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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). His siblings were John Leslie-Melville, 12th Earl of Leven, Capt. Hon. David William Leslie-Melville, 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.

He was educated at Oxford and Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He played for the Oxford University Polo on a Handicap of +3.

Career

He served in World War I, where he was wounded. He was Captain in the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He was Lieutenant-Colonel, and Brevet Colonel in the Lovat Scouts.

He was a Scottish representative peer, between 1927 and 1947. He was made Knight of the Thistle in 1934; 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.

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, 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:

• 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. His widow died 12 April 1974.

References

1. Wireless to THE NEW YORK TIMES (4 March 1941). "Dowager Countess of Leven Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
2. "JOHN D. LESLIE-MELVILLE, 51; LED WILDLIFE FUND IN AFRICA". The New York Times. 2 May 1984. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
3. ^ 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.
4. TIMES, Special Cable to THE NEW YORK (8 September 1907). "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". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
5. ^ Hesilrige, Arthur G. M. (1921). Debrett's Peerage and Titles of courtesy. London, UK: Dean & Son. p. 556.
6. "Polo Monthly" (PDF). 1912: 436. Retrieved 10 August 2013. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
7. "THE EARL OF LEVEN WOUNDED IN CHARGE; Is a Lieutenant in the Scots Greys ;- Captain and Sergeant Complete First Casualty List". The New York Times. 25 August 1914. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
8. TIMES, Wireless to THE NEW YORK (4 June 1934). "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". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
9. "19th-century Drawings and Water-colours". www.bodley.ox.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 5 December 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
10. Times, Wireless To The New York (17 May 1941). "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". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
11. Times, Special to The New York (16 January 1947). "EARL OF LEVEN; Lord Lieutenant of Nairnshire, Scotland, Is Dead at 56". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2024.

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• 1890 births
• 1947 deaths
• Knights of the Thistle
• Earls of Leven
• Scottish representative peers
• British Army personnel of World War I
• Royal Scots Fusiliers officers
• Lovat Scouts officers
• Lord-lieutenants of Nairn
• Peerage of Scotland earl stubs