William (Leslie) Leslie VIIth Baron of Balquhain (abt. 1475 - abt. 1545)

Born about 1475 in Balquhain, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about Aug 1545 at about age 70 in Balquhain, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

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Biography

William (Leslie) Leslie VIIth Baron of Balquhain is a member of Clan Leslie.

William seems to have been of age when he inherited his father's estates on 16 Apr 1496. He was the son of Patrick Leslie and his wife Murial Grant, the daughter of Sir Duncan [Grant of Freuchie].^[1] He was regarded as a "proud and boisterous baron."

On the 24th January 1506 he, through a Charter, annexed to the parish of Bourtie, and granted two acres for the construction of a house for the chaplain of Collyhill, who was thus bound to pray for the souls of Bishop Elphinston of Aberdeen, William Leslie, 7th of Balquhain, Elizabeth Ogilvie his wife, and Sir Walter Ogilvie of Boyne, her father, besides several others. This, amongst other items suggests he was married before this date.

King James V. granted a charter of the lands of Syd, with the mill, Erlisfeild, Segateden, and the Wrays, in the earldom of Mar and lordship of the Garioch, in favour of William Leslie of Balquhain, and Elizabeth Ogilvie his spouse, dated 7 April 1514.

King James V. granted a charter of the lands of Erlisfeild, Segyden, and the Wrais, in favour of William Leslie of Balquhain, and Marjory Keith his spouse, dated 13th February 1522.

Kennedy^[2] suggests that, on 1 Oct 1525, William, with his kinsman, John Leslie of Wardis, and, his friend and ally, Alexander Seton of Meldrum, in revenge for an incident, gave vent to their anger by attacking, with their followers, the town of Aberdeen. Eighty townspeople and local levy were killed or injured during the attack before Leslie and his band were pushed out of town. After Royal involvement (James V) the three were required to provide an obligation that they would not trouble the inhabitants of Aberdeen again. It was such an issue that the Magistrates of Aberdeen ordered "The ports or gates of the burgh were ordered to be repaired; the vennels, back-dykes, and waste places, to be built up; a watch to be kept by sixteen persons every night, and two sentinels in every steeple by day, to give the alarm on the appearance of any horsemen; all able men to be supplied with culverins, cross-bows, hand-bows, and shooting-pieces; ten additional gunners to be engaged for the artillery, and wappenshaws (term for weapon show - a muster with arms) to be held weekly."

It is with this Laird that the great feud between the Leslie and Forbes starts. During this war about a quarter of Aberdeenshire was involved with families siding with one or the other. In 1526 the Forbes men attacked and burnt Balquhain. It took the intervention of Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, Lord High Chancellor to stop the bloodshed. But he didn't stop it for long. More bloodshed followed and Alexander Seton, the Baron of Meldrum and close friend to William, was killed by the son of Lord Forbes. Violence again erupted and the Master of Forbes fled to France. To prevent further recurrence of the feud, John, Lord Forbes, infefted William Leslie of Balquhain in the lands of Cultercullane and Pettemwk.

In 1530 William repaired Balquhain and gave it the square tower look we see today and built additional fortifications to prevent assault. He also managed to acquire additional properties and added Whitecross, Inveramsay, Pitbee, and Newlands to the estates.

In February 1539, William Leslie, 7th Baron of Balquhain, Marjory Keith, his spouse, John Leslie, his son and apparent heir, and John Leslie, younger, son to the said John, are parties to a contract of marriage between the said John Leslie, younger of Balquhain, and Agnes Wood of Bonnington. This would suggest that John, son of William had been born prior to 1500 (to provide enough time to marry and have children).^[3]

On 19 July 1540^[4]and for reasons that are not entirely clear, he resigned, through Royal Charter, the barony of Balquhain in favour of his grandson, John Leslie, younger of Balquhain, styled, in the Charter, "Domino feudo Baronie de Balquhain," and Agnes Wood his wife. Why he went over his son is, as yet, a mystery but it can only be presumed to protect the property. John must have been of age at this point which suggests an earlier date of marriage than currently supposed.

Fortunately he, John Leslie, younger of Balquhain, granted a Letter of Reversion, dated 17 Nov 1543. In this he states that William had, out of love, infefted the said John in the fee of all the barony of Balquhain; notwithstanding the said John obliges himself to renounce his rights to the said barony, in favour of the said William, upon payment of a rose noble of gold, at any time when required, This may have happened at the time he was dying as a result of a fall from the gate tower at Aberdeen. He was certainly dead before 15 Jan 1544, when William executed the Letter of Reversion and granted his son, styled John Leslie of Syde, as tutor to his granddaughters, Marjory and Janet. The next day, 16 Jan 1544, William and his son John, now guardian (factor) and tutor to the girls (who must have been all of 2), issued a Charter, where John, on behalf of the girls renounces all rights they had to the barony of Balquhain. This was duly recorded at Aberdeen on 14 February 1544 and the Instrument of Redemption fully executed.

He was then regranted the barony and sasine followed on 3 May 1545. Immediately following which, on the 19 May 1455, he resigned the barony in favour of his son John Leslie of Syde.

After which John was granted a Charter to the lands under the Great Seal, 19 June 1545 and sasine occurred 20 July 1545.

At some point soon after, William is dead as he no longer appears on any material of the day.

Family and Legacy

William Leslie married, first, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Walter Ogilvie, second Baron of Boyne, likely around 1500 as his grandson is mentioned in the Charter of marriage of 1539 mentioned above. They are recorded^[5] as having eight children:

John Leslie; who will succeed and who must have been born close to 1495 at the latest.

Patrick

Isabel; who married, first, John Paton, Pantoun or Panton of Pittendreich.^[6] Although this is stated at the source it is confusing. At the time, which must be around 1540, the lands of Pittendreich (Perthshire) were held to a family of Linton (Lyntoun). However there were lands of Pettendreich (Banff) to which a marriage would seem more likely.^[7] There was a family of Pantoun, holding Pitmeddan (Aberdeenshire) which is also an option. She married, secondly, to Alexander Seton, of Meldrum.

Jean; who married Patrick Leith, younger of Edengarioch, Barns and Likelyhead, who would have been a neighbour.

Agnes; who married in 1528, thus likely born about 1510, to John Strachan.

Elizabeth; who married a James Dunbar.

Elizabeth Ogilvie died in September 1518, and William Leslie married, secondly, Marjory Keith, a most virtuous lady, daughter of Alexander Keith of Inverugie and Pittendrum, a son of William, 3rd Earl, and thirteenth Grand Marischal of Scotland. There is no record of any children by this marriage.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ #S-26 Leslie, Charles Joseph; Volume 3 pages 15 to 26 provide all source material unless specifically identified, noting however that he calls him Donald - see Murial's Profile for detail.
2. ↑ Annals of Aberdeen
3. ↑ #S-26 Leslie, Charles Joseph; Volume 3 pages 15. It is worth noting that while this contract is with Agnes; the same source, at page 31 indicates that he, John, married Margaret. They must have been the same person. The issue is discussed under John Leslie.
4. ↑ Registrum Magni Sigilli, lib. xxix. No. 117.
5. ↑ #S-26 Leslie, Charles Joseph; Volume 3 pages 25.
6. ↑ #S-26 Leslie, Charles Joseph; Volume 3 pages 25.
7. ↑ Scottish arms : being a collection of armorial bearings, A.D. 1370-1678, reproduced in facsimile from contemporary manuscripts, with heraldic and genealogical notes; Stoddart; page 227
8. ↑ Leslie, Charles Joseph; Volume 3 pages 25.

• Source S-26 Leslie, Charles Joseph. Historical records of the family of Leslie from 1067 to 1868-69. Collected from public records and authentic private sources. Volume 1 referenced. Edinburgh: Edmonson and Douglas, 1869. archive.org