LIEUTENANT J.C.E. LESLIE, 51ST AND 73RD (PAGET’S HORSE) COMPANIES IMPERIAL YEOMANRY AND ST

LIEUTENANT J.C.E. LESLIE, 51ST AND 73RD (PAGET’S HORSE) COMPANIES IMPERIAL YEOMANRY AND STAFF OFFICER, 12TH AND 19TH (PAGET’S HORSE) BATTALIONS IMPERIAL YEOMANRY (LATE ROYAL SUSSEX REGIMENT). King’s South Africa Medal, 2 clasps (officially engraved in sloping serifed letters: Lt. J.C.E. LESLIE. I.Y.). Attractively toned, Extremely Fine and virtually as struck.

Medal accompanied by copied Q.S.A. and K.S.A. Medal rolls confirming medal and clasps for service with the 12th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry and that Leslie was also entitled to the Queen’s South Africa Medal with Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal clasps for service with the 19th (Paget’s Horse) Battalion Imperial Yeomanry, along with an extensive file of copied research regarding Lieutenant Leslie and his ancestors, the Leslies of Balquain, one of Scotland’s oldest families.

John Cuthbert Leslie was a member of one of Scotland’s oldest recorded families. Born 24/4/1869 at Slindon Hall, Sussex, he was the second son of Colonel Charles Stephen Leslie, 27th Baron Leslie of Balquhain Castle and Fetternear House, Aberdeenshire, Hassop Hall, Derbyshire and Slindon Hall, Sussex. He is recorded in the 1871 census as a one year old child resident at Slindon Hall, Sussex, with his parents and four sisters, and in the 1891 census as a 21 year old, unmarried Lieutenant serving in the 3rd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment and resident at Chichester Barracks.

Leslie was first commissioned, 2nd Lieutenant, 3rd (Royal Sussex Militia) Battalion The Royal Sussex Regiment, 3/4/1889 and was promoted Lieutenant, 15/11/1890, but resigned his commission on 30/4/1894. He enlisted into the 19th (Paget’s Horse) Battalion Imperial Yeomanry with the rank of Private at 12 Suffolk Street, London, on 29/3/1900. At the time of enlistment he was 36 years old and stated that he had no trade or calling. Leslie saw service in South Africa initially with the 51st (Paget’s Horse) Company, 12th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry and subsequently with the 73rd Company, 19th (Paget’s Horse) Battalion Imperial Yeomanry, Leslie being commissioned Lieutenant, 19th Battalion Paget’s Horse, 11/4/1900.

Leslie, with an address at Hassop Hall, Derbyshire, and described as having “no occupation”, was declared bankrupt on 30/5/1899, but after discharging his debts had his bankruptcy annulled in 1901 (Edinburgh Gazette 22/1/1901, page 104). He died in Stayning, Sussex, on 25/3/1914, age 44, leaving an estate valued at £471.

Paget’s Horse, the 51st, 52nd, 68th and 73rd Companies, which served with the 12th and 19th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry, was an elite unit. The following description of that regiment, the man who raised it and its recruits is taken from “Absent Minded Beggars” by Will Bennett.

“They were public school-educated men recruited through advertisements in gentlemen’s clubs. The battalion was raised by George Paget, the son of a British general and a compulsive amateur soldier with a penchant for getting himself involved in any conflict that afforded the chance of action. He never seems to have been a regular officer but served in the Russo- Turkish War of 1877-8 and the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, as well as the Zulu War in 1879. Although aged 46 when the Boer War broke out, he went out to South Africa as second-in-command of his regiment and proved himself to be a man of some courage, being wounded twice. A portly figure who felt at home in the dining rooms and smoking rooms of Pall Mall, Paget recruited 500 officers and men from a tiny, hopelessly inadequate room at the Imperial Yeomanry Committee’s offices in Suffolk Street. However, it at least had the advantage of being only a short stroll from the clubs of which he was a member. Paget’s Horse wore a badge made up of the letters PH which provided a source of instant merriment for the wags on the streets of London, who suggested that it stood for ‘Piccadilly Heroes’ or more commonly for ‘Perfectly Harmless’. Gentlemen troopers such as Cosmo Rose-Innes, a barrister, found that wearing their new uniforms in the capital produced a rich variety of reactions and some odd social contradictions. He later recalled: “The khaki drew to its wearer, however, many amusing experiences the fervent ‘God bless you’ of old ladies in the bus, the friendly offers of navvies to “ave half a pint’ in the street, the respect of substantial citizens for one’s opinion on the war. The “ave half a pint’ situation was the most embarrassing. We were clad as troopers but flattered ourselves we bore the impress of officers and hence a conflict of emotions, the desire to be rollicking good fellows qualified by surprise that our would-be host should not detect the gentleman under the plain khaki.”

The following account of Lieutenant Leslie’s family has been extracted from various online resources.

The Leslies of Balquain, one of Scotland’s most ancient families, trace their descent to a Hungarian nobleman, Bartolf, who came to Scotland in 1067 in the retinue of Edgar the Aetheling, the last male head of the royal house of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, elected King of England by the Witenagemot (Saxon parliament) in 1066, just prior to the Norman invasion, but never crowned. Edgar Aethling was the son of Edmund Ironside (Saxon king of England 23/4/1016 – 30/11/1016), the grandson of Aethelred the Unready (Saxon king of England 978 -1013 and 1014 – 1016) and the brother ofSaint Margaret of Scotland,Malcolm III of Scotland’s queen. Bartholf married Malcolm III’s sister, Princess Beatrix of Scotland, Malcolm III then appointing him governor ofEdinburgh Castleand granting him estates inFife,Angus,the MearnsandAberdeenshire.Legend has it that Bartolf helped the Queen Margaret across a dangerous river on a horse and that Bartolf told her to “grip fast” as he did so, the origin of the Leslie family motto.

Bartolf established himself in theGariochdistrict of Aberdeenshire, at Lesselyn Castle, from where the family name Lesley/Leslie evolved. Bartolfs son, Malcolm, was made Constable of the Royal Inverary Castle, which he held forDavid II of Scotland.His great-grandson was Sir Norman Lesley who acquired the lands of Fythkill in Fife, which were later calledLesley, in about 1282.

The family sided withRobert the Bruceduring the struggle with John Comyns andKing Edward Iand as a result were awarded further tracts ofAberdeenshire. They fought at theBattle of Bannockburnin 1314. SirAndrew de Lesly was one of the signatories ofDeclaration of Arbroath that was sent to the Pope in 1320 asserting Scotland’s independence.His grandson, Walter died at theBattle of Harlawin 1411 together with six of his cousins from Balquhain, with the result that the chiefly line of the Clan Leslie passed to a junior branch of the family, from whom the presentEarl of Rothesdescends. In 1391 Sir Norman Lesley believing that his only son, David, had been killed in theCrusades, passed over his estates to his cousin, Sir George Lesley.Then in 1398, after George Lesley had taken possession of the castle and lands, David returned from the Crusades and reclaimed possession of his estate. The family managed to resolve the matter peacefully and in 1445 Sir George Lesley’s grandson, also called George, was created Lord Lesley of Leven, and all of his lands were united into the barony of Ballinbreich and in 1457 he was created Lord Lesley of Leven and 1st Earl of Rothes.

During theAnglo-Scottish Wars, his son, George Lesley, the Second Earl, and his grandson were killed at theBattle of Floddenin 1513.

George Leslie, 4th Earl of Rothes, was one of the Scottish commissioners at the marriage ofMary, Queen of Scots to the heir to the throne ofFrancein 1558. George, along with the Earl of Cascillus and two others, died in mysterious circumstances, believed to be poisoning, for refusing to allow the crown of Scotland to be settled on theDauphin of France.

Fetternear House, which became the home of the Leslies of Balquhain, includes the remains of a 14th-century palace, home of Bishop Alexander Kininmund who, in 1320, drafted the Declaration of Arbroath, the letter sent to Pope John XXII in Avignon declaring that the Scots would never be subjected to English rule. It also incorporates the remains of earlier palaces and sites of settlements dating back 4,000 years.

John Leslie, Bishop of Ross, born in 1526, was the most loyal of Mary, Queen of Scots’s supporters. John Leslie wrote for her a famous History of Scotland and, as second baron of Wardes, was awarded extensive lands in the Garioch by James IV and is now represented in theGariochby the Leslies of Warthill, descended from his second son.

During the 17th century Leslies fought inGermany, France,Swedenand in theBalticas mercenaries. Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven, fought on the Continent and then returned to Scotland to command theCovenanterarmy and together with GeneralRobert Munrocaptured Edinburgh Castle with a thousand men.

With the Scots, Leven went into England in 1640 and defeated the King’s soldiers at theBattle of Newburn. For this, he was created Earl of Lewis. General Alexander Leslie of Balgonie fought forGustavus Adolphus, the King of Sweden. He achieved great fame across Europe as a result of his victories and returned to Scotland a Field Marshal.

In 1642, Leven went to Ireland and held command alongside Robert Munro of the Scottish Army. They were sent to put down a rebellion of Irishmen who had killed Scots in Ulster. In 1644, Leven commanded Scottish Covenanter forces to victory over English Royalists at the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644. This battle was the largest battle of the English and Scottish Civil War, and one of the most decisive, a Parliamentarian victory which meant that the north of England was effectively lost to King Charles for the rest of the war.

During the Civil War, GeneralDavid Leslie, Lord Newark, was victorious commanding his Scottish Covenanters force against a Scottish Royalist force at theBattle of Philiphaughin 1645. The Royalist army ofJames Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, was destroyed by the Covenanter army of Sir David Leslie, restoring the power of the Committee of Estates.

Dunaverty Castle, aMacDonaldstronghold during the Civil War was besieged in 1647 by Scottish supporters ofOliver Cromwellwho were led by David Leslie, from Clan Leslie. The MacDonalds surrendered and 300 of them were massacred.

During the Civil War, David Leslie laid siege to theRoyalistgarrison atKincardine Castle. The Castle was being held by the Chief ofClan MacNab. MacNab found that it would not be possible to maintain defence. During the night, sword in hand, at the head of 300 men, they cut their way through the besieging force. All made it through apart from the MacNab chief himself and one other man who were captured and sent to Edinburgh as prisoners of war. The chief was sentenced to death but he escaped and rejoined King Charles and continued to fight. Leslie’s Scottish Covenanter force was defeated by the Scottish Parliamentarian forces, who were at this point in time loyal to the Parliament of England and Oliver Cromwell, at theBattle of Dunbar (1650).Leslie successfully commanded the Scottish Argyll Government Royalist forces at theBattle of Carbisdale (1650)where he was victorious against Scottish Royalist forces commanded by James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose.

Leslie’s Royalist Forces were defeated at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Leslie, who was now commanding Royalist forces, had supported the plan of fighting in Scotland, where royal support was strongest. King Charles, however, insisted on campaigning in England.

Leslie was captured and imprisoned in theTower of Londonwhere he remained until therestorationof 1660.

Walter Leslie (16071667)saw service exclusively on the mainland of Europe where, during theThirty Years War,he rose to prominence after organising the assassination of the Imperial GeneralWallensteinand his coterie in 1634, becoming a Field Marshal and Imperial Count.

Sir Alexander Leslie of Auchintool was a general in the Russian army and was Governor ofSmolensk. The seventh Earl of Rothes was created Duke of Rothes byCharles IIin 1680.

John Hamilton-Leslie, 9th Earl of Rothes, wasVice Admiral of Scotlandand governor of the royalStirling Castle.During theJacobite rising of 1715, he supported the British government and commanded a regiment of cavalry at theBattle of Sheriffmuir. During the latter decades of the 18th and 19th centuries members of the Leslie family saw service in the Austrian and British armies. The houses and estates of the Leslies remained in the possession of the family until 1919, when they were sold following the death of Colonel Charles Stephen Leslie, Lieutenant Leslies father.

Lieutenant Leslie’s father, Colonel Charles Stephen Leslie, was active during the latter days of the Highland clearances, evicting some of the residents from what was known as the Colony of Bennachie in 1878 (the last surviving resident lived on at Bennachie until his death in May 1939).