Earl of Leven facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Earldom of Leven held with Earldom of Melville
Arms of the Earl of Leven
Creation date	1641
Creation	First
Monarch	Charles I
Peerage	Peerage of Scotland
First holder	Alexander Leslie
Present holder	Alexander Ian Leslie-Melville
Heir presumptive	Archibald Leslie-Melville
Remainder to	the 1st Earl's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten
Subsidiary titles	Viscount of Kirkaldie Lord Melville of Monymaill Lord Balgonie ( Lord Raith, Monymaill and Balwearie (1690)
Status	Extant
Seat(s)	Glenferness House

The Earl of Leven (pronounced "LEE-ven") is a special title in Scotland. It's part of the Peerage of Scotland, which is a list of important noble titles in the country. This title was first created in 1641 for a man named Alexander Leslie.

After Alexander Leslie, his grandson, also named Alexander, became the next Earl. Then, Alexander's daughters, Margaret and Catherine, held the title. However, they are usually not counted in the main list of Earls.

Later, there was a disagreement about who should be the next Earl. Two families, the Melvilles and the Leslies, both claimed the title. In 1681, it was decided that David Melville had the right to the title. In 1707, David Melville also became the Earl of Melville. Since then, the titles of Earl of Leven and Earl of Melville have been held by the same person.

The Earl of Leven also holds other titles. These include Viscount of Kirkaldie (created in 1690), Lord Melville of Monymaill (1616), Lord Balgonie (1641), and Lord Raith, Monymaill and Balwearie (1690). All these titles are also part of the Peerage of Scotland.

The person who is expected to inherit the Earldoms next is called Lord Balgonie. The family's main home is Glenferness House, which is near Nairn in the Highland area of Scotland.

Who Were the Earls of Leven?

Here is a list of the people who have held the title of Earl of Leven since it was created in 1641.

• Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven (around 1580–1661)
• Alexander Leslie, 2nd Earl of Leven (around 1637–1664)
• Margaret Leslie, Countess of Leven (died 1674)
• Catherine Leslie, Countess of Leven (1663–1676)
• David Melville, later Leslie, 3rd Earl of Leven, 2nd Earl of Melville (1660–1728)
• David Leslie, 4th Earl of Leven, 3rd Earl of Melville (1717–1729)
• Alexander Leslie, 5th Earl of Leven, 4th Earl of Melville (died 1754)
• David Leslie, 6th Earl of Leven, 5th Earl of Melville (1722–1802)
• Alexander Leslie-Melville, 7th Earl of Leven, 6th Earl of Melville (1749–1820)
• David Leslie-Melville, 8th Earl of Leven, 7th Earl of Melville (1785–1860)
• John Thornton Leslie-Melville, 9th Earl of Leven, 8th Earl of Melville (1786–1876)
• Alexander Leslie-Melville, 10th Earl of Leven, 9th Earl of Melville (1817–1889)
• Ronald Ruthven Leslie-Melville, 11th Earl of Leven, 10th Earl of Melville (1835–1906)
• John David Melville, 12th Earl of Leven, 11th Earl of Melville (1886–1913)
• Archibald Alexander Leslie-Melville, 13th Earl of Leven, 12th Earl of Melville (1890–1947)
• Alexander Robert Leslie-Melville, 14th Earl of Leven, 13th Earl of Melville (1924–2012)
• Alexander Ian Leslie-Melville, 15th Earl of Leven, 14th Earl of Melville (born 1984)

The Current Earl of Leven

The current Earl is Alexander Ian Leslie-Melville. He is the 16th (or sometimes called 17th) Earl of Leven. He was born on November 29, 1984. He is the only son of David Alexander Leslie-Melville, Lord Balgonie, and his wife Julia Clare Critchley.

His father, David, was the older son of the 14th Earl. Sadly, his father passed away in 2007. Alexander Ian Leslie-Melville became the Earl on April 7, 2012, after his grandfather passed away.

The person who is currently next in line to inherit the title, if the current Earl does not have children, is his uncle, Archibald Ronald Leslie-Melville (born 1957).

Related Information

• Melville House
• Melville family