Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 33.djvu/110

Leslie peers of Scotland. He continued to serve in parliament until his death (Home Office Papers, 1760–5, p. 43). On the accession of George I in 1714 he received the appointment of vice-admiral of Scotland, and in the following year, and successively until 1721, was lord high commissioner for his majesty to the general assembly of the church of Scotland (, Life of Col. Blackadder, p. 457; Cal. of Treasury Papers, 1714–19, under date 14 April 1716).

Rothes also took an active part against the Pretender and his forces on the outbreak of the rebellion in 1715. He attempted to seize Perth in advance of the rebels, but by a sudden dash they forestalled him. On a party of Jacobites attempting to proclaim the Pretender at Kinross, he, sword in hand, and followed by a troop of the grey dragoons, entered the town, scattered the rebels, and carried Sir Thomas Bruce of Kinross prisoner to Stirling. At the battle of Sheriffmuir he led a body of sixty gentlemen volunteers, and rendered good service. He also raised the Fifeshire militia, and when Rob Roy garrisoned Falkland, and made the palace his headquarters for raiding the neighbourhood, Rothes turned his own house of Leslie into a royal garrison, and with some troops and a few Swiss kept the highlanders in check (, History of the Rebellion, pp. 219, 232, 300, 329, 340). For the activity he thus displayed his lands suffered severely at the hands of the rebels, and as some acknowledgment the king conferred upon him in 1716 the governorship of the castle of Stirling, an appointment which he retained till his death. Through the good offices of Lord Townshend, then secretary of state, he also received a commission in that year as chamberlain of Fife and Strathearn, to which office attached a yearly salary of 320l. sterling (Hist. MSS. Comm. 11th Rep. pt. iv. pp. 183–6; Cal. of Treasury Papers, 1720–8, vol. ccxxxix. No. 3, vol. ccxlvii. No. 20). He was also lord-lieutenant of the counties of Fife, Kinross, and Aberdeen, and was heritable sheriff of Fife. He died on 9 May 1722 (, Retours) at Leslie House, and the scene at his deathbed is described by Colonel Blackadder, his deputy at Stirling Castle, who was present (, Life of Col. Blackadder, pp. 523–6). He married, on 29 April 1697, Lady Jean Hay, daughter of John, second marquis of Tweeddale, who survived him until 4 Sept. 1731. They had issue eight sons and four daughters. He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son, John, ninth earl [q. v.] 

LESLIE, JOHN, ninth (1698?–1767), born about 1698, was the eldest son of John, eighth earl [q. v.] Making choice of a military career, he had command of a troop of dragoons as early as 1715, was promoted to the command of a company of foot-guards two years later; and in 1719 was commissioned as lieutenant-colonel of the 21st regiment of foot. He succeeded as Earl of Rothes on the death of his father in May 1722, and retained his father's post as governor of the castle of Stirling. In the following year he was chosen as a representative peer for Scotland, and was re-elected in 1727, 1747, 1754, and 1761. Under the Heritable Jurisdictions Act he in 1747 disposed of the hereditary sheriffdom of Fife, which had long been held by the Rothes family, to the government, receiving in compensation the sum of 6,268l. 16s., though he claimed 10,000l. In June 1744 he was appointed to the office of chamberlain of Fife and Strathearn (, Memorials of the Family of Wemyss of Wemyss, i. 372).

Continuing in the army, he, on 25 May 1732, was appointed to the command of the 25th regiment of foot; was promoted to the rank of major-general 26 Feb. 1743, and acted in this rank at the battle of Dettingen. He received a commission as colonel of the 2nd troop of grenadier horse-guards on 25 April 1745, and took part in the battle of Rocoux in October of the following year, gallantly heading the charge of the first line of cavalry. In 1750 (16 Jan.) he was appointed colonel of the 2nd regiment of dragoons, and in April following took command of the 3rd regiment of foot-guards. During his later years he was attached to the Irish military staff, on which in the last-mentioned year he held the rank of lieutenant-general. On 3 March 1753 he was created a knight of the order of the Thistle, and became a full general in 1765. He rose to be commander-in-chief of the forces in Ireland, was governor of Duncannon Fort, and a member of the Irish privy council (Home Office Papers, 1760–5 pp. 88, 134, 1766–9 p. 203). He died on 10 Dec. 1767 (, Retours) at Leslie House, which during his time was destroyed by fire and rebuilt.

Leslie was twice married: first, on 25 May 1741, at London, to Hannah, second daughter and coheiress of Matthew Howard of Thorpe, Norfolk, who died at Dublin on 26 April 1761; and secondly, on 27 June 1763, at Tynninghame to Mary Lloyd, daughter of Mary, countess of Haddington, by a previous marriage. He left issue, by his first marriage only, two sons and two daughters, of whom the eldest son succeeded him as tenth earl. The Countess