Leslie Clan silver 1950’s Bonnet Badge

Vintage Scottish Leslie clan badge with motto ‘ Grip Fast '.

Clan - Leslie

BLAZON - A Demi-Griffin.

SOURCE - Fairbairn's Book of Crests, 1905 ed.

With good back pin. Marked SILVER on the back

Size Approx.

The first Leslie in Aberdeenshire was Alexander who was appointed Constable of The Bass in Inverurie in 1080 on behalf of the king, his brother-in-law.

The progenitor of the Clan Leslie is a man named Bartolf who was a nobleman from Hungary, who came to Scotland in 1067. Bartolf was in the retinue of Edgar the Ætheling, brother of Saint Margaret of Scotland, who was later the queen of Malcolm III of Scotland. Bartholf later married Malcolm III's sister, Princess Beatrix of Scotland. Bartolf was said to be a man of intellect and bravery and as a result Malcolm III made him governor of the royal Edinburgh Castle and gave him estates in Fife, Angus, the Mearns and Aberdeenshire. It is said that Bartolf helped the queen across a dangerous river on a horse and that Bartolf told her to "grip fast", which is where the Leslie family motto originates. Bartolf established himself in the Garioch district of Aberdeenshire, at a place then known as Lesselyn. At Lesselyn he built a castle and it is from there that the name evolved into Lesley, and the various spelling variations.

Bartolf's son was named Malcolm and was made constable of the royal Inverury Castle, which he held for David II of Scotland. His great-grandson was Sir Norman Lesley who acquired the lands of Fythkill in Fife, which were later called Lesley, in about 1282