Grip Fast, Raphoe Castle, DSC_0423-2
One of three armorial plaques built into the exterior wall, on three sides of the building, one being the coat of arms of the Leslie family, Grip Fast.
The Founder of the family of Leslie was Bartholomew (or Bartolf), a Hungarian nobleman, who came to Scotland in 1067, in the retinue of Princess Agatha, mother of Edgar the Atheling and his sister, Margaret, soon to become Queen to Malcolm Canmore lll (b.1031 d.1093). Bartholomew was the Queen’s Chamberlain and found great favour with the King who appointed him Governor of Edinburgh Castle and granted him lands in Fife, Angus and the Mearns in Aberdeenshire. In 1070 Bartholomew married the King’s sister, Beatrix, and thus founded the family of Leslie.
As the Queen’s Chamberlain it was Bartholomew’s duty to carry the Queen on his own horse, with her riding pillion on a pad behind the saddle with a belt round his waist for her to hold. Tradition has it that one day while riding in this fashion they were crossing a swollen stream when the horse stumbled and the Queen fearing she would fall off cried “Gin the buckle bide?” (Will the buckle hold?), Bartholomew, urging his horse to the other side answered crying “Grip Fast!” and they reached the other side safely. This incident so alarmed Bartholomew that he had two more buckles added to his belt, so three buckles on a belt became the Arms of the Leslies and “Grip Fast!” became the motto.
Bartholomew first established himself at Lesselyn, in the Garioch district of Aberdeenshire, where he built a castle. In the course of time Lesselyn became Lesley or Leslie as the family name, with various different spellings.
Grip Fast, Raphoe Castle, DSC_0423-2
One of three armorial plaques built into the exterior wall, on three sides of the building, one being the coat of arms of the Leslie family, Grip Fast.
The Founder of the family of Leslie was Bartholomew (or Bartolf), a Hungarian nobleman, who came to Scotland in 1067, in the retinue of Princess Agatha, mother of Edgar the Atheling and his sister, Margaret, soon to become Queen to Malcolm Canmore lll (b.1031 d.1093). Bartholomew was the Queen’s Chamberlain and found great favour with the King who appointed him Governor of Edinburgh Castle and granted him lands in Fife, Angus and the Mearns in Aberdeenshire. In 1070 Bartholomew married the King’s sister, Beatrix, and thus founded the family of Leslie.
As the Queen’s Chamberlain it was Bartholomew’s duty to carry the Queen on his own horse, with her riding pillion on a pad behind the saddle with a belt round his waist for her to hold. Tradition has it that one day while riding in this fashion they were crossing a swollen stream when the horse stumbled and the Queen fearing she would fall off cried “Gin the buckle bide?” (Will the buckle hold?), Bartholomew, urging his horse to the other side answered crying “Grip Fast!” and they reached the other side safely. This incident so alarmed Bartholomew that he had two more buckles added to his belt, so three buckles on a belt became the Arms of the Leslies and “Grip Fast!” became the motto.
Bartholomew first established himself at Lesselyn, in the Garioch district of Aberdeenshire, where he built a castle. In the course of time Lesselyn became Lesley or Leslie as the family name, with various different spellings.