William Leslie, 3rd Earl of Rothes facts for kids
William Leslie (died 9 September 1513) was an important Scottish nobleman. He became the 3rd Earl of Rothes in 1513. An Earl was a high-ranking noble, often in charge of a large area of land. William was the son of Andrew Leslie, Master of Rothes, and Marjory Sinclair. His grandfather was William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness.
Becoming the Earl of Rothes
William became the Earl of Rothes after his older brother, George, passed away in 1513. Before William took over, his brother George had tried to sell some of the family's lands. This was a big problem because he did it without getting permission from the King of Scotland.
William's main goal as the new Earl was to get these family lands back. He especially wanted to recover the area around Ballinbreich Castle, which was a very important family property.
The Battle of Flodden
Sadly, William Leslie's time as Earl was very short. He was killed in a major battle called the battle of Flodden. This battle took place on 9 September 1513, and it was a big fight between the armies of Scotland and England. Many Scottish nobles and soldiers, including King James IV of Scotland, lost their lives that day.
William's Family
William Leslie was married to Margaret Balfour. They had children, and his son, George Leslie, 4th Earl of Rothes, became the next Earl after William's death.
William and Margaret also had other children. One of their sons was John Leslie of Parkhill. John was later captured during another battle, the battle of Solway Moss. Another son was James Leslie, who became a church leader known as the Parson of Rothes.
