The Clan Leask Society

15th Century to the Present Day

In 1513, the Line of Leask Chiefs suffered a double disaster when both William Lask of that Ilk, 5th son, and his son, Alexander Lask of that Ilk, Younger, were both killed at the Battle of Flodden. The latter’s younger brother, William Lask, Burgess of Aberdeen, then became the 6th Leask Chief.

In 1596 Walter Leask of that Ilk, 8th Chief, was studying Theology at Marschall College, Aberdeen as did his son William Leisk of that Ilk, 9th Chief.

In c.1660 the Rev. Alexander Leisk of that Ilk was minister at Turriff. He re-recorded the Leask Arms in 1672, and was the 13th and last Leask Chief in Aberdeenshire, dying in 1730; his son, Gilbert Leask of that Ilk, Younger having pre-deceased him in 1729. Alexander appears in the Poll Tax returns for the Parish of Slains for 1696, but unhappily, soon afterwards in 1698, Alexander and his son Gilbert granted a Bond over the Leask Estates to Robert Cumming, a cousin by marriage, in Security for a loan of 20,000 Merks for the second stage of the ill-fated Darien Scheme (which was later to become the route of the Panama Canal). (It is interesting to note that Darien Sheme’s large black leather ‘war’ chest is still on display in the Director’s Area of Bank of Scotland (established 1695), The Mound, Edinburgh.) When it became apparent that the Loan could not be repaid, Robert Cumming took over, and moved into the Leask Mansion House c.1720.

Alexander’s younger son, William Leask of that Ilk (Gilbert’s brother) now moved to Orkney where he had three sons – William Leask of Bigswall (b c.1715) from whom J.W.G. Leask was descended, together with descendants in Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. The second son was John Leask of Aglath (b c.1720) whose many descendants are in Australia and New Zealand. The third son was Willam Leask of Papa Westray, whose well known descendants include Henry Leask JP of Swartland and Boardhouse (b 1809) who was a very extensive family history researcher, and his son Dr John Leask (b 1856) who was for many years the Director of Singapore General Hospital.

Dr John Leask was an enthusiastic producer of family trees, one of which measures 4ft x 3ft, “Scripsit 1914-1942”, and includes both the Leask’s descent from the Aberdeenshire Leasks of that Ilk, and their direct descent from King Robert the Bruce through his daughter, Marjorie Bruce.

Dr John Leask’s son, Kenneth Leask, was in 1915 an Army Lieutenant in Palestine and joined the Army Flying Corps, which became the Royal Air Force, with which he became an Air Vice Marshall.