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was succeeded by his eldest son, Patrick, who, in the lifetime of his father, obtained by charter,the lands of Kirktown of Rayne, and others, dated third March, Kill. John, the secondsurviving son of the above laird, carried on the line of the family, and dying in the beginning ofthe reign of Charles I. , Patrick, his eldest son , became the proprietor of Harthill. During thewars of the Covenanters, several of the lairds of Harthill acted a conspicuous part, but nonewere more distinguished than Patrick Leith, who, added to considerable ability, undauntedbravery, and a spirit of unwearied enterprize, he was a firm partizan of the government, andserved in the army of Montrose. Being intrusted to raise a troop of cavalry for the king’sservice, he found it easy to raise the men, but not so practicable to mount them, the class ofhorses then in the country being very indifferent and unserviceable, even if he had used forciblemeasures to obtain them, a practice perfectly consistent with the usage of the times, wheremight was more considered than right; his enterprising spirit, however, obviated the difficulty.Having heard that Sir John Forbes of Craigievar, a warm partizan of the Covenant, had cometo Inverury with his detachment of cavalry, he determined to surprise him; having thereforecollected a body of his most enterprising friends and followers, he proceeded to Inverury, tookCraigievar’s troopers unawares, and, making them prisoners, he mounted his own men on theirhorses ; in the course of a few days, he joined his great general in the field, with a respectableparty of Dragoons . It is related that Montrose highly applauded his ingenuity and courage onthis occasion. He was subsequently taken prisoner by General Middleton, and executed atEdinburgh , in the twenty-fifth year of his age. In personal appearance, he is said to havebeen remarkably handsome, and he suffered death with great firmness and resolution.
Patrick Leslie was succeeded by his brother John, he also was a firm adherent to theroyal cause, and suffered great hardships, notwithstanding his having fallen into the hands ofthe Covenanters, under a capitulation, securing to him freedom of life and fortune. The termsof this treaty were kept with all those taken at the same time, with the exception of hissolitary instance, and a confinement of nearly two years, in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh , wasonly terminated by his giving security, in the sum of ten thousand merks, for his future goodbehaviour.
He was succeded by his son William , who married the eldest daughter of the seventhBaron of Pitcaple ; to him followed three lairds of the name of Patrick, in regular succession,from father to son.
The account given by Spalding, of the method taken by the Laird of Harthill, in 1645, torecover a friend and kinsman, made prisoner by the Laird of Craigievar, is characteristic of thestate of society in those days :—“ Aluaiss—Leith of Harthill, cam fra the Camp to the Garioche,with sum soldiouris, and heiring that Craigievar had masterfullie taken George Gordon ofRhynie, at his own hand, he takes John and Mr. Alexander Farquhars, cusinges to Craigievar,and keipes them fast in Harthill, whill the said George Gordon was set at libertie.—Harthillburns the toun and landis of Thombeg, occupeit be William Forbes , bot pertening in heritageto the Laird of Monymusk, becaus the said William Forbes had plunderit from his servandsum moneyis with his baggage hors ; theirefter mans and fortefeis his awin hous of Harthill, for