pp. 380-381]                   THE LESLIES                                  449

[page 381.]

EARL of ROTHES.

Bishop Lessly and others who have followed that Prelate are
in the wrong in Asserting that George Lord Lessly Dominus
Lessly as he is Design'd was Created Earl of Rothes at a
Parliament in the 1449 where the Earl of Huntly was Created
an Earl also. That what Shows plainly the Mistake and that
George Lord Lessly is not So Soon an Earl as the 1449 Is the
reduction of the Earldom of Marr from the Lord Erskine at
the Instance of the Croun before the Lord Lindsay the Justice
Generall of the Northern District and a Commitee of Parlia-
ment who are Alexander Earl of Huntly, William Earl of
Erroll, William Dominus Keith Mariscallus Scotiæ, Georgius
Dominus Lessly Robertus Dominus Fleeming Joannes Dominus
Lindsay de Byres Dominus Joannes Ogilvy de Lentrethen
Walter Ogilvy de Deskfoord Williellmus Lessly de Balquhain
Willielmus Cranston de Crosby Walter Stewart de Strathoven.
See here the Distinction of the Militibus from the Dominus
who were the great Parliamentary Barrons Willielmus de
Moravia de Tillibardine & Ninian Spot Comptroller to the
King who have been Sitting the one a Barron by Virtue of his
Barrony and the other Called by the King to the Parliament
as a wise man fit to give him advice in his great Councill of
the Nation in Parliament. This Decreet of Reduction bears
date the 5^th November 1457. So that its plain that neither
Rothes nor Marishall are then Earls but in Quality of Lords
and Barons of Parliament. I apprehend that for the Merit
of that Service to the Croun in that Batle Marishall and
Rothes have upon that been Created Earls. It may be indeed
that Huntly Alexander Lord Gordon might have been Created
Earl of Huntly in the 1449. But not Rothes I have not found
Alexander Earl of Huntly Sooner than the 1451 an Earl And
then in the 1451 There is in the Fœdera a Safe Conduct to him as
a Commissioner & Plenipotentiary for Scotland. But Rothes we
See plainly is not an Earl the 5 November 1457 yet he is an
Earl next year 1458 for there is in the Earl of Rothes's hands
an obligation and Indenture by Alexander Lessly of that Ilk
wherein he binds himself to an Honourable man George Earl

VOL. II.                                                                               2 F