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IX. DAVID DE LESLIE, DOMINUS EJUSDEM.

David de Leslie, son of Norman de Leslie, and grandson of Sir Andrew de Leslie, VIII. Dominus Ejusdem, succeeded his grandfather, as IX. Dominus Ejusdem, about 1398, his father Norman having died in 1391.

As has been related, David Leslie was abroad, engaged in the holy wars, when his father died, and being supposed dead, Sir George Leslie of Kothes was served as heir of entail to David's father Norman, 7th January 1391-2. It would appear that two or three years after the death of Sir Andrew de Leslie, VIII. Dominus Ejusdem, his grandson returned to Scotland, and succeeded as IX. Dominus Ejusdem, as is proved by an inquest held before the Sheriff of Fyfe and a jury, by which he was declared to be the next heir of entail to his grandfather.

When he obtained possession of his patrimonial estates, David de Leslie confirmed the deed of entail made by his father Norman in 1389, in favour of Sir George Leslie, Dominus de Fitekill. This charter of confirmation, preserved in the charter- room of the Earls of Kothes, is without date. It has the seal of David de Leslie appended to it, and has the labels for seven other seals, all which are broken away, having been the seals of the several witnesses, who are designed as follows: Robert, Duke of Albany, Earl of Fife and Monteith, Regent of Scotland; John, Earl of Brechin; William de Haya, Constable of Scotland; John Stewart of Lorn, knight; Alexander, Earl of Crawford; Gilbert, Bishop of Aberdeen; and Henry, Bishop of St. Andrews. From the name of the Duke of Albany being among these witnesses, we learn that this charter of confirmation must have been granted between 1406 and 1420, during which time he was Regent of Scotland.

David de Leslie, Dominus Ejusdem, and Norman Leslie of Fitekill, son of Sir George Leslie of Rothes, were of the number of Scottish noblemen who were sent into England as hostages for the ransom of King James I. David de Leslie, Dominus de Leslie, had a safe conduct to Durham to meet the king, 13th December 1423.

David de Leslie remained in England as a hostage till 20th June 1432, when Sir William Baillie of Hoprick was accepted as a substitute for him.

David de Leslie, on his return to Scotland after his lengthened sojourn abroad, married Margaret, daughter of Sir Robert Davidson, chief magistrate of Aberdeen, who was killed at the battle of Harlaw, 24th July 1411. By her he had one child, Margaret, married to Alexander Leslie, son of Sir Andrew Leslie, third Baron of Balquhain.

In 1438, shortly before his death, David de Leslie again confirmed the deed of entail of his father Norman, entailing his principal estates on Norman de Leslie of Fitekill, son of Sir George Leslie of Rothes, now deceased, as heir-male, and he settled the barony of Leslie in the Garioch on his daughter Margaret, whose husband, Alexander Leslie, in her right took the title of Leslie of Leslie, or of that Ilk.

David de Leslie, IX. Dominus Ejusdem, died in March 1439, at an advanced age, and was succeeded in his principal estates by Norman Leslie of Rothes and Fitekill, as is proved by an inquest ordered by Chancery to inquire what lands the deceased David de Leslie, knight, Dominus Ejusdem, consanguineus or cousin of Norman Leslie, the bearer thereof, died vest and seized in, and if the said Norman Leslie of Rothes and Fitekill was nearest and lawful heir-male to the said David by reason of the tailzie made in 1389. The brieve of inquest is dated at Edinburgh, the 2d May 1439, the third year of the reign of James II. The inquest was held at Cupar in Fife, 19th May 1439, before H. Warden, sheriff-depute. The jury unanimously agreed that the deceased David de Leslie, knight, died vest in the barony of Ballinbreich, and that Norman Leslie of Fitekill was the nearest lawful heir-male to the said David, his cousin, by reason of the tailzie aforesaid; and that the barony was worth 200 merks per annum; and found that the said barony was in the king's hands two months, because the heir of tailzie did not set forth his right or claim for that time after the death of David de Leslie, in February or March 1439.

With David de Leslie, IX. Dominus Ejusdem, ended the direct line of the Dynasta de Leslie. After his death the extensive possessions of the family of Leslie were divided, and while the Leslies of that Ilk, the descendants of his daughter Margaret, became a minor branch of the family, the Leslies of Balquhain and the Leslies of Rothes became the principal branches. The splendour and magnificence which had adorned the stem now adorned these two great branches, Balquhain and Rothes. All the families of the name of Leslie now existing are cadets of these two branches, and the greater number of these families derive their origin from the family of Balquhain.

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Note E. - Concerning Child of David de Leslie by his Wife Margaret Davidson.

According to some accounts, David de Leslie had a son, Alexander, by his wife Margaret Davidson. But this does not appear probable, since, as has been related, David de Leslie twice confirmed the deed of entail executed by his father Norman, in virtue of which Norman Leslie of Fitekill succeeded to the barony of Ballinbreich, as nearest heir-male, which he would not have been if David de Leslie had had a son.

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Note F. - " Laurus Leslæana " Account of David de Leslie.

The Laurus Leslæana says that David de Leslie succeeded his father John as Dominus Ejusdem, and that he married Elizabeth Leith of Edingarioch, and got with her Earlyfield, Premnay, and other lands ; and that, seeing he had no issue, and no reason to expect any, he made over his estates to his brother Norman, on condition that should he survive his wife and marry again and have children, the estates should revert to him, and devolve on such children ; and that after this, although in declining years, he went to Palestine, and served as a volunteer in the holy wars against the Saracens, and remained abroad seven years ; and that, on his return home, finding that his wife was dead, he married, in the eightieth year of his age, as his second wife, Margaret Davidson, daughter of Sir Robert Davidson, Provost of Aberdeen, by whom he had a son, Alexander ; and that he then wished to recover his estates, but his brother Norman, having so long enjoyed them, was unwilling to part with the whole ; and that it was at last finally arranged that Alexander, David's son, should inherit the barony of Leslie in the Garioch, and that Norman should retain Fechill, Tasses, and other lands in Fife, with the rest of the southern possessions. There is no evidence to support these statements of the Laurus Leslæana, and the history of David de Leslie, IX. Dominus Ejusdem, given above, seems to be the true one, and is corroborated by public records and documents.