Archibald Leslie-Melville, 13th Earl of Leven explained
Archibald Alexander Leslie-Melville, 13th Earl of Leven, 12th Earl of Melville KT DL (6 August 1890 – 15 January 1947) was a Scottish soldier, and peer.
Early life
Leslie-Melville was born on 6 August 1890. He was the second son of Ronald Leslie-Melville, 11th Earl of Leven and the former Emma Selina Portman (1863–1941).[1] His siblings were John Leslie-Melville, 12th Earl of Leven, Capt. Hon. David William Leslie-Melville,[2] Lt.-Col. Hon. Ian Leslie-Melville, and Lady Constance Betty Leslie-Melville. His father was a very wealthy landowner and resided at Holyrood Palace when he was Lord High Commissioner of Scotland.[3]
He was educated at Oxford and Royal Military College, Sandhurst.[4] He played for the Oxford University Polo on a Handicap of +3.[5]
Career
He served in World War I, where he was wounded.[4] He was Captain in the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He was Lieutenant-Colonel, and Brevet Colonel in the Lovat Scouts.[6]
He was a Scottish representative peer, between 1927 and 1947. He was made Knight of the Thistle in 1934;[7] and was Lord Lieutenant of Nairnshire from 1935 to 1947. He donated his collection of nineteenth century drawings and water-colours, which include scenes from Great Britain and Italy, to the Bodleian Library in 1920.[8]
Personal life
On 3 September 1918, Lord Leven married, his half-cousin once removed, Lady Rosamond Sylvia Diana Mary Foljambe, a younger daughter of Cecil Foljambe, 1st Earl of Liverpool,[9] and, his second wife, Susan Louisa Cavendish (eldest daughter of Lt.-Col. William Henry Frederick Cavendish, a grandson of the 1st Earl of Burlington). Together, they had five children:[4]
- Lady Jean Elizabeth Leslie Melville (1921–2010)
- Alexander Robert Leslie-Melville, 14th Earl of Leven (1924–2012), who married Susan Steuart-Menzies, a daughter of Lt.-Col. Ronald Steuart-Menzies of Culdares, of Arndilly House, in 1953.
- Hon. George David Leslie Melville (1924–1997), who married Diana Mary Houldsworth, a daughter of Sir Henry Walter Houldsworth and Katharine Charlotte Douglas, in 1955.
- Hon. Ronald Joscelyn Leslie Melville (1926–1987), who married Ruth Buckworth, only daughter of Dr. John Duckworth, in 1962.
- Hon. Alan Duncan Leslie Melville (1928–2019), who married Sally Haywood, in 1997.
Lord Leven died on 15 January 1947 and was succeeded by his 22 year old son, Alexander.[10] His widow died 12 April 1974.[11]
Notes and References
- News: Wireless to THE NEW YORK TIMES . Dowager Countess of Leven Dies . 10 February 2022 . . 4 March 1941.
- News: JOHN D. LESLIE-MELVILLE, 51; LED WILDLIFE FUND IN AFRICA . 6 February 2024 . . 2 May 1984.
- News: TIMES . Special Cable to THE NEW YORK . WANT HOLYROOD CHAPEL RESTORED; Prominent Scotsmen May Bring a Lawsuit to Effect This Object. A SCHEME OF LORD LEVEN He Left Money for the Purpose, but His Trustees Have Not Undertaken to Carry It Out. . 10 February 2022 . . 8 September 1907.
- Book: Hesilrige, Arthur G. M. . 1921 . Debrett's Peerage and Titles of courtesy . London, UK . . 556 .
- Polo Monthly . 1912 . 436 . 10 August 2013.
- News: THE EARL OF LEVEN WOUNDED IN CHARGE; Is a Lieutenant in the Scots Greys ;- Captain and Sergeant Complete First Casualty List. . 6 February 2024 . . 25 August 1914.
- News: TIMES . Wireless to THE NEW YORK . Consul General Here Is Knighted In Birthday List of King George; Gerald Campbell Becomes Commander of St. Michael and St. George -- Dr. Banting, Insulin Discoverer, Also Is Made Knight -- Captain Eden Created Privy Councilor. HONORED IN KING'S BIRTHDAY LIST. CONSUL GENERAL KNIGHTED BY KING . 6 February 2024 . . 4 June 1934.
- Web site: 19th-century Drawings and Water-colours. www.bodley.ox.ac.uk. 29 September 2017. 5 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171205103303/http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/wmss/online/1500-1900/leslie-melville/leslie-melville.html. live.
- News: Times . Wireless To The New York . EARL OF LIVERPOOL IS STRICKEN AT 70; First Governor General of the Dominion of New Zealand Fought in Boer War TWICE SERVED IN IRELAND Held Post; Under Cadogn and Aberdeen When They Were Lord Lieutenants . 6 February 2024 . . 17 May 1941.
- News: Times . Special to The New York . EARL OF LEVEN; Lord Lieutenant of Nairnshire, Scotland, Is Dead at 56 . 6 February 2024 . . 16 January 1947.
- Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003, volume 2, page 2314.
