bruce in 1881, Arthur Cromar George Black Bruce in 1884 (who died aged 7 weeks from whooping cough), George Black Bruce in 1885 (who died aged 3 from pneumonia), Helen McConnach Bruce in 1890 (who died aged 5 months from bronchitis) and Neil Bruce in 1893. It is interesting to note that at least one of the children was named after a member of the congregation of the United Free Church of Largo. Mary Dalyell Haymes was the niece of the Misses Rigg of Aithernie House and was a generous and respected member of the community. Mary was extremely active in the church, and in particular in teaching Sabbath School. Her father was a rector in the Church of England.
At the time of the 1881 census, the Bruce family resided at Kirkton Free Church Manse on St Andrews Road (now a private home named Lyndhurst), with four children, plus a cook and a nurse. Once well-established as a minister, Bruce apparently received multiple invitations to move to another church. However, he could not be lured away from Largo. William Bruce was very popular with "untiring energy" and "zeal" and over the years, his congregation grew and its average age lowered.
The biographical piece in the Dundee Evening Telegraph in 1899 also spoke of Bruce's travels overseas. The extract below tells of time in France, Switzerland and Belgium. Also mentioned in the Telegraph was the mission hall set up in New Gilston as an offshoot of the Free Church over a number of years, with an evening service there every Sunday evening. Robert Black was a member of the Free Church and was at the time a farmer in New Gilston. This outreach mission was initially in New Gilston schoolhouse. However, when its use was withdrawn, due to opposition, another member of the Free Church - miner, John Shepherd - built a cottage to use as a mission hall. He also supplied coals and light.
In 1896, Reverend Bruce's semi-jubilee (25 years) was celebrated. Thomas Nicoll, an elder and headmaster of Kirkton School, presented on behalf of the congregation a "handsome pulpit robe and cassock", while Miss Haymes of Aithernie presented a silver salver and silver tea and coffee service to Mrs Bruce. There were three Sunday Schools associated with the Free Church during Bruce's time - a small congregational one, one at the New Gilston mission and another at Lundin Mill with 100 scholars. Early on in his time at Largo, William Bruce also realised that it would be beneficial to have evening services in Lundin Links. Distinguished theologian Dr Robert Rainy (a summer visitor) provided invaluable assistance in setting this up for its first season. The "feeble, the aged, the young and summer visitors" were key beneficiaries of this.
By 1901, a 55-year-old William Bruce was still residing at the U.F. Manse in Upper Largo, with his wife Mary and three of their children, Hannah, Mary and Neil, as well as a general domestic servant. However, in 1906, William was widowed, when Mary died aged 60 from pneumonia. The piece below appeared in the 1 March Leven Advertiser.
In 1910, William remarried, to Agnes Crombie, in Rhu. The 1911 census finds William, Agnes and William's daughter Hannah (an Art Teacher), along with a servant living at the manse. By 1916, Reverend Bruce had applied to the Presbytery for a grant for 'Aged and Infirm Ministers', which also requested a grant for a colleague and successor. While a retiring allowance was awarded, a successor to William Bruce was never found. A long vacancy followed the death of William Bruce aged 71 on 25 January 1917 (which took place not long after he had a fall on icy streets). A scarcity of ministers prevented a replacement ever being found. The Free Church congregation were brought under the care of Reverend James Ewing of Lathones, until 1923 when he moved to Glasgow. Early in 1924 the Upper Largo United Free Church was dissolved.
During his decades in Upper Largo Reverend William Bruce was involved in the community in many ways. He was a member of Largo School Board, helped with the management of the Simpson Institute, was a member of Lundin Golf Club, the Bowling Club and the Curling Club. He was also an amateur horticulturalist and operated a fully equipped printing press from the manse, which saw much use for the printing of mission literature. His widow, Agnes, lived until 1947.
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