David Leslie, 3rd Earl of Leven
David Melville, 3rd Earl of Leven | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age |
| Died | June 6, 1728 (aged 68) |
| Occupation(s) | Nobleman, military officer, politician |
| Known for | 3rd Earl of Leven, Governor of the Bank of Scotland, Commander-in-Chief Scotland |
David Melville, who later became known as Leslie, 3rd Earl of Leven and was the de jure 2nd Earl of Melville, lived from 5 May 1660 to 6 June 1728. He was a distinguished Scottish nobleman, military officer, and political figure.
As the third-born son of George Melville, 1st Earl of Melville and his second spouse Catherine, he inherited his father's alignment with the Whig faction and adherence to Presbyterian faith. Upon the death of the competing claimant John Leslie, 1st Duke of Rothes in 1681, he was granted permission to assume the title of Earl of Leven.
In 1683, both Leven and his father were implicated in the Rye House Plot, a Whig-led scheme targeting Charles II and James, Duke of York. To evade capture, they escaped to the Netherlands, where they joined other British Protestant exiles at the court of Prince William of Orange.
Leven played a key role in garnering German alliances for William’s 1688 English invasion, organizing a regiment that successfully took Plymouth. He was appointed a Privy Councillor in 1689 and participated in the Battle of Killiecrankie. Between 1689–1702 and again from 1704–1712, he held the post of Keeper of Edinburgh Castle, and from 1689 served as Commissioner for the Pacification of the Highlands.
His tenure as Governor of the Bank of Scotland spanned from 1697 until his death in 1728. Rising through military ranks, he was promoted to brigadier-general in 1702 and major-general in 1704. In 1705, he assumed the role of Master of the Scottish Ordnance, followed by appointment as Commander-in-Chief, Scotland in 1706. After the Acts of Union 1707, he represented Scotland as a peer in the House of Lords until 1710. His military career advanced with a promotion to lieutenant-general in 1707. That same year, he also served as a Commissioner for the Union. However, all his official positions were revoked in 1712.
On 20 May 1707, he inherited the title of Earl of Melville upon his father’s passing but chose not to adopt this designation publicly.