The history of the Lordship and Barony of Leslie, in the County of Fife, can be traced from the acquisition of a territory originally called ‘Fythkill’ or ‘Fettykil’ by Sir George Leslie, grandson of Sir Andrew Leslie and Mary Abernethy, likely in the fourteenth century.
The actual earliest mention of the Barony of Fythkill is found in a charter of King Robert II from 1382. King Robert III in 1398 granted a further charter to Sir George Leslie and Elizabeth his spouse (the King’s niece) of the barony. It is recorded this was on the provision that for all time to come his heirs should render to the King or his successors, in the name of fee, ‘a pair of white gloves at the Market Cross of Cupar every Whitsunday’.
Shortly after, the Barony of Fythkill was renamed as ‘Leslie’, as in 1455 a charter related to Sir George Leslie which referred to ‘the Barony of Leslie in the County of Fife’. Sir George was prominent in national affairs and was raised to the peerage as the Earl of Rothes. In 1458, the town of Leslie Green was erected into a free burgh of the barony. George Leslie, 2nd Earl of Rothes had a Crown Charter of the Barony of Fythkill ‘now called Leslie’. He died around 1512 and was briefly succeeded by his brother William, who was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513.
Following the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, the 7th Earl of Rothes had the original Leslie Castle incorporated in a new mansion, known as Leslie House and designed by William Bruce. Then in 1731, William Adam was commissioned to landscape the magnificent gardens around Leslie House. This chief family residence so impressed Daniel Defoe that he wrote in 1720 that Leslie House ‘is the glory of the place, and indeed the whole province of Fife.’ However, in December 1763 the house was destroyed by fire. Leslie House was rebuilt anew as a three-storey classical mansion between 1765 and 1767, with later modifications.
The family lands and titles remained in the Evelyn-Leslie family until 1919, when they were acquired by Captain William Crundall, a property developer. The latter sold Leslie House to Sir Robert Spencer-Nairn (who donated it in 1952 to the Church of Scotland), while retaining the feudal titles, which are currently in the Merello family.
Leslie House still lies north of Glenrothes, Fife, about half a mile from the town of Leslie. From 1952 it was run as an eventide home by the Church of Scotland, until fires severely damaged the building in 2005 and in 2009. However, after extensive works, Leslie House is today restored to its former splendour, and is inhabited by the current baron.
