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 been
married to 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 procession was over seventeen miles long).
John 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.
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