William Leslie, 7th Baron of Balquhain

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"William Leslie,

"Seventh Baron of Balquhain.

"William Leslie, son of Patrick Leslie, sixth Baron of Balquhain, by his wife Murial Grant, succeeded his father as seventh baron, 16th April 1496.

“William Leslie was a proud and boisterous baron, though he lived very honourably according to the fashion of his time. Kennedy, in his Annals of Aberdeen, narrates that on Sunday 1st October 1525, William Leslie, Baron of Balquhain, Alexander Seton of Meldrum, and John Leslie of Wardis, three potent barons in the Gariouch, in revenge of an injury supposed to have been done to the, entered the City of Aberdeen at night, with their condederates and retainers, numbering eighty men, armed with spears and other weapons. They attacked the inhabitants with great fury. These instantly flew to arms, and gave battle to the invaders. After a bloody conflict, in which eight citizens, including several magistrates, were killed or wounded, the invaders were repulsed and driven out of the town. On a complaint made by the citizens to King James V, the affair was investigated, and was finally terminated by the arbitration of certain bishops and nobles. At Aberdeen, 12th February 1527, before the Lords-Justices and Componitors, William Leslie of Balquhain and John Leslie of Wardis entered into an obligation for themselves, their kin, friends, tenents, servants, adherents, and partakers, that they would not molest, vex, inquiet, or trouble, the provost, bailies, council, community and inhabitants of the burgh of Aberdeen, or any one of them, in any manner of way, in time coming, in their persons, lands, or goods, otherwise than the law will, under penalty of £2000.

“After this affair, great precautions were taken by the Magistrates of Aberdeen to prevent the recurrence of such an assault. The ports or gates of the burgh were ordered to be repaired; the vennels, back-dykes, and waste places, to be built up; a watch to be kept by sixteen persons every night, and two sentinels in every steeple by day, to give the alarm on the appearance of any horse-men; all able men to be supplied with culverins, cross-bows, hand-bows, and shooting-pieces; ten additional gunners to be engaged for the artillery, and wappenshaws to be held weekly.

“At this time also, as John Leslie, Bishop of Ross, informs us in his History of Scotland, great feuds existed among the barons of Aberdeenshire, and particularly between the powerful families of Leslie and Forbes. A sharp war was carried on between these two families, in which many barons, gentlemen of great consideration, and others of inferior rank, fell, and many murders were committed. Almost the whole of Aberdeenshire came to be engaged in the quarrel, most families siding with one party or the other, so that the county was divided into two factions. During these feuds in 1526, the Forbeses attacked and burned the castle of Balquahain, the stronghold of the Leslies. At length, in 1527, peace was restored by the intervention of Archibald, Earl of Angus, Lord High Chancellor of the kingdom, the lords of the Council, and other noblemen, friends of both parties, who interested themselves, and made these powerful families come to an agreement. But unfortunately, not long afterwards, the Master of Forbes, son of Lord Forbes and the heir of the family, with the Laird of Lentusk, laid wait in ambush for Alexander Seton, the Baron of Meldrum, a great friend and ally of the Leslies, and basely murdered him. The quarrel between the Leslies and the Forbeses broke out again more violently than before, and much injuy was inflicted on both sides. The nobility again interfered, and by their intervention peace was retored. The murderers were banished, and took refuge in France. To prevent the recurrence of the feud, John, Lord Forbes, infefted William Leslie of Balquhain in the lands of Cultercullane and Pettemwk, and in twenty-four shillings of annual rent furth of the alehouse of Fudess, in fulfillment of the decree-arbitral given at Aberdeen, 11th February 1527, and for security and keeping kindness, and eschewing of troubles and inconveniences.

“Although this peace continued to be maintained between the Leslies and the forbeses, yet there always remained animosities between the families, because the house of Balquhain and its numerous branches always adhered to the earls of Huntly in their quarrels with the Forbeses, and William Leslie of Balquhain was one of those who signed the general band of Noblemen and barons of the North, whereby they bound themselves to George, Earl of Huntley, to obey him in his office of Lieutenant of the North, and to search, seek, and apprehend malefactors, and to punish them, or to deliver them to the Judge-ordinary of the said Lord-lieutenant—dated at Elgin 8th December 1544.

“In 1530, William Leslie repaired, or rather rebuilt the castle of Balquhain, which had been burned by the Forbeses, and he erected the noble square tower or keep, so as to make the castle a place of some strength, and capable of offering resistance to any further assault. He also added to the family estates the lands of Whitecross, Inveamsay, Pitbee, and Newlands, which he acquired by purchase.

“William Leslie of Balquhain was one of the jury in the service and retour of Abercromby of Birkenbog, at Banff, 31st October 1506, and he was chancellor of a jury consisting of fifteen persons, at the Burgh Court of Aberdeen, held 12th December 1544 for the trial of defaulters.

“William Leslie of Balquhain sold to the Rev. Alexander Galloway two acres of the barony of Balquhain, which this excellent man, by a charter dates at Aberdeen, 21st November 1505, and confirmed by James IV at Edinburgh, 24th January 1506, annexed to the parish of Bourtie, and granted the said two acres for building a house for the chaplain of Collhill, who was bound to pray for the souls of Bishop Elphinston of Aberdeen, William Leslie, seventh Baron of Balquhain, Elizabeth Ogilvie his wife, and Sir Walter Ogilvie of Boyne, her father, besides several others.

“William Leslie got a prescept of Chancery, 23d July 1511, for infefting him in the lands of Balquhain; the Netherown and Oldtown of Knockinlews; four bovates of the lands of Harlaw; the lands of Selbie, Lochtilloch, Whitecross, and Knockallocy, with the mill; tow bovates of the lands of Ressavate; two parts of the lans of Wardis Flemyng, and of Wraes; the lands of Syde, with the mill and alehouse; the lands of Seggyden and Erlesfied, in the regality of the Garioch; and on the 29th July 1511, he obtained from King James IV a royal charter of the above-mentined lands united into one free barony, the barony of Balquahin.

“On the 7th Apr 1514, William Leslie of Balquain, and Elizabeth Ogilvie his wife, got a charter from King James V of the lands of Syd, with the mill, Erlisfeild, Segateden, and the Wrays, in the earldom of Mar and lordship of the Garioch.

“William Leslie resigned the lands of Erlisfeild, Segydene, and the Wrayis, with the Mill of the Syde, in favour of himself and Marjory Keith his spouse, 24th January 1522, and they received from King James V a royal charter of the said lands, dated 13th February 1522.

“Sasine followed thereon, 7th April 1522.

“William Leslie resigned the lands of Auldtown of Knockinlews in favour of himself and Marjory Keith his wife, and received a royal charter of the same, dated 15th October 1524.

“He also resigned the lands of Selbie, in favour of himself and Marjory Keith his wife, 14th November 1536, and they received a royal charter of the said lands from King James V on the same day.

“He also resigned the lands of Lochtilloch, in favour of himself and Marjory Keith his wife, 6th January 1538, and on the 18th day of the same month and year they received a royal charter of the said lands.

“On the 25th June 1526, George, Earl of Rothes, entered into an obligation with William Leslie, Baron of Balquain, mentioning that he had given to the said William Leslie in feu-farm the lands of Rothes, as contained in a charter made thereupon, and obliging himself, in case the same should prove insufficient, to grant a new right by the advise of lawyers.

“Patrick Leith of Harthill, and Janet his wife, granted a letter of Reversion of the mid-third of the Lands of Knockallochy, in favour of William Leslie of Balquhain, dated 10th May 1527.

“John Leslie, eldest son of William Leslie, seventh Baron of Balquahin, styled heir-apparent of Balquhain, and who succeeded as eighth baron, had a son called John Leslie, styled younger or fiar of Balquhain, to whom his grandfather made over his rights to the family estates. But this John the younger died before his father and grandfather, leaving two daughters, Marjory and Janet, to whom their grandfather, John Leslie, the heir-apparent, styled of Syde, was appointed tutor.

“William Leslie, seventh Baron of Balquhain, Marjory Keith, his spouse, John Leslie, his son and apparent heir, and John Leslie, younger, son to the said John, are parties to a contract of marriage between the said John Leslie, younger of Balquhain, and Agnes Wood of Bonnington, dated February 1539.

“William Leslie, Baron of Balquhain, resigned the barony of Balquhain in favour of his grandson, John Leslie, younger of Balquhain, styled ‘Domino feudo Baronie de Balquhain’, and Agnes Wood his wife, and they received a royal charter of the same from King James V, dated 19th July 1540.

“John Leslie, younger, fiar of Balquhain, granted a letter of reversion in favour of William Leslie, seventh baron, his grandfather, dated 17th November 1543, submitting that the said William had, out of love, infefted the said John in the fee of all the barony of Balquhain; notwithstanding the said John obliges himself to renounce his rights to the said barony, in favour of the said William, upon payment of a rose noble of gold, at any time when required.

“John Leslie, younger, fiar of Balquhain, being dead, William Leslie, seventh Baron of Balquhain, in terms of the above letter of reversion, executed an instrument of premonition, under the hand of Thomas Annand, notary-public, dated 15th January 1544, against his son John Leslie of Syde, tutor to his granddaughters Marjory and Janet, daughters of the deceased John Leslie, younger, fiar of Balquhain, for the redemption of the barony of Balquhain.

“William Leslie, seventh Baron of Balquhain, and John Leslie his son, as factor or tutor to his granddaughters Marjory and Janet Leslie, with their consent, executed a contract, whereby, for causes therein, the said John Leslie obliges himself, in the name of his pupils, to renounce all right which they or their father, the deceased John Leslie, fiar of Balquhain, had to the barony of Balquhain, dated 16th January 1544; whereupon, by an instrument dated 14th February 1544, the said William leslie consigned into the hands of Andrew Menzies, bailie of Aberdden, a rose noble for the redemption of the said barony of Balquhain from the said John Leslie of Syde, tutor, and the instrument of redemption was executed under the hand of John Nicholson, notary-public, on the same day.

“Letters of regress under the Privy Seal were granted in favour of William Leslie, Baron of Balquhain, 6th June 1544, on the redemption of the barony of Balquhain. A precept of Chancery, for infefting the said William Leslie in the lands of Balquhain, was issued 20th April 1545, and sasine followed thereon 3d May 1545.

“William Leslie, seventh Baron of Balquhain, resigned the barony of Balquhain into the hands of the king, 19th May 1545, in favour of his son, John Leslie of Syde, heir-apparent of the said barony; whereupon the said John Leslie received a charter under the Great Seal, 19th June 1545, of the said barony, proceeding on the above resignation, and sasine thereon followed 20th July 1545.

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https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Leslie-204

“William Leslie married, first, Elizabeth, daugher of Sir Walter Ogilvie, second Baron of Boyne. King James V granted a charter of the lands of Syd, with the mill, Erlisfeild, Segateden, and the Wrays, in the earldom of Mar and lordship of the Garioch, in favour of William Leslie of Balquhain, and Elizabeth Ogilvie his spouse, dated 7th April 1514. By this marrieage William Leslie had issue –

“ I. John, his successor.

“ II. Patrick.

“ III. James, who died young.

“ IV. Isabel, married first to John Panton or Paton of Pittendreich, and secondly to Alexander Seton of Meldrum.

“ V. Jean, married to Patrick Leith, younger of Edengarioch, Barns, and Likelyhead.

“ VI. Margaret, married to James Forbes, Auchintoul.

“ VII. Agnes, married, 1528, to John Strachan.

“ VIII. Elizabeth, married to James Dunbar.

“Elizabeth Ogilvie died in September 1518, and William Leslie married, secondly, Marjory Keith, a most virtuous lady, daughter of Alexander Keith of Inverugie and Pittendrum, a son of William, third Earl, and thirteenth Grand Marischal of Scotland. King James V granted a charter of the lands of Erlisfeild, Segyden, and the Wrais, in favour of William Leslie of Balquhain, and Marjory Keith his spouse, dated 13th February 1522. There is no record of any issue by this marriage.

“William Leslie, seventh Baron of Balquhain, died in 1545, and was succeeded by his eldest son, John Leslie, eighth Baron of Balquhain."