Clan Leslie Society of North America

The Clan Leslie Society, founded in 1978, is holding its Clan Gathering at Rural Hill.

All Leslies are descended from the same Scottish Clan and Great Family, one of the very oldest.

Tradition says it began in 1069 A.D. when Edward the Atheling, the Saxon claimant to the throne of England was defeated by William the Conqueror and fled to Scotland with his mother and two sisters. In 1070 King Malcolm III (Canmore) married Margaret, one of the sisters. Margaret’s Chamberlain, Bartholomew, had been made Commander of Edinburgh Castle. In 1070 he married Beatrix, Malcolm’s sister. Bartholomew was granted lands at Leslie in the district of the Garioch, near Aberdeen and the Family and Clan of Leslie was founded. The present Leslie Castle, built near the site of the first Leslie stronghold, has been completely restored by architect David C. Leslie.

The Society website is: www.clanlesliesociety.org

The Honourable Alexander Leslie Honored Guest 

Alexander Leslie is Chief of Clan Leslie. He lives in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, with his wife, stepson, and four dogs and three horses. His interests include horse riding, which he took up two years ago, and a range of country sports. He is deeply interested in helping the Scottish community become more relevant to the younger generation and welcomes the challenge of making Scotland and its history attractive to people whose attention is being fought for every minute and on every device imaginable.

Alexander Leslie

William Leslie, Clan Leslie Commissioner for North America 

William lives in Orillia, Ontario with his wife Sue. Members of his family still live in Peterhead in Aberdeenshire. He came to Canada as a teenager and completed his education at the University of Toronto and the University of Western Ontario. He is a retired engineer and college administrator. William has participated as a member of the Orillia, Ontario, Provincial Police Volunteer Group and the Orillia Champlain Seniors Service Club where he is the Editor of the monthly bulletin. He has been a member of the Clan Leslie Society International since 1995, and has served as Chieftain and Vice-Chieftain; he is presently the Editor of Publications.

William Leslie

David Leslie White

A staunch supporter of The Clan Leslie International, David is the Chieftain of the Society. He is retired, from both the U. S. Army, in which his highest rank was Lt. Col., and from a second career in medical administration. He is an avid genealogist and a member of the Scottish American Military Society. David and his wife Beth live in Fort Worth, Texas. They have attended a number of Scottish Festivals in the United States and Scotland and hosted Clan Tents for the Leslies at many Scottish Festivals in the Southwest. They claim to be “owned” by two Scottish Terriers, Duncan and Hamish.

David Leslie White