Lord Leslie
| Much Hon The Lord of Leslie Lordship in the Baronage of Scotland | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Creation date | 1382 |
| Creation | Baronage of Scotland |
| Created by | Robert III of Scotland |
| First holder | George Leslie, 1st Earl of Rothes |
| Present holder | Giacomo Merello, Baron of Leslie |
| Status | extant |
| Seat(s) | Leslie House |
| Motto | IN FORTITUDO FIDO |
Lord Leslie is a title of nobility[1] connected to the lands around the town of Leslie in Fife. It is part of the Baronage of Scotland and dates back to the year 1382. The title is still held today.
Note that for Lords in the Baronage of Scotland a baron is a lord and a lord is a baron and is interchangeable.
History
[change | change source]The title began when Sir George Leslie received a royal charter for the lands called Fythkill in 1382. The name was later changed to Leslie.[2] In 1455, the town of Leslie was made a free burgh, and the title became known as the Lordship of Leslie.[3]
The Leslie family built a large mansion called Leslie House, which became their family seat. The house was famous for its design and gardens. It was praised by writer Daniel Defoe in the 1700s.[4]
Over the centuries, the title passed down through many generations of the Leslie family. In 1817, it was inherited by Henrietta Anne Leslie. Later, the title and lands were sold by trustees and purchased by different holders, including Sir Robert Spencer Nairn and Sir Philip Christopher Ondaatje.[5][6]
| Styles of Lord Leslie | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reference style | His Lordship |
| Spoken style | My Lord or Your Lordship |
Seat
[change | change source]Leslie House is located near Glenrothes in Fife.[7] It was burned in 1763 and rebuilt by 1767. A second fire in 2005 and another in 2009 caused serious damage.[8] The house has now been restored and is once again lived in by the current lord.
Related pages
[change | change source]References
[change | change source]- ↑ Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia of the Laws of Scotland, Vol. 18, para 430–440
- ↑ "Register of the Great Seal of Scotland". Register of the Great Seal of Scotland (742): 1382.
- ↑ "Leslie from The Gazetteer for Scotland". www.scottish-places.info. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ "Decision due on restoration of 'once palatial' Fife mansion". Scottish Housing News. 2020-10-28. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ "Leslie House | Place | trove.scot". www.trove.scot. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). www.lyon-court.com. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ The Buildings of Scotland: Fife, John Gifford, Yale University Press, 1988
- ↑ "Fire devastates historic Leslie House". The Herald. 2009-02-06. Retrieved 2025-07-24.