Clan Leask facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clan Leask |
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Crest: A crescent Argent
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| Motto | Virtute Cresco (Lat. I grow by virtue) | ||
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| Region | Highlands | ||
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| Jonathan Leask of that Ilk | |||
| Chief of the Name and Arms of Leask | |||
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The Leask family is part of a special group called a Scottish clan. Clans are like big families or tribes from Scotland, often sharing a common ancestor and a specific area. This article will tell you about the history of Clan Leask, where their name might have come from, and what they are doing today.
Contents
History of Clan Leask
Where Did the Leask Name Come From?
The name Leask has a few interesting possible beginnings! One idea is that it comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word, lisse, which means happy. Another thought is that in the Norse language, it means a stirring fellow.
A professor named Leask believed the family's ancestor was Liscus. He was a chief of the Haedui, a tribe from Gaul (ancient France). The famous Roman leader Julius Caesar wrote about this tribe during his Gallic Wars.
There's also a family called de Lesque who owned the big Castle of Boulogne in France. This castle once belonged to Charlemagne, a very famous emperor. An early record also mentions Erik Leask, who was said to be a high-ranking official for the king of Denmark.
Early Records of the Leask Family
In 1296, a person named William de Laskereske is mentioned in the Ragman Rolls. This was a list of Scottish nobles who agreed to be loyal to Edward I of England.
Around 1345, William Leask received official papers from David II of Scotland. David II was the son of the famous Scottish hero, Robert the Bruce. These papers confirmed William Leask's ownership of his lands, called Leskgoroune or Leskgaranne.
This might be the same William Leysk who was recorded in church records. He was known as "William de Laysk, the elder, Lord of that Ilk". He gave a pound of wax every year to an altar in the church of St Mary of Ellon.
In 1390, the second known chief of Clan Leask inherited half of the lands of Henry de Brogan. This chief also witnessed an important document for the Earl of Orkney in 1391.
Clan Leask in the 1400s and 1500s
In the mid-1400s, a younger son from the Leask family moved to Orkney. He went there because the Earl of Orkney asked him to join his court at Kirkwall Palace. This led to a branch of the Leask clan forming in Orkney. This branch still has the longest continuous family line of the clan today.
In 1456, Wilfred Leask, who was the third chief of Clan Leask, signed a special agreement. This agreement, called a Manrent, showed his support for William Hay, the Earl of Erroll. From this time on, the Leask clan and the Clan Hay seemed to have a strong friendship. In 1499, when another family, the Cheynes of Esslemont, made an agreement with the Hays, they signed it at the Chapel of Laske.
In 1574, after Mary, Queen of Scots was no longer queen, William Leask signed an oath. He swore loyalty to the young king, James VI of Scotland. William was the seventh chief of Clan Leask at this time.
Challenges in the 1600s
In 1615, records show that Alexander Leask complained about Adam Gordon. Adam Gordon was the brother of the Laird of Gight. Alexander said that Adam attacked him at the Yet of Leask and hurt him badly.
Later that same year, the Gordons attacked the Leasks again. They attacked a son of the Leask chief, and because of this, George Gordon was declared an outlaw. In 1616, William Leask of that Ilk was confronted by John Gordon of Ardlogy and his men. They had weapons like pistolets and hagbuts (old types of guns).
In 1672, Alexander Leask of that Ilk was among the important noblemen who registered their family symbols, called coats of arms. This was done in a new public record book.
Towards the end of the 1600s, the Leask family faced a big problem. They invested money in a project called the Darien scheme. This was a plan to set up a trading colony in Central America. It was meant to compete with the powerful East India Company in London. However, the scheme failed, and the Leask family lost a lot of money. Alexander Leask of that Ilk, who was the thirteenth chief, had to give up his family's lands. These lands were then taken over by Robert Cumming.
The Clan Today
Not much is known about Clan Leask right after the problems of the late 1600s. But in 1963, something important happened! A descendant of the family managed to buy back some of the old Leask lands. This person also started the Leask Society, with help from other important Leask family members.
One of these members was Lieutenant General Sir Henry Leask. He was a governor of Edinburgh Castle and led the Army in Scotland.
In 1968, Moira Anne Helgesen was officially recognized as the chief of the clan by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. This is the person in Scotland who deals with coats of arms and clan chiefs. She then changed her name to Madam Anne Leask of Leask. She passed away in April 2008. After her, Jonathan Leask became the 23rd chief of Clan Leask.
See also
