John Collingwood Bruce

The Reverend John Collingwood Bruce, FSA (1805 – 5 April 1892) was an English nonconformist minister and schoolmaster, known as a historian of Tyneside and author.

He co-operated with John Stokoe in compiling the major song collection Northumbrian Minstrelsy published in 1882[1][2] The eldest son of John Bruce of Newcastle, he was educated at the Percy Street Academy, a well-known school in Newcastle kept by his father, and afterwards at Mill Hill School, Middlesex.

His interest in music was largely historical, and in editing the Northumbrian Minstrelsy he co-operated with John Stokoe.

The article Music of Northumbria credits Stokoe with copying out, in 1850, some of the tunes from John Smith's tunebook of 1750, a book now long lost, and the pair creating this comprehensive collection of old Northern Songs.

[5] A sculptured marble sarcophagus within St Nicholas' Cathedral shows the carved body of J. C. Bruce lying with his feet on a copy of his book Hadrian's Wall.

The work was on behalf of, and published by, the Ancient Melodies Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne.