Euphemia Leslie, Countess of Ross

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EUPHEMIA, Ninth Countess of Ross.

Euphemia, only child of Alexander Leslie, Earl of Ross, by his wife, Lady Isabel Stewart, succeeded as ninth Countess of Ross, on the death of her father before 1411.

The Countess Euphemia being under age at her accession, and being, it is said, of a weakly constitution, small, and deformed, was induced by her maternal grandfather, Robert Duke of Albany, then Regent of the kingdom, to resign her rights to the Earldom of Ross in favour of her maternal uncle, John Stewart, Earl of Buchan. Thereupon the Regent granted a charter of the earldom of Ross, the lands of Stroglache, the town of Nairne, with the castle, the barony of Kincardine, the superiority of the barony of Fythkill, and others, to Euphemia. Countess of Ross, with remainder to John Stewart, Earl of Buchan, and his heirs: whom failing, to Robert Stewart, his brother, and his heirs; whom failing, to the king; dated 15th June 1415. Robert, Duke of Albany, Regent of the kingdom, also granted a charter to his son, John Stewart, Earl of Buchan, of the barony of Kynnedward in the shire of Aberdeen, on the resignation of Euphemia, Countess of Ross, ward.

In order to secure the possession of the earldom of Ross to his son, John Stewart, Earl of Buchan, the Duke of Albany induced Euphemia, Countess of Ross, to take the veil; she became a nun, it is said, in the convent of North Berwick, when the Earl of Buchan took possession of her estates, and assumed the title of Earl of Ross. She died soon afterwards, about 1415, not without suspicion of having been poisoned. On her death the earldom of Ross was claimed by Donald of the Isles, who had married her aunt, Lady Margaret Leslie, daughter of Walter Leslie, Earl of Ross, by his wife, Euphemia, seventh Countess of Ross.