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George, the first “ Gudeman” of New Leslie; Thomas, a churchman, and five daughters; thefirst married to Leith of Barns, the second to Stuart of Laithers, and, after his death, to theLaird of Balquhollie, the third to Mr. Cullen in Aberdeen, the fourth to Cheyne of Straloch,and the youngest to the Laird of Auchter Ellon. By his third lady, he had David, first lairdof Pitcaple, and other children.
Alexander, the fifth laird of Balquhain, married the daughter of Gordon of Cairnborrow,and, secondly, the daughter of the laird of Culter. He died in 1472, and was succeeded byhis son, Patrick, who married the daughter of Grant of Freuchie, by whom he had one son.He died in 1496, having lived in great splendour.
William, the son of Patrick, married, first, Elizabeth, daughter to Sir Walter Ogilvie ofBoyne; secondly, Marjorie, daughter of Keith of Inverugie, by whom he had no family;thirdly, Margaret Forbes, daughter to the Laird of Tolquhon, who also died childless. Headded to his estate the lands of Whitecross, Inveramsay, Pitbee, and Newlands. It was inthis laird’s time that the raid of the Garioch Barons took place. Kennedy, in his Annals ofAberdeen, thus records this daring outrage:—“ A tumult at this time occurred in the town,which strongly characterized the relaxed state of the government of the kingdom. AlexanderSeton of Meldrum, John Leslie of Wardhouse, and William Leslie of Balquhain, three potentbarons of the Garioch, impatient of revenge for a supposed injury done to them, or to some oftheir friends, by the citizens, entered the town on Sunday, the first of October, 1525, undersilence of night, along with their confederates, to the number of fourscore men, armed withspears and other warlike instruments ; they wreaked their fury on the inhabitants, who flew toarms. A bloody conflict ensued, and the invaders were repulsed by the bravery of the citizens,and driven out of the town; but this was not accomplished without cousiderable slaughter onboth sides. In the course of this fray, eighty of the inhabitants were either killed or wounded,among whom were several of the Magistrates .”
During his possession of the family estate, the feuds between the Leslies and the Forbeseswere at such a height, that most of the county were engaged in espousing the cause of one orother of these hostile parties. The consequence was, that many persons of name and consi-deration, were slain in the collisions which frequently occurred. The authorities, with the Earlof Angus at the head, interfered to restrain these violent animosities, and arranged a temporarysuspension; but the feeling continued unabated, and the smothered rancour soon again brokeforth with redoubled fury. The heir of the family of Forbes, and the Laird of Lenturk, way-laid the Baron of Meldrum, an ally of the Leslies, and murdered him ; the result of this savageoutrage being, that the nobility with great exertion effected a reconciliation ! The murderers,however, were afterwards banished the kingdom, and died in want and misery.
This feud became now transferred, and the Leslies acted a secondary part ; no longer theprincipals in the scene, they became engaged in the great strife between the Gordons andthe Forbeses, and, as if keeping up the spirit of former rivalry, they invariably fought underthe banners of the former.
John, the eighth laird, and son . of the former proprietor, married Elizabeth Leslie,