Earl of Rothes (pronounced "''Roth''-is") is a title in the

Peerage of Scotland The Peerage of Scotland ( gd, Moraireachd na h-Alba, sco, Peerage o Scotland) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union, ...

. It was created in 1458 for George Leslie, 1st Lord Leslie. He had already been created Lord Leslie in 1445, also in the Peerage of Scotland. His grandson, the third Earl, having only succeeded his elder brother in March 1513, was killed at the

Battle of Flodden The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton, (Brainston Moor) was a battle fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, resulting in an English ...

on 9 September of the same year. His son, the fourth Earl, served as an

Extraordinary Lord of Session Extraordinary Lords of Session were lay members of the Court of Session in Scotland from 1532 to 1762, and were part of the historical judiciary of Scotland. When the Court of Session was founded in 1532, it consisted of the Lord President, 14 ...

. Lord Rothes was also tried for the murder of

Cardinal Beaton David Beaton (also Beton or Bethune; 29 May 1546) was Archbishop of St Andrews and the last Scottish cardinal prior to the Reformation. Career Cardinal Beaton was the sixth and youngest son of eleven children of John Beaton (Bethune) of Bal ...

but was acquitted. His great-great-grandson, the seventh Earl, was a prominent statesman. He was notably

Lord High Treasurer of Scotland The Treasurer was a senior post in the pre- Union government of Scotland, the Privy Council of Scotland. Lord Treasurer The full title of the post was ''Lord High Treasurer, Comptroller, Collector-General and Treasurer of the New Augmentation'', ...

from 1663 to 1667 and

Lord Chancellor of Scotland The Lord Chancellor of Scotland, formally the Lord High Chancellor, was a Great Officer of State in the Kingdom of Scotland. Holders of the office are known from 1123 onwards, but its duties were occasionally performed by an official of lower st ...

from 1667 to 1681. In 1663 he obtained a new charter conferring the earldom of Rothes and lordship of Leslie (which was regranted as ''Lord Leslie and Ballenbreich''), in default of male issue of his own, on his eldest daughter Margaret, wife of Charles Hamilton, 5th Earl of Haddington, and her descendants male and female. It was stipulated in the charter that the earldoms of Rothes and Haddington should never be allowed to merge. In 1680 Lord Rothes was further honoured when he was made Lord Auchmotie and Caskieberry, Viscount of Lugtoun, Earl of Leslie, Marquess of Bambreich and Duke of Rothes, with normal remainder to the heirs male of his body. These titles were also in the Peerage of Scotland. The Duke had no sons and on his death in 1681 the creations of 1680 became extinct. He was succeeded in the earldom of Rothes and the lordship of Leslie and Ballinbreich according to the charter of 1663 by his daughter Margaret, the eighth holder. Her husband Lord Haddington was succeeded by their second son Thomas (see the

Earl of Haddington Earl of Haddington is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1627 for the noted Scottish lawyer and judge Thomas Hamilton, 1st Earl of Melrose. He was Lord President of the Court of Session from 1616 to 1625. Hamilton had alread ...

for more information on this title) while Margaret was succeeded by their eldest son John, the ninth Earl. He assumed the additional surname of Leslie and sat in the

British House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in ...

as a

Scottish Representative Peer This is a list of representative peers elected from the Peerage of Scotland to sit in the House of Lords after the Acts of Union 1707 abolished the Parliament of Scotland, where, as a unicameral legislature, all Scottish P ...

between 1708 and 1710. His son, the tenth Earl, was a

Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

in the Army and notably served as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in Ireland. From 1723 to 1734 and from 1747 to 1767 he was a Scottish Representative Peer in the House of Lords. His son, the eleventh Earl, died unmarried at an early age and was succeeded by his eldest sister Jane Elizabeth, the twelfth holder of the titles, despite the rival claim of her uncle Andrew. She was the wife firstly of George Raymond Evelyn, and secondly of Sir Lucas Pepys. Her son by her first husband, the thirteenth Earl, served as a Scottish Representative Peer from 1812 to 1817. Lord Rothes assumed the surname of Leslie in lieu of Evelyn. He was succeeded by his daughter Henrietta Anne, the fourteenth holder. She was the wife of George Gwyther who along with his wife assumed the surname of Leslie. Their grandson, the sixteenth Earl (who succeeded his father) died unmarried at a young age and was succeeded by his sister Henrietta, the seventeenth holder. She was the wife of the Hon. George Waldegrave, younger son of

William Waldegrave, 8th Earl Waldegrave Vice-Admiral William Waldegrave, 8th Earl Waldegrave, CB (27 October 1788 – 24 October 1859) was a British naval commander and politician. Waldegrave was the son of George Waldegrave, 4th Earl Waldegrave and his wife, the former Lady Elizab ...

. They had no children and Henrietta was succeeded by her aunt Mary Elizabeth, the eighteenth holder. She was the second daughter of Henrietta Anne, the fourteenth holder, and the wife of Captain Martin Edward Haworth, who in 1886 assumed for himself and his family by Royal licence the additional surname of Leslie. Their grandson, the nineteenth Earl, sat in the House of Lords as a Scottish Representative Peer between 1906 and 1923. The wife of the 19th Earl, Lucy Noël Martha Leslie, Countess of Rothes, is best known as a survivor of the sinking of RMS ''Titanic'' in 1912. His son, the twentieth Earl, was a Scottish Representative Peer from 1931 to 1959. the titles are held by his grandson, the twenty-second Earl, who succeeded his father in 2005. The

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some co ...

used by an heir apparent to the earldom is ''Lord Leslie''. The Earls of Rothes are the hereditary Clan Chiefs of

Clan Leslie Clan Leslie is a Lowland Scottish clan. The progenitor of the Clan, Bartolf'','' was a nobleman from Hungary, who came to Scotland in 1067. He built a castle at Lesselyn, from which the clan name derives. Clan Chief, the Earl of Rothes From 1 ...

The family seat is Littlecroft, near

West Milton, Dorset West Milton is a small village in western Dorset, in South West England, about northeast of Bridport and west of Powerstock. The village is on the Mangerton River, a tributary of the River Asker. West Milton is part of Powerstock civil parish. ...

Earls of Rothes (1457)

George Leslie, 1st Earl of Rothes George Leslie, 1st Earl of Rothes (c. 1406/1417 – 1490) was a Scottish nobleman and the first to hold the title of "Earl of Rothes", a hereditary title of the ruler of Leslie, Fife and the lands belonging to the Earl of Rothes. Family Georg ...

(c. 1417–1490) *

George Leslie, 2nd Earl of Rothes George Leslie, 2nd Earl of Rothes (died 1513) was a Scottish peer. He was the son of Andrew Leslie, Master of Rothes and Marjorie Sinclair (daughter of William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness), and the grandson of George Leslie, 1st Earl of Rothe ...

(died 1513) *

William Leslie, 3rd Earl of Rothes William Leslie (died 9 September 1513), 3rd Earl of Rothes, was the son of Andrew Leslie, Master of Rothes, and Marjory (also known as Elizabeth) Sinclair, daughter of William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness. He succeeded his elder brother George L ...

(died 1513) *

George Leslie, 4th Earl of Rothes George Leslie, 4th Earl of Rothes (2 Aug 1484 – 24 November 1558) was a Scottish nobleman and diplomat. George was the eldest son and heir of William Leslie, 3rd Earl of Rothes and Lord Leslie, who fell at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. Georg ...

(died 1558) *

Andrew Leslie, 5th Earl of Rothes Andrew Leslie, 5th Earl of Rothes (before 1541–1611) was a Scottish nobleman. Early life He was the son of George Leslie, 4th Earl of Rothes, and his third wife Agnes Somerville, daughter of Sir John Somerville of Cambusnethan and Elizabe ...

(died 1611) *

John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes (1600 – 23 August 1641) was a Scottish nobleman, one of the main leaders of the Covenanters. Life Born in Leslie, Fife, he was the only son of James Leslie, Master of Rothes (died 1607) and Katherine Drummond, h ...

(died 1641) *

John Leslie, 7th Earl of Rothes John Leslie (c. 163027 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 ...

(c. 1630–1681)(created Duke of Rothes in 1680)

Dukes of Rothes (1680)

John Leslie, 1st Duke of Rothes John Leslie (c. 163027 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 ...

(c. 1630–1681)

Earls of Rothes (1457; reverted)

Margaret Leslie, 8th Countess of Rothes Margaret Leslie was born sometime before 1660. She was the daughter of the previous earl (and also Duke) of Rothes, John Leslie, who was the 7th Earl and 1st Duke of Rothes. On 8 October 1674, she married her cousin Charles Hamilton, 5th Earl ...

(died 1700) *

John Hamilton-Leslie, 9th Earl of Rothes John Hamilton-Leslie, 9th Earl of Rothes (1679–1722) was a Scottish nobleman who fought on the side of George I during the Jacobite rising of 1715. Biography John Hamilton-Leslie, born in 1679, was the eldest son of Charles Hamilton, 5 ...

(died 1722) *

John Leslie, 10th Earl of Rothes General John Leslie, 10th Earl of Rothes KT (169810 December 1767) was a senior British Army officer who became Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Irish Army between 1758 and 1767. Military career Born the eldest son of John Hamilton-Leslie, 9th ...

(died 1767) *

John Leslie, 11th Earl of Rothes John Leslie (19 October 1744 – 18 June 1773) was the 11th Earl of Rothes; he was Earl from 10 December 1767 until his death on 18 June 1773. He was the son of the 10th Earl, who was also named John Leslie, and his first wife Hannah Howard wh ...

(1744–1773) *

Jane Elizabeth Leslie, 12th Countess of Rothes Jane Elizabeth Leslie, 12th Countess of Rothes (5 May 1750 – 1810) was a Scottish noblewoman. She was the daughter of John Leslie, 10th Earl of Rothes and his first wife Hannah Howard, daughter of Matthew Howard of Thorp, Norfolk, and his wife ...

(1750–1810) * George William Evelyn-Leslie, 13th Earl of Rothes (1768–1817) * Henrietta Anne Evelyn-Leslie, 14th Countess of Rothes (1790–1819) * George William Evelyn Leslie, 15th Earl of Rothes (1809–1841) * George William Evelyn Leslie, 16th Earl of Rothes (1835–1859) * Henrietta Anderson Morshead Leslie, 17th Countess of Rothes (1832–1886) * Mary Elizabeth Leslie, 18th Countess of Rothes (1811–1893) * Norman Evelyn Leslie, 19th Earl of Rothes (1877–1927) * Malcolm George Dyer-Edwardes Leslie, 20th Earl of Rothes (1902–1974) * Ian Lionel Malcolm Leslie, 21st Earl of Rothes (1932–2005) * James Malcolm David Leslie, 22nd Earl of Rothes (b. 1958) The

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

is the present holder's only brother, Hon. Alexander John Leslie (b. 1962)

Line of succession (selected)

* '' Norman Evelyn Leslie, 19th Earl of Rothes (1877–1927)'' ** '' Malcolm George Dyer-Edwardes Leslie, 20th Earl of Rothes (1902–1974)'' *** '' Ian Lionel Malcolm Leslie, 21st Earl of Rothes (1932–2005)'' **** James Malcolm David Leslie, 22nd Earl of Rothes (b. 1958) **** (1) Hon. Alexander John Leslie (b. 1962) *** ''Lady Evelyn Leslie (1929–2011)'' **** (2) Angela Clare Mackworth-Young (b.1951) **** (3) Susan Charlotte Mackworth-Young (b.1953) **** (4) Lucinda Jane Mackworth-Young (b.1957) ***** (5) Hugo William Sells (b.1988) ***** (6) Rosanna Mary Sells (b.1991) **** (7) Tessa Natalie Mackworth-Young (b.1959) ***** (8) Robin Matthew Hardingham (b.1990) ***** (9) Luke Charles Hardingham (b.1993) ***** (10) Clara Louise Hardingham (b. 1992) ** ''Hon. John Wayland Leslie (1909–1991)'' *** Alastair Pinckard Leslie (b. 1934) **** Fiona Jane Leslie (b. 1965) ***** Frederick Leslie Blair de Klee (b. 1993) ***** 2Lt Lachlan Richard John de Klee (b. 1996) ***** Murray David Robin de Klee (b. 1999) **** Ann Mary Leslie (b. 1973) *** ''Amber Elizabeth Leslie (1939–2018)'' **** Rupert Beresford White (b. 1966) **** Alexander Richard Beresford White (b. 1968)

Gallery of arms

File:Arms of Leslie, Earl of Rothes.svg, 1. George Leslie 458-1490(COA, no known depictions) File:Arms of Leslie, Earl of Rothes.svg, 2. George Leslie 490-1513(COA, no known depictions) File:Arms of Leslie, Earl of Rothes.svg, 3. William Leslie

513 __NOTOC__ Year 513 ( DXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probus and Clementinus (or, less frequently, year 1266 ...

(COA, no known depictions) File:Arms of Leslie, Earl of Rothes.svg, 4. George Leslie 513-1558(COA, no known depictions) File:Andrew Leslie, 5th Earl of Rothes.jpg, 5. Andrew Leslie 558-1611File:John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes.jpg, 6. John Leslie 611-1641File:Johnleslierothes.jpg, 7. John Leslie, the 7th Earl & 1st Duke 641-1680, 680-1681File:Arms of Leslie, Earl of Rothes.svg, 8. Margaret Leslie 681-1700File:John Leslie, 9th Earl of Rothes.jpg, 9. John Hamilton-Leslie 700-1722File:General John Leslie, 10th Earl of Rothes.jpg, 10. John Leslie (General of the Army) 722-1767File:John Leslie, 11th Earl of Rothes (or his brother).jpg, 11. John Leslie (or his brother) 767-1773File:Arms of Leslie, Earl of Rothes.svg, 12. Jane Elizabeth Leslie 773-1810File:Arms of Leslie, Earl of Rothes.svg, 13. George William Evelyn-Leslie 810-1817File:Arms of Leslie, Earl of Rothes.svg, 14. Henrietta Anne Evelyn-Leslie 817-1819File:Arms of Leslie, Earl of Rothes.svg, 15. George William Evelyn Leslie 819-1841File:Arms of Leslie, Earl of Rothes.svg, 16. George William Evelyn Leslie 841-1859File:Arms of Leslie, Earl of Rothes.svg, 17. Henrietta Anderson Morshead Leslie 859-1886File:Arms of Leslie, Earl of Rothes.svg, 18. Mary Elizabeth Leslie 886-1893File:19thEarlOfRothes.jpg, 19. Norman Evelyn Leslie 893-1927File:Malcolm Leslie, photograph.jpg, 19. Malcolm George Dyer-Edwardes Leslie

927-1974 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Arabic digit In the Brahmi numerals, beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshat ...

File:Arms of Leslie, Earl of Rothes.svg, 22. James Malcolm David Leslie 005-File:Alexander Leslie, Heir to the Earldom of Rothes, Lord Leslie (since 2005).png, 23. Alexander Leslie (heir), Lord Leslie since 2005

Notes

References

* * Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rothes Earldoms in the Peerage of Scotland Peerages created with special remainders 1458 establishments in Scotland Noble titles created in 1458 Scottish people of Hungarian descent