Brussels is not a city renowned for its beauty. The term Brusselisation is defined as the
indiscriminate construction of modern buildings in an otherwise unique and historic
area (hence ruining it). So I was pleased to discover several relatively unscathed
and charming neighbourhoods in the Belgian capital, such as Ixelles. There are
also a number of delightful streets clustered near the Place du Grand Sablon, by
the city centre. Lined by shops and restaurants, the buildings made of that aggressive
red brick so typical of Brussels, at its southern end rises the delightful
Eglise Notre-Dame du Sablon. Its gorgeous Brabantine Gothic decoration alludes
to the city’s medieval prosperity. In the centre of the square there is another,
less conspicuous monument. The Fountain of Minerva was erected in 1751, the
posthumous gift of Thomas Bruce, the 2nd Earl of Ailesbury. It seems
odd that a dead British aristocrat would bestow a fountain upon the city of
Brussels. To understand why you must first understand Thomas’ life.
Grandson of Thomas Bruce, the 1st Earl of Elgin,
and son of Robert Bruce, the 1st Earl of Ailesbury, he was born in
1656[1].
He made a suitably aristocratic match in marrying Elizabeth Seymour, the
daughter of Lord Beauchamp, in 1676. The couple’s children included his
successor Charles as well a daughter, Elizabeth who married the Earl of
Cardigan. The family had also maintained close ties with the monarchy. Thomas’
grandfather had been a favourite of Charles I and his father had assisted with
Charles II’s restoration (for which he was awarded various titles, including
Earl of Ailesbury)[2].
But it was this association with the monarchy which would be Thomas’ downfall.
James II, who inherited the throne from his brother in 1685,
cannot be described as a successful ruler. Three years into his reign he was faced
with invasion as William the Prince of Orange embarked for England, accompanied
by his wife Mary who was also James’ own daughter. Now just keep in mind that
James was Catholic, dangerous in 17th century England. It was in
this fraught situation that Thomas offered his services to James. It seems that
this was insufficient to persuade James to remain though, as on the 10th
of December he fled for France. So Thomas alongside other peers signed a
declaration pledging allegiance to the Prince of Orange. They also declared that
they would disarm all Catholics and ‘secure’ Jesuits and other Catholic clergymen.
We are told that Thomas acquiesced to this because it was ‘the only means of
reconciling the King and people’. James however was held at Faversham in Kent.
So Thomas alongside five others was sent to invite him to return. But when only
several days later on the 18th James was ordered to vacate Whitehall,
Thomas accompanied him to Rochester.
If William and Mary had begun their reign suspicious of the
Earl of Ailesbury, his later actions did little to inspire confidence. He never
took the oath of loyalty to them, so when the French threatened to invade in
1690, while William was ‘preoccupied’ in Ireland, Mary ordered Thomas to be
arrested (though ultimately he wasn’t apprehended). But then in 1695 he was
accused of plotting James’ restoration. He was believed to have been present at
a meeting of conspirators in the appropriately named Old Kings-head, on
Leadenhall Street, London. As if that wasn’t incriminating enough he was also
accused of having travelled to France afterwards, to persuade Louis XIV to
assist in James’ restoration. In the aftermath of George Barclay’s plot to assassinate
the king that same year Thomas was imprisoned in the Tower. Things seemed dire
for him, accused by Sir John Fenwick of sidling up to Louis XIV, and his wife
Elizabeth dying from grief. But eventually William permitted Thomas to leave
for Brussels[3],
where he married Charlotte d’Argenteau, comtesse d’Esneux. Their daughter Lady
Marie Thérèse Charlotte Bruce eventually married Maximilian, the Prince of
Hornes. So Thomas seems to have done well for himself in exile.
He was probably a Catholic after all. Both he and his second
wife were interred in the convent of the Brigittines[4],
hardly the most Anglican of institutions. Remember too that he was devoted to
James, the Catholic king, and didn’t disguise his reluctance to round up the
Catholic clergy. A century after his death he was being referred to as a
‘papist’[5],
not the most edifying of terms. Coincidentally enough, his great grand-daughter was Princesse Louise of Stolberg-Gedern, the long-suffering wife of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Dedication to Rome would certainly give Thomas a
motivation in plotting the overthrow of William and Mary. But even if not Catholic, its undeniable that he was a Jacobite. Regardless of his
beliefs, Thomas died in 1741, still exiled in Brussels. To show appreciation
for his adopted city which had so warmly welcomed him, he had a fountain
constructed in what is now the Grand Sablons. Known as the Fountain of Minerva
the eponymous goddess is perched on top, holding a shield with Thomas’ profile
carved into it. Why the goddess of wisdom? Perhaps in homage of Brussels’ sagacity,
sheltering an exile. I wonder what Thomas, a man driven out of England for his
political (and probable religious) beliefs and given refuge in the future
capital of Europe would make of Brexit?
[1] Burke,
Bernard (1866). A Genealogical History of
the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire:
Harrison. p. 81.
[2] Collins,
Arthur (1768). The Peerage of England;
Containing a Genealogical and Historical Account of all the Peers of that
Kingdom: p. 340.
[3] Ibid,
pp. 342-6.
[4] Abbé
Mann. Foppens, Jean François (1785). Abrégé
de l'histoire ecclésiastique, civile et naturelle de la Ville de Bruxelles et
de ses environs avec la description de ce qui s’y trouve de plus remarquable:
Lemaire, pp. 60-1.
[5] T.C.
Banks (1809). The Dormant and Extinct
Baronage of England: J. White, p. 40.
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