The Leslie Story Begins
This is a multi-part series based on the book Inverurie and the Earldom of the Garioch by The Rev. John Davidson, D.D. (1878) with focus on sections recounting the history of the Leslies of the area.
There have been inhabitants of the Aberdeenshire area going back before the Pictish times. The Pictish Chronicles dated 878 describe an area now called Inverurie. This is evidenced by rhe presence of the Maiden Stone and of a Stone Circle just north of Inverurie. As we know, Leslie history in Scotland began at the time of Malcolm Canmore and Margaret Atheling who became his queen. The book describes that Bartolf was in the entourage of Margaret who fled the court of Normandy and they were shipwrecked at Margaret’s Hope near Queensferry. Malcolm happened to be there was captivated by Margaret’s beauty and she became his Queen. Margaret was said to be a great positive influence on the welfare of Scotland during her time.
Bartolf became Chamberlain of Margaret, Governor of Edinburgh Castle, and married the King’s sister. As Chamberlain to the Queen, Her Majesty rode behind Bartolf. A quote from the book says it best:
“Her Majesty on horseback behind him when she travelled. Once in crossing a stream she was in danger, or fear, of falling ; and Bartolf, whose belt she held by, said to her ” Grip fast,” to which the Queen replied, ” Gin the buckle bide “. Such, at least, is the origin traditionally given to the family motto and bearings adopted after- wards,—possibly when William I. introduced armorial bearings into Scotland, choosing a red lion for his own device; as the English King Richard had marked his shield with three lions in gold. Bartolf must have been a young man when he landed with the future Queen Margaret at Margaret’s Hope; for we find his son Constable of the Castle of Inverurie sometime after 1171, a full century after the Queen’s marriage.“ (page 16)
An interesting note in the book is the mention of a charter by David of Huntington to Malcolm, Bartolf’s son, the lands of Leslie. The charter is addressed to everyone including French, English, Flemings and Scots. Interesting that the Flemings were mentioned, but it is noted that Flemings had colonized parts of the Garioch.
Is this how some people come to think Bartolf was Flemish?