John Leslie, 1st Duke of Rothes
| John Leslie | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Rothes | |
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| Born | c. 1630 |
| Died | 27 July 1681 (aged 50–51) Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh |
John Leslie (c. 1630 – 27 July 1681), son of John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes, was the 7th Earl of Rothes and 1st Duke of Rothes. According to tradition, 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.
He was born in 1630. His mother died when he was ten, and on his father's death in the following year he succeeded to the peerage. He was placed under the care of John. earl of Crawford [see Lindsay, John, John, tenth Lord Lindsay and seventeenth Earl of Crawford], to whose daughter he was betrothed. On account of the wars his education was much neglected. "He had," says Burnet, "no advantage of education, no sort of literature; nor had he travelled abroad; all in him was mere nature".
He was captured at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. On the 18th he was committed to the Tower. On 18 July 1652 his liberty was extended to ten miles from the city of London. On 14 December 1652 he was permitted, on heavy security, to go to Scotland on business for three months; similar permission was granted in 1653 and 1654; in 1654-5 he was permitted to stay six months at Newcastle. On 8 January 1656-7 he obtained leave, owing, it is told, to the influence of Elizabeth Murray, countess of Dysart, to visit Scotland again. In January 1658 he was, however, committed to the castle of Edinburgh by Cromwell, to prevent a duel between him and Viscount Morpeth, who was jealous of the attentions which Rothes paid his wife ; he was released in the following December.
He was one of the first noblemen to wait on Charles II on his arrival from Breda in 1660, and on 20 December was appointed colonel of one of the Fife regiments of horse. 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.
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