Ferchardus Leche, Physician to Robert II, III

Due to the marriage between Moira Leche and Robert II around this time, the Leche family were very close to the Leche family on the Island of Bute, and they received a Royal retainer for their services as Surgeons. Moria le Leche was a Surgeon living on Bute at that time. Ferchand like the other Leche Physicians over the previous 1000 years were in Scotland from at least the 13th century.

Farqiihar[1] physician to King Robert II., had a gift of the lands of Melness, etc., from Alexander Stewart, Lord of Badenoch, which the King confirmed by a charter 2 4 September 1379, in which Farquhar is designated ' medicus noster.' He obtained the Little Islands of Strathnaver from said King by a charter 31 December 1386, 3 in which he is designated ' dilectus et fidelis noster Ferchardus leche.'

Other physicians[2] of this reign were Hector Leche ,Thomas de Hall, who was regularly employed, and John of Newcastle, who received one shilling daily during a period of seven weeks' detention at Edinburgh in 1359. In the

reign of Robert II .there were several payments to Ferchard Leche for attendance on this king,and in 1386 the king made him a large grant of land in Jura and the neighbouring isles. Ferchard Leche also received a payment from Robert III. in 1397,9 and in the same year this monarch sanctioned the payment of tenshillings to a physician(cuidammedico) who treated Robert of Danyelstoun.10 William, a physician practising in Glasgow, attended  Robert III,receiving on two occasions, in 1395 and 1397,a fee of 53s.4,equivalent to the duty on two sacks of wool.

At the west end of Farr churchyard stands a sculptured stone with Celtic cross and tracery, locally known as Clach Erchar, Stone'of Farquhar. It may mark the grave of Farqular mac lye, the king's physician.

"Another well-known physician of this time was Master Nicholas of Flanders, Physicians' who received payments from the exchequer. The amounts paid to him between century 1359 and 1364, in the reign of DavidII.,totalled £2113s. Other physicians of this reign were Hector Leche ,Thomas de Hall, who was regularly employed, and John of Newcastle, who received one shilling daily during a period of seven weeks' detention at Edinburgh in 1359."[2]

"In the reign of Robert II. there were several payments to Ferchard Leche for attendance on this king,8 and in 1386 the king made him a large grant of land in Jura and the neighbouring isles. Ferchard Leche also received a payment from Robert III. in 1397, 9 and in the same year this monarch sanctioned the payment often shillings to a physician (cuidam medico) who treated Robert of Danyelstoun. 10 William, a physician practising in Glasgow, attended Robert III.,receiving on two occasions, in 1395 and 1397,a fee of 53s.4d.,equivalent to the duty on two sacks of wool."

[1] History of Scottish Medicine [2] HISTORY OF SCOTTISH MEDICINE BY JOHN D. COMRIE M.A.,B.SC, M.D.,F.R.C.P. Physician to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh; Lecturer on the Practice of Medicine in the School of Medicine of the Royal College sat Edinburgh and on History of Medicine in the University of Edinburgh; President, History of Medicine Section, British Medical Association Meetings, 1927 and 1930; Late Consulting Physician to the British Forces in North Russia. Published for THE WELLCOME HISTORICAL MEDICAL MUSEUM 54, Wigmore Street, London, w. by BAILLIERE, TINDALL & COX 7&8, Henrietta Street,Covent garden london, w.c.2193*

Ferchard Le Leche of Bute (Ferchard Beaton or Bethune), the 1st Keeper Of Assynt (1379) & Armadale (1386) (Sutherland, Highland, Scotland), founder of Leech Of Assynt & McLee Of Sutherland, vassal Of McLeod, physician to Robert II.

King Robert II, in 1386, granted Ferchar ('nostro Ferchardo leche') the Isles of Jura, Calwa and Sanda, together with a large group of small islands lying off the north-west coast of Scotland.

Anthony, a Lombard physician, received from Allan, the son of Walter the Stewart, a grant of the lands of Fulton. All these cases are referred to by Chalmers [Caledonia, i. 768, N.E.,ii., p. 768], who also alludes to a treatise on the "Pestilence," copied at the end of the Kelso Chartulary, about the close of the 14th century, and which purports to have been made by a "gud phesician, John of Burdouse." [Ib., p. 769.]

A Mr. Clement, "Medicus," also attested a charter by Richard, bishop of St. Andrews [Register of the Priory of St. Andrews, p. 140.]

One Ferchard, Leche, i.e., Ferchard Beaton, or Bethune, a native of Islay, was physician to Robert II. (1371–1390), and in 1379 had a grant of lands in Sutherland. [Origines Parochiales Scocie, ii., p. 704] and in 1386 he had a gift of all the islands near the coast, between the Stour in Assynt and Armadale in Sutherland. [Ib. p. 695.] The clan Beaton was said to have been a medical clan, and there are notices of them in Islay, Mull, South Uist, and Far in Sutherland. [1]

It is possible that the McLEAYS of Sutherland are descended from Ferchard LECHE, recorded in 1386, and in this case the name would be from the Gaelic Mac an LEIGH, the son of the physician.  The name is also spelt LECHE.

Ferchard Leche had a grant of lands in Assynt in 1386 to be held for the services of old due and wont (OPS., II, p. 695,704).

A pedigree of the family was written by one of themselves on a blank leaf of the medical MS. in the Library of the University of Edinburgh. There are six branches of the family named. These are all traced up to a common ancestor, Fergus Fionn, or " The Fair." Fergus Fionn is traced up to Beath, the founder of the family, and he again to Niall of the Nine Hostages, monarch of Ireland. One of the witnesses to the Islay charter of 1408 is "Fercos Macbeth." As "Fercos" was the only one of the four witnesses able to write his name, the others signing with a mark, he was probably the writer of the document, and may well have been the Fergus Fionn of the pedigree. King Robert II. granted to Ferchard Leche, or " The Leech," all the islands on the Sutherland shore from Stoer Head to the Point of Armadale, together with lands in Melness and Hope in the parish of Tongue. The tradi- tion has always been that the gift was a mark of gratitude on the part of the King to Ferchard for curing himself or his son of a painful and dangerous disease after the case had baffled the Court physicians. Ferchard is said to have been the Islay Ollamh of his day.[2]

[1] British History Online Homepage, Institute of Historical Research Publication: Charters and Documents relating to the City of Glasgow 1175-1649: Part 1

Author: J.D. Marwick (editor)

Year published: 1897

[2] THE GAELIC SOCIETY OF INVERNESS ( Translations)