Norino de Leslie, 4th Laird of Leslie

http://books.google.com/books?id=7QGnt0PLWo8C&pg=PA11#v=onepage&q=&... Page 12 - 14

IV. NORINO.

Norino, the son of Norman by his wife, a daughter of Stuart, Earl of Lorn, succeeded his father as fourth possessor of the lands of Leslie.

This is proved by a charter granted in 1248 by King Alexander II. at the instance of Isobel Bruce and Eobert Bruce her son ; Isobel Bruce, on the death of John, Earl of Huntingdon, without issue in 1237, having succeeded to the lordship of the Garioch in right of her father, David, Earl of Huntingdon. By this charter, in which he is styled the son of Norman, Norino received his lands of Leslie in free forest, and in it he is likewise styled " The Constable," i.e. of Inverurie. Hence this office of Constable of Inverurie would now seem to have been confirmed in hereditary succession in the family.

Norino is a frequent witness to the charters of his liege lady, Isobel de Bruce, of whose court indeed he appears to have been a principal officer. We find also that " Norino, the son of Norman," was witness to a charter granted by Fergus, Earl of Buchan, to John, the son of Uthred.

These facts indisputably prove that Norino was the name of the successor of Norman, the third possessor of the lands of Leslie, although by some authors he has been called Alfornus, and by others Leonard.

It is probable that Norino had a brother Leonard, whom the author of the Laurus Leslæana, has, by mistake, to the exclusion of Norino, placed in the position of the head of the family, and of whom he gives the following account :-

" Leonard was honoured with the dignity of knighthood. He was a man of great courage, and was held in great estimation by the kings both of Scotland and of England. Clarcadus makes mention of him in his work. He married Catherine Mure, heiress of Tasseis in Fife, which property was added to the family possessions. By her he had -

  I. Norman, who succeeded ; 

  II. Leonard, who went to the wars abroad ; 

  III. William, Abbot of Cupar. 

In the above account Leonard is evidently a mistake for Norino. It is also doubtful whether the author of the Laurus Leslæana has given the proper name of the heiress of Taces. It is certain that this property of Taces came about this time into the possession of the family of Leslie by marriage. In the charter-room of the Earls of Rothes there is a charter granted by Malcolm, Earl of Fife, to Alexander de Blar, of the lands of Thases (Taces), Kinteaces, and Ballindurth, to be holden of the said Earl and his heirs by the tenure of one knight's service. This charter has the Earl's seal appended, and bears no date, but it must have been granted before the year 1250. From this charter it would appear that Blar, not Mure, must have been the name of the heiress who shortly afterwards brought the property of Taces into the possession of the family of Leslie.

While it is doubtful whether Norino had a brother named Leonard, it is certain that the succession of the family was carried on by Norman, the son either of Norino or of Leonard, and who was the first of the family who signed the surname "de Leslie".

There is some diagreement between the Laurus Leslæana and "HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE FAMILY OF LESLIE" authored by Colonel Leslie in 1869. I believe the latter to be correct and this profile for Norman de Lescelin, along with profiles shown for wives and offspring should be removed from this record..