John Leslie of Newton

Fifth son of Andrew, fourth Earl of Rothes, by his third wife, succeeded to the estate of Newton on the death of an elder brother in 1614. He appears as Lord of Articles in the Parliament of 1633; was appointed an Ordinary Lord by the King, with the consent of the Estates, on the 13th November 1641, and two days afterwards received the honour of knighthood from King Charles I. then at Holyrood-house. Sir John was appointed one of the Commissioners of Exchequer in February 1645, but was deprived of his offices by the well known Act of Classes, on the 12th March 1649. He was killed at the storming of Dundee by General Monk in September 1651.

Source: An Historical Account of the Senators of the College of Justice: From Its Institution in MDXXXII; by George Brunton, David Haig; 1832; Page 305

“VI. John Leslie, sixth Laird of New Leslie, who was the last of who was publicly baptized according to the Catholic ritual in the parish church of Leslie.  He went to France in his youth for his education.  He was served heir to his father Andrew Leslie, in the lands of Insch, with the mill and multures of the town of Flunderis, Christskirk, Largieinche, Eddirlick, the brewhouse of Insch, the lands of Eddirlick and Christskirk, within the regality of Lindores; the kirklands of Christskirk of Rothmurriell, with teinds, being part of the patrimony of the vicarage of Kinnethmount; the Templar lands of Rothmurriell or Christskirk, with the teind-sheaves, and the office of bailiary of these lands of Drumrossie and Rothnayis, the Dalhairbog, and Dalblakboig, with the half of the mill and common pasture in the forest of Bennachie; the lands of New Leslie, within the barony of Leslie and regality of the Garioch; and the teind-sheaves of the towns and lands of Christskirk, Kirklands, and Temple Croft, of the town and lands of Eddirlick, and of the town and lands of the shady half of Rothnays and Drumrossie, in the parishes of Kinnethmount, Premnay, and Insch, and regality of Garioch, 23d January 1623.

“John Leslie, younger of New Leslie, grandson and heir to John Leslie, Bishop of Ross, constituted Mr. Gavin Leslie, canon of the cathedral kirk of Rouen in France, his procurator for uplifting and receiving debts owing the same bishop, in name of pension or otherwise, in Italy, Spain, France, Flanders, or elsewhere, and to receive from Sir Philip Dayala, counsellor to the King of Spain, or from whoever had it, the bishop's original testament. The procuratory was extended in Latin under the Privy Seal of the town of Aberdeen.

“John Leslie of New Leslie and others in the Garioch seem to have resisted the king's authority and Sir Robert Gordon, brother of John, Earl of Sutherland, got a commission from the Privy Council, by order of the king, to apprehend them as rebels. They were taken prisoners and carried to Edinburgh.

“John Leslie ruined his estates by his prodigality. He sold the lands of New Leslie, in 1649, to John Leith of Edingarioch, who sold the lands of Kirktown of Rayne, and bought the lands of New Leslie, Peill, Syde, Arnbog, and others; and his son, James Leith, afterwards built on the landsof Peill the house of Leith-hall, now the residence of his descendents, the Leith-Hays of Leith-hall.

“John Leslie married Miss Ramsay, and had issue -

“ I. George, his successor. “ II. A Daughter, married to Mr. Gordon of Swelton. “ III. A Daughter, who became an Ursuline nun. She was alive in 1692. “ IV. Bridget, also a nun. “ V. Maria, who was abbess of a convent at Mons in Hainault."