James Coles Bruce

James Coles Bruce (January 26, 1806 – March 28, 1865), was an extremely wealthy Virginia planter and politician who twice represented Halifax County in the Virginia House of Delegates as well as in the Virginia Secession Convention of 1861.

Early life and education The son of the former Sarah Coles (1770-1806) and her wealthy merchant husband James Bruce (1763-1837) was born on one of his father's plantations, probably in Halifax County, Virginia. with his son and grandson (both named Charles Bruce, as would be this man's uncle who died without marrying and bequeathed his property to his brother) moving south and westward to King William and then-vast Orange County, and James Bruce (apprenticed in Petersburg, Virginia) continuing the southern migration with his father Charles who died in 1792 in Halifax County. An alternate version of the paternal ancestry has James Bruce's grandfather (also James) emigrating from Scotland and his son Charles of Soldiers Rest plantation in Orange County (this man's grandfather, and the now-vanished plantation along a ford of the Rapidan River) serving in the American Revolutionary War out of Winchester.

All agree Sarah Coles Bruce died four months after giving birth to this boy. A decade later Bruce owned at least 110 enslaved people in that county (21 boys and 19 girls 10 years or younger, 20 boys and 16 girls between 11 and 24 years old, 7 men and 7 women between 24 and 35 years old, 10 men and 7 women between 36 and 55 years old, and 4 old men and an elderly woman). In the 1850 census (the first to separately enumerate slaves as well as to name white household members) Bruce owned 247 enslaved people in Halifax county's southern district. In the last slave census (because of slavery's at least nominal demise in the American Civil War), Bruce owned 134 enslaved in Halifax County. Bruce also owned plantations in North Carolina, as well as partnered with James Alexander Seddon and Dr. William Webb Wilkins of Louisiana in two Louisiana plantations called "Ashton" and "Wilton."

Politician Halifax County voters elected Bruce and William D. Sims as their representatives to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1831 (replacing Thomas J. Green and Thomas Easley), and re-elected the pair twice before dropping them both in 1834 in favor of Henry Carrington and James Sneed. During all three legislative sessions, Bruce served on the Committee of Schools and Colleges, and long advocated public education as discussed below. Bruce delivered a major speech concerning slavery on January 13, 1832. While he considered slavery a necessary evil, Bruce condemned abolitionism as likely to lead to further unrest and slave revolts. During a July 4, 1847 speech to the combined agricultural societies of Mecklenburg County, Virginia and Granville County, North Carolina, in addition to advocating diversified and better agricultural practices, Bruce proposed that planters hold no more than ten enslaved people, and sell the rest (as "dead capital") to reduce the labor force to a size appropriate to its needs, supplementing with paid labor if necessary.

Secessionist As perhaps the wealthiest man in Halifax County (if not the state), Bruce was elected to represent the county during the Virginia Secession Convention of 1861. He served on the important Committee on Federal Relations, as well as delivered several speeches condemning abolitionists and tariffs, and also reiterated his longstanding devotion to states rights.

Death and legacy Bruce died at his Berry Hill home shortly before Virginia conceded defeat in the Civil War, and was buried beside his wife in the plantation's cemetery. After several interventing owners, a French financial firm later bought Berry Hill (and the surrounding 600 acres) and renovated it to become a training center and luxury hotel.

Most of this man's and his father's papers (including account books) were donated by Walter Bruce (who died in 1953) to the Special Collections of the University of Virginia Library. In 2010, Yale University Press published a book with an essay about the plans this man or his father used to build houses for overseers and slaves at his plantations in Halifax and Charlotte Counties.