Norman Leslie (abt. 1305 - abt. 1365)

Born about 1305 in Leslie Castle, Auchleven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about Nov 1365 at about age 60 in Rhodes, Greece [uncertain]

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Biography

Norman Leslie is a member of Clan Leslie.

Background Note

Note that there are discrepancies between the two major source documents Historical records of the family of Leslie from 1067 to 1868-69. Collected from public records and authentic private sources^[1] and The Scots peerage, founded on Wood's edition of Sir Robert Douglas's peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom.^[2] This profile is based on both documents but, in the event of a genealogical clash of information, The Scots Peerage takes precedence, unless original source material proves otherwise.

Norman was born about 1305. He was the son of Andrew Leslie and Mary Abernethy. She being one of the daughters and co-heiresses of Sir Alexander Abernethy, Lord of Abernethy, who died before the end of 1315. There is conjecture regarding his date of birth. He is said to have been paid a pension in 1330 for "enduring the ward of Balenbreich" which would tend to suggest he was of age at that time and had undergone a period of ward although it is not clear to who. This being the case he was likely born around 1305 and before 1310.

In the Service of the King

In 1354, David II was a prisoner in England and Norman Leslie, now one of Scotland's negotiators for the release of David was working with a Council led by the High Steward, Robert Stewart.

In 1356, the Historical Record of the Leslies suggests “Walter Leslie seems to have gone to the wars in Germany in 1356, as he and his brother Norman had a safe-conduct to pass through England on their way to Prussia, 20th August 1356.” ^{[citation needed]}There were no wars in or about the Holy Roman Empire at this date. The brothers were back in Scotland later that year and thus it was a short visit. It seems likely that they were either; involved in an attempt to win support and funds from Charles IV, known to Walter Leslie, for the ransom payments for David II, and thus attending the Diet at either Nuremburg or Metz for the announcement of the Golden Bull of 1356 thus creating the Holy Roman Empire; attending, in “Prussia”, the opening Charter of the creation of the Hanseatic League which had major trading impact to the cities of Aberdeen and Leith; or with Sir William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, soon to be their liege Lord as the Earl of Mar, and the Scottish contingent at the Battle of Poitiers on 19 September 1356.

In 1358 he was in Rome and later acted as acted as Deputy Chamberlain of Scotland.

In May 1359, Norman Leslie, along with Sir Robert Erskine^[3], were plenipotentiaries appointed by David II for dealings with France and were in Paris, renewing the alliance between France and Scotland and while there is no evidence the brothers were together it seems probable. Erskine and Leslie were at the Louvre, in June 1359, and obtained 50,000 merks in payment for Scotland renewing their efforts against England,^[4] some of which was applied against the ransom on David II.

In 1363 he was with David II when the High Steward made his submission at Inchmurdoch in May.^[5]

Alexandrian Crusade and Death

Peter I of Cyprus, in his endeavours to gather support for a crusade to "liberate" the Holy Land and the Kingdom of Jerusalem of which he was nominally king, met in London, in 1363, in what became known as the Banquet of the Five Kings. Norman, and his brother Walter accompanied King David II to the meeting.

Although there was no national support for the call to arms, nor indeed Papal support, in October 1365 a number of the knights of Scotland answered the call for the Crusade. These included Walter and Norman Leslie and probably Henry Sinclair, and they along with knights from across Christendom gathered at the Crusader stonghold of Rhodes in the early part of 1365. They clearly thought they were going to the Holy Land.

Lacking any form of religious support, other than possibly the blessing of the Pope, the Alexandrian Crusade was largely a financial endeavour funded by the city state of [Republic of Venice Venice]. The intent of Peter I, which was only made known to the Crusaders after leaving Rhodes, seems to have been to attack and capture Alexandria then, using this as a base, attack Cairo.

The invasion, on 169 ships provided by Venice, left Rhodes on 4 October 1365 and made landfall near to Alexandria on 9 October 1365. The army sacked and looted Alexandria, a mainly Christian city, against opposition and withdrew on 12 October in the face of a Mamluk army of the Bahri dynasty approaching from Cairo. In the works of Al-Maqrizi a contemporary historian, he suggests that the defenders focused on defending the harbour while Peter had landed the majority of his mounted troops undetected further up the coast and he was thus able to attack in front and rear. The knights, led by Norman Leslie, forced the “Customs Gate”,^[6] entered the city and the defenders never recovered from the shock and were slaughtered.^[7] Sir Robert Hales led the force of Knights Hospitaller at the battle and was later Grand Prior of the Order in England.

It seems highly probable that Norman died there at Alexandria or of wounds sustained there as he never returns to Scotland. His wife, accompanied by Walter Leslie who returned to Scotland in January 1366, in February 1366, issues a Charter where she states herself to be a widow.^[5]

Family and Legacy

There is conjecture and differences regarding his family and The Scots Peerage has taken precedence at this point.

His wife is mentioned as Margaret in a number of Charters but her last name or lineage is not provided. She however described herself as great-granddaughter^[5] to Sir Alexander Lamberton, knight, and grants to her cousin or kinsman William Guppyld and his son Norman, certain lands which had come to her in right of her great-grandfather.^[8] These, as Balfour Paul indicates, are her lands and this action does not preclude any children to the marriage with Norman Leslie. They had issue:

1. George; 1st of Rothes who had an entail to the estates of Balenbreich and others which were raised to the barony of Rothes.
2. Mary^[9]

Given the service of Norman to the Crown this seems an easily reached supposition. This is the first of the family to take possession of Ballinbreich in Fife. The castle, already constructed, was built by the Abernethy's.

Armorials

The armorial that he carried have not been found. His father is said to have quartered his arms, that of Leslie, with those of Abernethy. Armorials are hereditary and depict lineage.

Andrew, as the eldest of the boys, will inherit the main lands and should bear the arms of Leslie of that Ilk. The oldest arms are given as argent, on a bend azure, three buckles or. At some point this becomes Argent on a bend azure, three buckles or, within a double tressure flory counterflory gules.

Norman, as the second child and inheriting the second most important lands, including those of his mother, should bear the quartered arms and are shown on this page. It is important to note for his future generations that these are the arms carried by the Earl of Rothes and thus, almost certainly, suggesting that they are descended from Norman. This tends to support the supposition by Balfour Paul and is the hypothesis adopted in the lineage.

Walter, the third son, should difference his arms, and does so through the use of ermine on the bend.

George, the youngest son, gains the lands of Balquhain and should difference his arms, which he does through the use of a fesse rather than an bend. He adopts the crescent for distinction which, according to Stoddart, is dropped by Alexander of Balquhain in 1672.

Sources

1. ↑ Leslie, Charles Joseph, "Historical Records of the Family of Leslie from 1067 to 1868-9", Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas, 1869, Vol. I, Archive.org, pp. 18-23
2. ↑ Paul, James Balfour. "The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom", Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1910, Vol. VII, Archive.org, pp, 268-271
3. ↑ Although Sir John le Grant was in the commission (dated at Edinburgh, 10th May 1359) Dalyrmple, Vol 2, page 298 suggests that it does not appear that he ever acted.
4. ↑ Dalrymple, David, "Annals of Scotland, from the Accession of Robert I, Surnamed Bruce, to the Accession of the House of Stewart" Edinburgh, S Murray, 177, Archive.org, p. 391
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Paul, James Balfour. "The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom", Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1910, Vol. VII, Archive.org, p/ 271
6. ↑ MacQuarrie, Alan; Scotland and the Crusades, 1095-1560, (Edinburgh, 1997), page 83.
7. ↑ Van Steenbergen, Joe; The Alexanderian Crusade (1365) and the Mamluk Sources.
8. ↑ Reg. Mag. Sig., "Registrum magni sigilli regum Scotorum : The register of the Great seal of Scotland, A.D. 1306-1424 published by the authority of the Lords commissioners of H.M. Treasury.", Edinburgh: General Register House, 1912, Vol. 1., Hathitrust, p. 82, no. 247 Reg. Mag. Sig., i. No. 247.
9. ↑ Paul, James Balfour. "The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom", Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1906, Vol. III, Archive.org, p. 526