Grip Fast
The Ancient Origins and Enduring Heraldry of Scottish Clan Leslie
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Welcome to a captivating journey through time, exploring the rich heritage, dramatic origins, and striking heraldry of one of Scotland’s most storied and ancient families: Clan Leslie. From medieval river rescues to European battlefields, and from the rugged Scottish Highlands to the global diaspora, the tale of the Leslies is woven intimately into the very fabric of Scottish history.
The Progenitor: A Hungarian Nobleman at the Scottish Court
The remarkable ethnogenesis of Clan Leslie begins in the 11th century, during a period of immense political upheaval in Britain following the Norman Conquest. The founder of the clan was a nobleman named Bartolf (sometimes recorded as Bartholomew). Tradition asserts that Bartolf was of Hungarian or Flemish descent, and he arrived in Scotland in 1067 in the retinue of the exiled Anglo-Saxon Prince Edgar the Ætheling and his mother, Princess Agatha. Most significantly, the party included Edgar’s sister, Princess Margaret, who would soon marry King Malcolm III (Canmore) and become revered as Saint Margaret of Scotland.
Bartolf’s sharp intellect, noble bearing, and bravery quickly earned him the deep favour of King Malcolm III. In recognition of his exceptional qualities, the King appointed him as the Governor of Edinburgh Castle and granted him extensive estates across Fife, Angus, the Mearns, and Aberdeenshire. To cement this powerful royal bond, Bartolf was wed to the King’s own sister, Princess Beatrix, around the year 1070, thereby laying the formidable foundation for the Leslie dynasty.
The surname “Leslie” is a habitation name, directly derived from the Aberdeenshire lands granted to Bartolf. He established his principal holding in the Garioch district at a place known as Lesselyn, a name etymologically interpreted to mean “Grey Fort” or “Holly Enclosure”. Over the centuries, the name of these lands evolved into the surname we know today, passing through spelling variations like Lesley, Lessley, Lasslay, and Lesslie.
The “Grip Fast” Legend: A Royal Rescue
Perhaps the most famous and romantic aspect of Clan Leslie’s history is the legendary origin of its unique clan motto and its distinctive shield. As the Queen’s Chamberlain, Bartolf had the honour and duty of carrying Queen Margaret on his own horse, with her riding pillion on a pad behind his saddle. For her safety, she held tightly onto a sturdy belt strapped around his waist.
One day, while riding in this fashion and crossing a dangerously swollen stream, their horse stumbled in the rushing water. Fearing she would be swept away by the treacherous currents, the Queen cried out in the Scots tongue, “Gin the buckle bide?” which translates to “Will the buckle hold?”. Urging his horse toward the opposite bank, Bartolf boldly shouted back to her, “Grip Fast!”.
Thanks to his sturdy belt and his reassuring command, they safely reached the other side. To commemorate this dramatic rescue, Queen Margaret commanded that “Grip Fast” become the family’s eternal motto. Furthermore, two additional buckles were added to Bartolf’s belt, and these three buckles became the defining feature of the Leslie coat of arms. The simple yet striking shield of the Clan Chief features a silver (argent) background with a blue (azure) diagonal band bearing these three gold buckles.
The Crest Badge: The Griffin and the Buckle
In Scottish tradition, the term “clan crest” is actually a misnomer, as a crest and coat of arms are the exclusive personal property of the Clan Chief, protected under Scots law by the Court of the Lord Lyon. However, clansmen and clanswomen are legally permitted to display their allegiance by wearing a “crest badge”.
The crest of the Chief of Clan Leslie features a “demi-griffin Proper, armed, beaked and winged Or,” depicting the top half of a griffin in its natural colours with a gold beak, claws, and wings. The griffin, a mythological beast with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion, is an ancient symbol of immense power, majesty, wisdom, and vigilance. It is believed that Sir Norman de Leslie may have adopted the griffin in the late 13th century to reflect the family’s rising status within the Scottish nobility.
For everyday clan members, this demi-griffin is encircled by a strap and buckle bearing the motto “Grip Fast”. While the strap and buckle motif is standard in Scottish heraldry to denote a follower of a Chief, it holds a unique double meaning for Clan Leslie. The buckle frame perfectly mirrors the three buckles on their shield and the physical belt from Bartolf’s legendary rescue of the Queen. Thus, the badge is a beautifully self-referential emblem inextricably linking the wearer to the clan’s foundational myth.
Scottish heraldic law strictly dictates how the badge is worn: the Chief may wear three eagle feathers behind the badge, Chieftains wear two, armigers wear one, and standard clansfolk wear none. Additionally, members of the clan often wear a sprig of rue (Ruta Graveolens) as their traditional plant badge, a symbol of grace and protection associated with their ancient Aberdeenshire origins.
Power, Politics, and Warfare
The descendants of Bartolf actively shaped Scottish and European history, proving their mettle both in diplomacy and on the battlefield. Sir Andrew de Lesly was a prominent patriot who signed the famous Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, asserting Scotland’s independence to the Pope. Through Sir Andrew’s marriage to Mary Abernethy in 1314, the red lions of the Abernethy family were quartered into the Leslie arms.
The clan’s martial spirit was frequently tested. At the bloody Battle of Harlaw in 1411, Sir Andrew Leslie tragically lost six of his sons, and a monument known as “Leslie’s Cross” was erected on the battlefield in their memory. The Leslies also engaged in a fearsome and prolonged feud with Clan Forbes, during which their ancestral seat, Balquhain Castle, was sacked and burned in 1526.
As the centuries progressed, the clan split into highly influential branches:
The Earls of Rothes: The senior branch became the Earls of Rothes around 1457, establishing themselves as prominent diplomats and statesmen. George, the 4th Earl of Rothes, served as a Scottish commissioner at the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots to the French Dauphin in 1558.
Bishop John Leslie of Ross: Born in 1526, he was a fiercely loyal supporter and advisor of Mary, Queen of Scots, and famously wrote the History of Scotland for her while in exile.
General Alexander Leslie: An illegitimate son of the Balquhain branch who gained massive fame in the Swedish army under Gustavus Adolphus during the Thirty Years’ War. He returned to Scotland to command the Covenanter army, capturing Edinburgh Castle and winning the Battle of Newburn in 1640. He was subsequently created the 1st Earl of Leven by King Charles I.
The Counts of the Holy Roman Empire: Another remarkable Balquhain descendant, Walter Leslie, gained immense fame in Germany. He became an Imperial Field Marshal, was instrumental in the assassination of the traitorous General Wallenstein, and was created a Count of the Holy Roman Empire by Emperor Ferdinand II. The German Leslies maintained a close connection to their Scottish cousins for generations, often communicating over the succession of the Balquhain estates.
Father Archangel: George Leslie of the Cults branch became a famous Capuchin monk in the 17th century, secretly returning to Scotland to conduct Catholic missions during a time of intense religious persecution.
A Global Legacy
Over the 16th to 19th centuries, the Leslies migrated far beyond Scotland. Many settled in Ireland, including the “Fighting Bishop” John Leslie, who built Raphoe Castle and established a deep-rooted Irish lineage at Castle Leslie in Glaslough, County Monaghan. This vibrant Irish branch produced notable figures like the writer Sir John (Shane) Leslie, the World War II ambulance driver and biographer Anita Leslie, and Desmond Leslie, an RAF Spitfire pilot and early UFO researcher.
From Scotland and Ireland, countless Leslies immigrated to North America, Australia, and New Zealand, becoming vital parts of the great Scots-Irish diaspora.
Today, the legacy of Bartolf the Hungarian nobleman lives on globally. Whether pinned to a Glengarry bonnet, used to fasten a fly plaid, or displayed proudly in a home, the Clan Leslie crest badge remains a powerful narrative in miniature. It is a bold declaration by the descendants of this ancient house that the buckle still holds, the grip remains fast, and the griffin continues to symbolize a heritage of enduring strength, vigilance, and familial pride.
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References
Clan Leslie Society International. (2014). An invitation to gather. Grip Fast Journal. Electric Scotland.
Leslie, A. (n.d.). The history of the Leslies & Castle Leslie. Castle Leslie Estate.
Leslie, C. (1869). Historical records of the family of Leslie from 1067 to 1868-69. Collected from public records and authentic private sources (Vol. 3). Edmonston and Douglas.
Leslie, R. C. (1956). Lesley, Leslie; William Robert Lesley and Elizabeth Buchanan Lesley and their descendants. A history of two hundred years in America, 1755-1955. The Courant Press, Inc.