John Leslie, 1st Duke of Rothes

John Leslie (c. 1630 – July 27, 1681), son of John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes, was the 7th Earl of Rothes and 1st Duke of Rothes. He was a descendant of Princess Beatrix, sister of King Malcolm III of Scotland. His family had intermarried with both the Stuarts and the Bruces.

King Charles II made him the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland, Lord Chancellor of Scotland for life, and President of the Privy Council of Scotland. He carried the sword of state at the coronation of Charles II. He was captured at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, returned to Scotland in 1655 and, on a payment of a fine to Oliver Cromwell, was set free. He married Anne Crawford-Lindsay, the daughter of John Lindsay, 17th Earl of Crawford. He built the Palace of Leslie (also known as Leslie House), which nearly burnt completely in a fire on Christmas Day 1763. John died at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh on July 27, 1681. He was awarded a state funeral. The funeral procession was more elaborate and impressive than either Wellington's or Churchill's. It stretched over seventeen miles (27 km) long. The cost of whole regiments of ceremonial guards, soldiers, banners, trumpets, heralds and coaches effectively ruined the family finances forever, and he left behind a huge debt to his daughter, Margaret Leslie. As he had no male issue, the Dukedom of Rothes became extinct, the Earldom only being passed to his daughter.

External links

• Clan Leslie Trust

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