Origins
The Ancient Scottish Clan Leslie is one of the oldest Scottish Clans. Among the Scottish Clans there are recorded many origins before they became united as Scotland about the year 1093AD in the reign of King Malcom Canmore III. Their origins included the original Celtic Scot, the Picts, Dalriadans, Irish, Gaelic, Norse, and Norman. Although many historians show the Leslies as being Flemish in origin, recent research shows that the Leslie Clan is descended from the ancient and noble house of Leslyn from Castle Leslyn in Hungary. The Family is descended from Bartholomew Leslyn, son of Walter de Leslyn who arrived in Scotland in the year 1063 in the royal train of the Margaret wife of King Malcolm III, who was also of Hungarian stock. In crossing a river the Queen was thrown from her horse and nearly drowned, but Leslyn, gripping the horses bridle, saved her. She frequently cautioned him to “grip fast” and afterwards commanded that he retain those words as his family motto. He later married the sister of Malcom Cabmore, was appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle and made Lord Leslie.
Malcom
Malcom Leslie of Garioch in Aberdeenshire, son of Bartolf, received a feudal charter confirming his lands from a grant made to his name – father, Lord Leslie. Malcom’s grandson, Sir Andrew de Lesly, was one of the signatories of the Arbroath Declaration of the Independence to the Pope, which affirmed Scotland’ sovereignty and “as long as one hundred Scotsmen still live they would never submit to English rule”. (1320) In the years following the Leslie Clan acquired more estates in Moray, Fife, and George, the 10th Chief of Leslie, became the first Earl of Rothes. Walter, Andrew’s son, married without issue and the Ross estates reverted back to that clan. However, this was the main issue which led to the Battle of Harlaw in 1411 in which the MacDonald’s claim was finally defeated. It is said that at least six sons of “red Sir Andrew of Balquhain” were killed on the battlefield of Harlaw and Sir Andrew himself set up the old hill fort of Banachie in defiance of the action. George’s (first Earl of Rothes) grandson was killed at the Battle of Fridden.
Andrew
Andrew the 4th Earl of Rothes was prominent in the affairs of Mary Queen of Scots who, in 1562, stayed the night at the tall tower of Balquhain for a nights entertainment on her journey north. John, 6th Earl was created Duke of Rothes in 1680. Meanwhile there had developed many notable branches of Leslies, among them the Balquhain branch of the clan, whose progenitor was Sir George. He obtained his estates and title from King David II in 1340. This branch was constantly at feud with the Forbes Clan and Balquhain Castle was rebuilt by Sir William, the 7th Laird, after the Forbes had burnt it to the ground. Later they moved to the Lalaceod Fetternear on Dondside where the Barons of the Balquhain’s were also known as the Counts Leslie. Branches of this group are the Leslies of Wardis, Warthill (who also produced a Prince/Bishop of Lalbach in Austria) and Melville.
Soldiers of Fortune
From 1600 the prolific Clan Leslie became renowned for the “soldiers of Fortune” they produced. Field Marshall Sir alexander Leslie with other notable members of his clan joined the army of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and enjoyed a very successful career. Returning to England he led the Covenanters and with a force of only 1,000 men captured Edinburgh Castle. He then led the Scots Army to England and forced the signing of the Treaty of Ripon. Charles I of England created him Earl of the Leven to placate his Scottish subjects. Count Leslie was the assassin who ended the career of the great General Wallenstein. Sir David Leslie was another veteran of King Gustavus wars and he became the 1st Lord of Newark in 1660. A later chieftain also fell in Inglowitz in Poland fighting for the Russians in 1655.
Genealogy
The complete genealogy of the clan was finally published at Gartz in 1692 by a chieftain of the Blaquhain line who had become a Jesuit priest. It was titled “Laurus Leslaeana explicate” and gave details of the basic Scottish background in addition to its Swedish branches, Polish branches, Austrian nobility and, of course, its main and chief branches in Scotland. Leslie clansmen and tenants suffered as most highlanders and lowlander with the introduction of sheep and the economic conditions forced a mass exodus from Scotland. They frequently chose to immigrate to “the colonies” and boarded the vast armada of ships known as the “White Sails” which plied their way across the North Atlantic to carry their pioneer passengers to the Carolinas, Nova Scotia and Upper Canada. Many were to make important contributions to their new country’s future in both political and cultural roles. Meanwhile in Scotland the clan was losing many of its possessions and territories as the ravages of the economic disaster took shape. By 1850, most of the old Leslie estates were lost. Rothes Castle on the Spey was sold to a Grant in 1711 but the Clan In Gariock and a Baron of Balquhain still owns the ancestral castle below Banachie. The present Chief is the Earl of Rothes.
Castles
The Clan Seats were in the following Castles:
Leslie Castle, Aberdeenshire
Rothes Castle, Moray
Ballenbreich Castle
Leslie-on-Leven, Fife
of Leslie
This surname is derived from the lands of Leslie, in Aberdeenshire. The first name on record was Bartholf of Leslie in the reign of William of Lion. David, eighth of Leslie, was one of the hostages for the ransom of James I in 1424. George, tenth of Leslie, was the first Earl of Rothes, and was so created by James II. William, third Earl, fell with his Royal master at Flodden. George, fourth Earl, accompanied James V to France. His son, Norman, Master of Rothes, after being engaged in the murder of Cardinal Beaton, was slain in the battle in Picardy in 1554. The Earl died at Dieppe in 1558. John, seventh Earl of Rothes, carried the Sword of State at the Coronation of Charles II in Scone Palace in, 1651. In 1680 he was created Duke of Rothes, but died the following year, leaving a daughter the Countess, whose eldest son, John succeeded by entail to the Earl of Rothes, while Thomas her second son carried on the honours of Haddington. Malcom, 20th Earl of Rothes, is the present chief of the clan and still holds the ancient Castlehill of Rothes in Strathspey.
Titles
Sir Alexander Leslie (first Earl of Leven in 1641) was a famous warrior. His title is now united with that of Melville.
Sir Patrick Leslie of Pitcairlie, second son of the 5th Earl of Rothes, was created Lord Lindores by James VI in 1600. His title has been dormant since 1775.
Leslies of Balquhain
A famous branch were the Leslies of Balquhain, in Aberdeenshire. Sir George the founder of it, got a grant of that estate from David II by charter, dated 1340. Of this line came Count Leslie, who assassinated Wallenstein. Sir Andrew Leslie, 3rd Baron of Balquhain, had a bitter feud with the Forbeses. He was slain in 1420. Sir William, 7th Baron of Balquhain, rebuilt the old castle of that name, which was burned down by the Forbeses, and died in 1545. The castle is now in ruins; and the later Barons of Balquhain, who were also counts Leslie, lived at the Palace of Fetternear on Donside. Leslie of Wardis is Balquhains most important cadet, and is now represented by Sir Norman Roderick Alexander David Leslie, 8th Baron of Wardis, C.B.E. Leslie of Warthill, cadet of Wardis, still holds that estate. A cadet of this line became Prince-Bishop of Laibach in Austria.
George
George Leslie, the son of Sir Norman Leslie of Rothes in Moray and of Ballinbreich in Fife was named Earl of Rothes between 1457 and 1458. His grandson William Leslie, the 3rd Earl was killed at the Battle of Flodden, and his great grandson George Leslie, the 4th Earl, was accused of complicity in the murder (1546) of Cardinal Beaton, but was acquitted at his trial in 1547. In 1558, he was one of the Scottish Commissioners in Paris who witnessed the marriage of Mary Stuart and France’s Dauphin of France. His son Andrew Leslie, the 5th Earl, took an active part with the lords of the congregation, first against the Queen Mother, Mary of Lorraine, the regent of Scotland, and afterward against Mary Stuart opposing her marriage to Lord Darnley. His grandson John Leslie, the 6th Earl, a strong opponent of episcopacy in 1637 led the opposition to the introduction in Scotland of a new liturgy based on the English prayer book and in the following year signed the National Covenant to defend the Presbyterian religion. His son John Leslie (1630-81) the 7th Earl, fought for Charles II at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. At the Restoration in 1660, he was appointed lord president of the Council for Scotland and became Lord High Treasurer for Scotland (1663) and keeper of the privy seal (1664). Deprived of all offices in April 1667 through the influence of John Maitland, he was consoled in October by being appointed Lord Chancellor of Scotland for life. He was created Duke of Rothes in 1680, but on his death without heirs the dukedom became extinct.
The earldom continued through is daughter Margaret Leslie. Johne Leslie, the 10th Earl, made the Army his career, fought at Dettingen (1743) and was commander in chief of Ireland (1758-67). From him is descended the 20th Earl, Malcolm George Dyer Edwardes Leslie (1902).
Insignia
Clan Tartan: Dress- Red Hunting- Green
Clan Badge: Rue
Clan Motto: Grip Fast
Acknowledgement
All of the above was gleamed from the Encyclopaedia Britannica circa 1978.
Leslie
For general information about the Leslie family visit our Leslie Background Page.