Clan Leslie
Soldiers of fortune — Scots field-marshals across Europe.
Motto
Grip fast
What does the Leslie name mean?
From Leslie in Aberdeenshire, where the family was firmly established by the 12th century.
The history of Clan Leslie
The clan takes its name from Leslie in Aberdeenshire, where it was established by the 12th century. George Leslie of Leslie was created Earl of Rothes in 1447. Later Leslies took up professional soldiering across Germany, France and Sweden.
Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven, served thirty years in the Swedish army. Knighted by Gustavus Adolphus in 1606 and later appointed Field Marshal, he returned to Scotland to command the Covenanting Army — only to be defeated by Cromwell at Dunbar in 1650.
After the Restoration he was created Lord Newark. In 1680 the 7th Earl of Rothes became Lord Chancellor of Scotland.
Notable bearers of the Leslie name
- Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven, Field Marshal