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"John Leslie,

"Eighth Baron of Balquhain.

"John Leslie, eldest son of William Leslie, seventh Baron of Balquhain, by his first wife, Elizabeth Ogilvie, succeeded as eighth baron, on the death of his father, in 1545.

“John Leslie of Balquhain was chancellor of a jury at a Burch Court, held in Aberdeen, 22d January 1546, for the trial of William Anderson, a publican, accused of purchasing wine from foreigners, and selling it before the price was fixed by the bailies and council. He was Deputy-sheriff of Aberdeen in 1548.

“On 16th January of that year we find him presiding at the court held in Aberdeen, for taxing all the lands within the sheriffdom of Aberdeen, by command of the Queen and Council, that money might be raised for resisting the threatened invasion of the realm by our old enemies of England. Among the lords and barons forming the assize, we find Alexander Leslie of Wardis, and Alexander Leslie of that Ilk; and among the landowners who were taxed, we find the Laird of Balquhain, for his lands of the same, xx. lib.; the Laird of Leslie, for his lands of the same, x. lib.; the Laird of Pitcaple, for his lands of the same, v. lib.; the Laird of Iden, for his lands of the same, iiij. lib.; the Laird of Coclarachy Leslie, xxx. sh.; Gordoune Leslie, portioneris of Warthill, ilk ane of thaim, xxx. sh.; Alexander Leslie of Wardess, for his lands Gareauche and Kyntour, of old extent, feftie libs,; the Laird of Auchinhuwff, for his lands of the same, ix. libs.

“Soon after this, John Leslie was raised to the office of Sheriff-principal of Aberdeen, and we find that George Leith of Edingarioch was served heir to his uncle, George Leith of Barnes, before John Leslie of Balquhain, Vicecomes de Aberdene, 13th January 1550.

“John Leslie of Balquhain was a staunch adherent of George, Earl of Huntly, and we find him frequently as a witness to the bands of manrent entered into between that nobleman and the barons and gentlemen of the northern counties. John Leslie, styled of Syde, during the lifetime of his father, William, seventh Baron, is witness to the band between James Garioch of Kynstair, and George, Earl of Huntly, 10th June 1536; to the band of Alexander Gordon of Strathoune, 5th November 1539; and, 31st July 1541, he entered into a similar band himself; and after he succeeded as Baron of Balquhain, we find him a witness to the band of James Grant of Freuchie, and John Grant, his eldest son, with the same nobleman, 8th May 1546. We also find Georgio Comite de Huntlye, and Johanne Lesley de Syde, among the witnesses to a charter of the Bishop of Moray, confirming a letter of sale from Alan Keyr M’Kyntosy de Rothamurcous, granted to George Gordoun, Constabularius de Ruthven de Badyenoch, dated at Inverness, 26th November 1539.

“Has has been related, Alexander Seton of Meldrum, an ally of the Leslies, had been basely murdered by the Master of Forbes and his followers, one of whom was Alexander Forbes, commonly called Spangare. John Leslie, son and apparent-heir of William Leslie of Balquhain, Alexander Leslie of Kincraigie, and an adherent called John Keith, appear tohave attached and slain this Alexander Forbes, or Spangare, on a Sunday, for which they obtained a remission under the Privy Seal, from King James V, 9th February 1527.

“There seems to have been a feud between William, Lord Forbes, and John Leslie, Baron of Balquhain, on the one part, and Thomas Menzies of Pitfoddles on the other, for the ‘slauchteris happenit betwixt Maister Thomas Dauedson, Maister Walter Leslie, and others, ther complices and pairttakkeris’. William, Lord Forbes, and John Leslie of Balquhain, on the one part, and James Gordon of Methlic, in the name and behalf of Thomas Menzies of Pitfoddles, on the other part, appeared before George, Earl of Huntly, Lieutenant of the North, at Grantullie, 27th February 1551, and entered into a contract for the settlement of their feuds.

“John Leslie of Balquhain, and William Leslie, his son, are witnesses to an inventory of the silver and gold work, sacred utensils, and church-furniture, of the Cathedral of Aberdeen, which were delivered to the keeping of the canons of the said chathedral, by William Gordon, Bishop of Aberdeen, 7th July 1559. Among the items enumerated in the inventory is the following:-- ‘To Mr. John Leslie, parson of Oyne, the image of the Vigin Mary 114 ounces’. The witnesses are John Leslie of Balquhain, William Leslie his son, Alexander leslie of Pitcaple, William Seton of Meldrum, Duncan Forbes of Monymusk, and others.

“John Leslie of Balquhain got a lease of the church-lands, called Kirktown of Rayne, from Thomas Myrtoun, Archdeacon of Aberdeen, dated 7th June 1543; a lease of half of the town of Leddintusche, from William Gordon, Bishop of Aberdeen, 7th February 1549; a lease of the barony and shire of Fetternear, from the same, 22d October 1550; a letter of reversion from James Leslie, burgess of Aberdeen, and his spouse, upon the sunny third of the town and lands of Inveramsay, in January 1551; a charter from Alexander Leslie, fourth Baron of that Ilk, of the sunny half of Aquhorties – namely, the sunny halves of Overtoun, Netherbeggery, Woodhill, and Blairdaff, and half of the mill thereof; sasine thereon, 26th February 1554. Christian Menzies, spouse of John Leslie of Balquhain, renounced the lands of Talzeaucht in favour of the said John Leslie, and William Leslie, his son and heir, 9th September 1560. John Leslie of Balquhain aliendated the barony of Balquhain in favour of his won, William Leslie of Kirkhill, 10th September 1560; and granted precept of sasine for infefting the said William in the said lands, and the instrucment of sasine was executed under the hand of Andrew Leslie, notary-public, 11th October 1560. John Leslie, fifth Baron of that Ilk, made a gift of ward, relief, and non-entry, of half of the lands of Aquhorsk, in favour of John Leslie of Balquhain, and William Leslie, his son, 26th April 1561. John Leslie of Balquhain granted by deed to his brother-in-law, Patrick Leith of Likelyhead and Edingarioch, the lands of Kirktoun of Rayne, 13th August 1561; and Patrick Leith got a charter of the same in favour of himself and his son, John, from the Archdeacon of Aberdeen.

“John Leslie married, first, Elizabeth Leslie, daughter of Patrick Leslie of Ardoyne, Provost of Aberdeen, and by her had issue –

“ I. John, who married Margaret Wood of Bonnington in 1539, and by her had issue –

“ I. Marjory, married to Alexander Bisset.

“ II. Janet, married to Patrick Leslie of Kincraigie. John Leslie died before his father and grandfather, in consequence of a fall from the battlements of the Tolbooth of Aberdeen. He had been infefted in the estates of Balquhain by his grandfater, William, seventh baron. At his death his grandfather redeemed the estates by the payment of a rose noble, according to the agreement, and John Leslie, his father, received from Queen Mary, 6th June 1544, the gift of ward and non-entry of all and haile the lands and barony of Balquhain, the mill, multures, fishings, advowson, donation of kirk, chaplainry, benefices, etc., which were in the queen’s hands by reason of ward and non-entry, through the decease of umquhile John Leslie younger; and the said John Leslie of Syde, apparent heir of Balquhain, was appointed and served as tutor to his granddaughters Marjory and Janet Leslie, 23d January 1545.

“ II. William, who succeeded as ninth baron.

“ III. Janet, married to William Duguid of Auchinhove.

“ IV. Agnes, married to James Harvey of Boyndis.

“ V. Margaret, married to Dunbar of Bonnyfield.

“ VI. Barbara, married to William Cumming of Auchray.

“ VII. Isabella, who died 4th February 1576, as appears from the following entry in the Chronicle of Aberdeen, Spalding Club Miscellany, vol. Ii. P.42 :--

“ ‘Isabell Lesly, doithair to John Lesly of Balquhain, departtit the fowrtt day of Februar 1576 yeris.’

“John Leslie is said to have had another son, James Leslie, who entered the church, and died at Aberdeen 1st February 1561.

“John Leslie married secondly Christian Menzies, but does not seem to have had any children by her.

"John Leslie, eighth Baron of Balquhain, was much afflicted in his declining years by bodily affirmities. He went to France in the hope of finding relief, and died in 1561, and was succeeded by his son, William Leslie, ninth Baron of Balquhain."