Jonathan Bruce was the second son and second child of Jonathan Bruce, Sr. and his wife, Catherine Gould. He had an older brother, Hollis, two younger brothers, Rufus L.Bruce and Dana, and at least one sister, Betsy. (Rufus moved to New Orleans where he was in the mercantile business.)

Jonathan married twice. First wife was Lydia Loring, who he married when he was 21, on August 30, 1812. They had at least the following children that have been identified:

Eliza B. Bruce, born in Hull, Massachusetts, on April 13, 1813; married Francis M. Loring in 1834; died May 5, 1883, in Gloucester, Massachusetts;

Winslow Lewis, born 1814, died 1836;

Jonathan, III, 1817-1891; followed his father's footsteps, becoming an equally skilled and well known harbor pilot in the waters of Massachusetts Bay;

Dr. Anson Glover Bruce, born July 30, 1819,, in Boston, married Jane Minot on December 8, 1843, moved to California, where he died age 30, in Sacramento, on December 30, 1849;

Edwin, 1821-1889; became a well known musician and musical conductor in Boston;

Catherine, 1823-1887, married Cyrus Story, Jr., a merchant and auctioneer, on October 8, 1846; lived in Gloucester, Massachusetts;

Clara/Clarisa 1825-1880 married Theodore F. Rollins;

Ann, b 1827, married tinsmith Joseph W. Story, on October 8, 1846; lived in Gloucester, Massachusetts; her husband was killed in the Civil War;

Caroline, 1828-1894, married George P. Rust on October 8, 1846, who was a Director of Naumkeag Mutual Fishing Insurance Company, in Gloucester, Massachusetts.


Just a note here, it is known that at least his first three children were born at the lighthouse, and possibly the others as well.

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After his wife, Lydia, died in 1828, age 38 (probably in childbirth), Jonathan married secondly, Mary Reed on April 24 1833, in Boston. He and Mary had at least one daughter, Mary J., born 1839. He also was guardian and loving stepfather to Paul Maxwell Reed and Sarah Ann Reed, children of his wife, Mary, by her first husband, Captain Paul Maxwell Reed who died in 1829, in New Orleans.

Jonathan was appointed Boston Harbor Lighthouse Keeper in 1811. He was 20 years old. This was America's first lighthouse and is located on Little Brewster Island in the Atlantic Ocean one mile east of Hull, Massachusetts, and eight miles east of Boston. During the War of 1812, he and his wife witnessed, on June 1, 1813, the terrific sea battle between the English ship, "Shannon", and the American ship, "Chesapeake". The American ship eventually was forced to surrender.

Jonathan was not the first Boston Lighthouse Keeper, as there were six keepers ahead of him, but he was the first employed by the federal government, who took charge of the lighthouse in 1810. His appointment was recommended by the Boston Marine Society.

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From The Boston Harbour, November 19, 1824: "Picked up adrift, apparently belonging to a lighter, a Boat nearly new, about 14 feet in length. The owner may have said boat by proving and paying charges, on application to Jonathan Bruce, Keeper of Telegraph and Outer Lighthouse."

And from the November 5, 1827, Boston Daily Advertiser: "Picked up adrift, a large stick of Rock Maple Timber, 48 feet in length, 18 by 15 in breadth and thickness. The owner may have the same by proving his property, for a reasonable compensation, on application to Jonathan Bruce, at the Outer Lighthouse."

In 1829, the (Boston) Marine Society recommended the light(house) keeper, Jonathan Bruce, as competent to take charge of any vessel as a Pilot, drawing from 7-16 feet of water.

About 1833, Jonathan became the "keeper" of Rainsford Island in Boston Harbor. In fact, his second wife, Mary, died there on February 11, 1851, age 52. When Jonathan died 16 years later, the following newspaper obituary was written about him:

"Death of a Pilot: Captain Jonathan Bruce, for 22 years, Superintendent of Boston Light(house), and subsequently a very successful pilot, died last Sunday in Hudson, in the 77th year of his age. He was much esteemed by the mercantile and maritime community, as well as by many others. He reared 11 children, 9 are living."

Sources: Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org
and various historical newspapers.