Alexander Leslie, 5th Earl of Leven (28 May 1695 – 2 September 1754) was a Scottish aristocrat.

Early life

He was the son of

David Leslie, 3rd Earl of Leven David Melville, later Leslie, 3rd Earl of Leven and ''de jure'' 2nd Earl of Melville (5 May 16606 June 1728) was a Scottish aristocrat, politician, and soldier. The third son of George Melville, 1st Earl of Melville and his second wife Catherin ...

(1660–1728) and Lady Anne Wemyss (1675–1702). His mother was the eldest daughter of

James Wemyss, Lord Burntisland James Wemyss, Lord Burntisland (bef. 1657 – December 1682) was a Scottish peer. Weymss was the son of General Sir James Wemyss of Caskieberry. On 28 March 1672, he married his cousin, Lady Margaret Wemyss and they later had three surviving ...

and Lady Margaret Wemyss, ''

suo jure ''Suo jure'' is a Latin phrase, used in English to mean 'in his own right' or 'in her own right'. In most nobility-related contexts, it means 'in her own right', since in those situations the phrase is normally used of women; in practice, especi ...

'' Countess of Wemyss (the only daughter of

David Wemyss, 2nd Earl of Wemyss David Wemyss, 2nd Earl of Wemyss (6 September 1610July 1679) was an army officer. He was the only son of John Wemyss, 1st Earl of Wemyss and Jean Gray (d. 1640), daughter of Lord Gray. As Lord Elcho, a title he held between 1633 and 1649, he com ...

Career

Following the death of his nephew in 1729 (his elder brother predeceased their father in 1721), he inherited the earldoms of Leven and Melville, though he did not use the latter title. Lord Leven served as a Lord of Session from 1734 to 1754; Grand Master of Scottish Freemasons 1741 to 1742;

Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the monarch's personal representative to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (the Kirk), reflecting the Church's role as the national church of Scotla ...

from 1741 to 1753; a

Representative Peer In the United Kingdom, representative peers were those Peerage, peers elected by the members of the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland to sit in the British House of Lords. Until 1999, all members of the Peerage of England held the ...

for Scotland from 1747 to 1754; and a Lord of Police 1754.

Personal life

On 23 February 1721, he married Mary Erskine, a daughter of Col. Hon. John Erskine of Carnock (third son of

David Erskine, 2nd Lord Cardross David Erskine, 2nd Lord Cardross (baptised 1627 – 1671) was a Scottish Royalist. Life Erskine was the only son of Henry Erskine, 1st Lord Cardross, Henry Erskine, second son of the second marriage of John Erskine, Earl of Mar (1558–1634), Joh ...

) and Anna Dundas (daughter and co-heiress of William Dundas of Kincavel). Before her death in 1723, they had one child: * David Leslie, 6th Earl of Leven (1722–1802), who married Wilhelmina Nisbet, daughter of William Nisbet. After the death of his first wife in 1723, he married Elizabeth Monypenny, a daughter of Alexander Moneypenny of Pitmilly, on 13 March 1726. They had four children: *

Alexander Leslie Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven (4 April 1661) was a Scottish army officer. Born illegitimate and raised as a foster child, he subsequently advanced to the rank of field marshal in Swedish Army, and in Scotland became Lord General in comma ...

(1731–1794), a Major-general in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

who married Mary Tullidelph, a daughter of Dr. Walter Tullidelph of Tullidelph, in 1760. * Lady Anne Leslie (1730–1779), who married

George Carnegie, 6th Earl of Northesk Admiral George Carnegie, 6th Earl of Northesk (2 August 1716 – 22 January 1792) was a Scottish naval officer and peer. He was the son of David Carnegie, 4th Earl of Northesk and Lady Margaret Wemyss and was born on 2 August 1716. A career Roya ...

. * Lady Mary Leslie (1736–1821), a novelist who married Dr. James Walker in 1762. After his death, she married George Robinson Hamilton. * Lady Elizabeth Leslie (1737–1788), who married

John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun (7 September 1704 – 12 February 1781) was a Scottish people, Scottish aristocrat. Early life Hope was born on 7 September 1704. He was the son of Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun and Lady Henrietta Johnstone. ...

Lord Leven and Melville died on 2 September 1754 and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son,

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

References

1695 births 1754 deaths Nobility from Fife Lords High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Scottish representative peers Earls of Leven {{Scotland-earl-stub