 William Speirs Bruce was born at 43 Kensington Gardens Square in London , the fourth child of Samuel Noble Bruce , a Scottish physician , and his Welsh wife Mary , née Lloyd . His middle name came from another branch of the family ; its unusual spelling , as distinct from the more common " Spiers " , tended to cause problems for reporters , reviewers and biographers . William passed his early childhood in the family 's London home at 18 Royal Crescent , Holland Park , under the tutelage of his grandfather , the Revd William Bruce . There were regular visits to nearby Kensington Gardens , and sometimes to the Natural History Museum ; according to Samuel Bruce these outings first ignited young William 's interest in life and nature . 
