William Leslie, Thirteenth Baron of Balquhain

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"William Leslie,

"Thirteenth Baron of Balquhain

"William Leslie was a man of considerable abilities, and he entered into public life. He was a Privy Councillor, and a true and faithful servant of King Charles I, both in court and camp. He received several wounds in the king's service. After the execution of the king, he retired to Holland, where he settled with his family, and acquired some property. In his absence, his brother, Alexander Leslie of Tullos, managed his Scotch property.

"Besides the family estates of Balquhain, William Leslie acquired considerable property about Stirling, called Cambusbarron, which had formerly belonged to the prior and convent of Stirling, and of which Alexander Erskine, brother of John, Lord Erskine of Kelly, got a charter, 10th May 1560. Thomas, Earl of Kelly, disponed these lands to William Leslie, who got a charter of them, under the Great Seal, 12th July 1640. William Leslie, designed servitor to the king, Charles I, wadsett these lands to his brother Alexander Leslie of Tullos, redeemable for 11,000 merks, 3d Auguat 1642, and granted to him a charter of the same. Sasine followed thereupon 12th August 1642, and registered at Stirling on the same day. William Leslie obtained letters of horning against the superior of the lands of Cambusbarron, to infeft them therein, proceeding on a decreet of adjudication, 20th July 1642. Execution of charge followed thereupon against the magistrates of Stirling, the Earl of Kellie, and Lord Erskine, 11th August 1642; and another execution of charge against the said Earl and Lord Erskine, 16th November 1647. William Leslie authorised his brother, Alexander Leslie of Tullos, to sell the lands of Cambusbarron, and to dispose of the house at Stirling, 3d March 1651. An inventory was made of the books which were in the cabinet left by William Leslie at Stirling, and the inventory was signed by Alexander Leslie of Tullos, 13th July 1652. An opinion anent the sale of the lands of Cambusbarron was obtained from John Gilmour and other lawyers, 19th August 1652. Alexander Leslie of Tullos disponed the lands of Cambusbarron to the town of Stirling, and the disposition was ratified by William Leslie of Balquhain 31st January 1653, and registered in books of Session 29th June 1653. William Leslie granted a discharge to Alexander Leslie of Tullos for his intromissions with the rents of the lands of Cambusbarron for the crop and year 1655, and for 16,000 merks, the price of the said lands received from the town of Stirling, 25th February 1659. Alexander Leslie obtained an inhibition against William Leslie, proceeding upon the ratification of the sale of the lands of Cambusbarron to the burgh of Stirling, and the obligement of relief therein contained, 10th June 1665.

"William Leslie, on succeeding to the estates of Balquhain, found that they were reduced to low ebb, being much encumbered and involved by the extravagance of the tenth and eleventh barons, and having no son surviving to succeed him, he renounced his rights in the estates to his brother Walter, Count Leslie. But Walter, Count Leslie, having acquired large properties and high rank in Germany, also renounced his right in favour of his elder brother, Alexander Leslie, called the Goodman of Tullos, with whom William made an arrangement, on receiving an annuity, to give up the succession in his favour, about 1659. Alexander Leslie bound himself to pay an annuity of 700 merks out of the lands of Tullos to Walter, Count Leslie, during the lifetime of William Leslie, 24th June 1659; and by a letter, dated 17th February 1660, Walter, Count Leslie, desired Alexander Leslie to pay the said annuity to William Leslie

"William Leslie went to Holland, and left a memorandum with his brother Alexander Leslie, whom he appointed to manage his estates, 18th March 1651. There is an account of several sums paid by Alexander Leslie to and for William Leslie from1642 to 1652. William Leslie wrote from the Hague to his brother Alexander, 5th September 1652, and to his nephew Alexander, third son of Alexander Leslie of Tullos, 12th September 1652. William Leslie gave a receipt to Norman Leslie, merchant in Aberdeen, for fifty dollars, on account of Alexander Leslie of Tullos, dated at Rotterdam, 26th April 1655. He also granted a discharge to Alexander Leslie for the rents of the lands of Balquhain for the crops of 1655, 1656, 1657, and 1658, dated 31st March 1659, and registered in the Commissary Court books, 16th April 1659. William Leslie disponed the lands and barony of Balquhain in favour of Mr. James Leslie, doctor of medicine in Aberdeen, 31st March 1659. William Leslie, designed of Cumbusbarron, was served heir-male of John Leslie, twelfth Baron of Balquhain, with the manor-place of Balquhain, and common pasture in the forest of Benachie in the parish of Logiedurno, with common pasture in the same forest, all united into the baronry of Balquhain, 5th July 1661. A precept of Chancery for infefting him in the said lands was issued 12th August 1661; sasine followed thereon 27th August, and was registered at Aberdeen 28th August 1661.

"William Leslie resigned the lands and barony of Balquhain in favour of his brother, Alexander Leslie of Tullos, proceeding upon the disposition of the said lands and barony made by him in favour of Dr. James Leslie in Aberdeen, 31st March 1659; which disposition Dr. James Leslie had assigned to Alexander Leslie of Tullos 6th December 1661.

"William Leslie resigned the lands of Auldtown and Nethertown of Knockenlewes, Whitecorse, and Tullos, in favour of Alexander Leslie of Tullos, 21st February 1662.

"Thomas Forbes, wadsetter of Aquhorties, obtained a summons of warrandice against William Leslie of Balquhain, for warranting the lands of Aquhorties from a process of reduction at the instance of Alexander Gordon of Kincraigie, 11th August 1663.

"Alexander Gordon of Kincraigie obtained letters of general charge against William Leslie of Balquhain to enter heir as brother and apparent heir-male of the deceased John Leslie, fiar of Balquhain (eleventh baron), son and apparent heir of the deceased John Leslie elder, tenth Baron of Balquhain; and against Janet Leslie, daughter and apparent heir of line of the said deceased John Leslie, fiar of Balquhain, and James Elphinstone, younger of Glack, her husband, 1st August 1665.

"Alexander Gordon of Kincraigie, and Patrick Gordon, his eldest son, transferred the warrandice of the lands of Syde and others to Alexander Leslie of Tullos, 18th August 1665.

"The Lords of Session pronounced a decreet cognitionis causa, at the instance of Alexander Gordon of Kincraigie, against William Leslie of Balquhain, Janet Leslie, and James Elphinstone her spouse, finding the rents of the lands of Syde and others, which had been evicted by the Earl of Mar, by a decreet dated 26th March 1635, and the price of the said lands to extend to £46,445 : 12 : 2 Scots, -- 31st July 1667. And Alexander Gordon of Kincraigie obtained a decreet, 30th June 1668, against William Leslie of Balquhain, Janet Leslie, and James Elphinstone her spouse, adjudging all and haill the lands of Aquhorties, with the mill and multures thereof, and the lands of Bograxie, to the said Alexander Gordon, in payment of the foresaid £46,445:12:2. Alexander Gordon obtained letters of horning on the above decreet, 20th August 1668.

"Janet Leslie, daughter of John Leslie, eleventh Baron of Balquhain, and James Elphinstone of Glack, her husband, granted a discharge to William Leslie of Balquhain of the provision contained in their contract of marriage, 20th July 1670; registered in Sheriff-Court books, Aberdeen, 1st August 1670.

"William Leslie of Balquhain married Marjory Bernard, an English lady, by whom he had five sons and five daughters, who all died in their minority, except one daughter, Mary, who married Sir Elias Lechton, knight, who was colonel of a regiment.

"The Lauras Leslæana observes that it is remarkable that of all the Barons of Balquhain none of them hitherto had failed to have a male heir of their own bodies to succeed them, except this William, the thirteenth baron, and his predecessor, John, the twelfth baron, who were the only two of the family who had become Protestants, and the Lauras says the same has happened in other Scotch families. It may also be remarked that James, Count Leslie, the seventeenth baron, Ernest, Count Leslie, the eighteenth baron, and Peter Leslie Grant the nineteenth baron, who were Protestants, also died childless.

"William Leslie, thirteenth Baron of Balquhain, died in Holland at an advanced age in 1671, and was succeeded by his half-brother, Alexander Leslie of Tullos."