Norman Leslie (soldier)

Norman Leslie (died 29 August 1554), was a 16th-century Scottish nobleman. The leader of the party who assassinated Cardinal Beaton, he was forced to flee Scotland, serving the monarchs of England and France. He died serving the latter in 1554.

Norman was the eldest son of George Leslie, 4th Earl of Rothes, by Margaret, only daughter of William Crichton, 3rd Lord Crichton, denominated, 1 April 1517, his 'sponsa affidata.'. No marriage ceremony is recorded to have taken place, and the marriage was in 1520 declared null and void. Norman seems to have been regarded as illegitimate.

The notices in the 'Lord Treasurer's Accounts' in 1537 and 1539 of dresses furnished to him indicate that he at this time held some office at court. On 7 December 1541 the office of sheriff of Fife, then made hereditary in the Rothes family, was bestowed on him for life, his father personally resigning it.

He is described by Buchanan as a young man of such accomplishments that he had not his equal in all Scotland. He fought at Solway Moss in 1542 and was taken prisoner, but received his liberty as the result of the bond signed by the captive Scottish nobles to promote the interests of Henry VIII in Scotland. To this is perhaps partly traceable his zeal against Cardinal Beaton, but it was at least quickened by an act passed, 12 December 1543, at the instance of the cardinal, restoring to Sir James Colville the lands of Castle Wemyss, which on the forfeiture of Colville had been bestowed by James V on the Rothes family.

On 17 April 1544 Henry VIII received information that the Master of Rothes and others were willing to undertake the slaughter of the cardinal as he passed through Fife, on condition that they had the assurance of Henry's protection afterwards. Obtaining no satisfactory answer, they did not take advantage of the supposed opportunity, and subsequently, with his father, Norman appears to have given a pledge of personal service to the cardinal. He actively supported Charteris, the nominee of Beaton, against Lord Ruthven, in their contest for the provostship of Perth.

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