MAITLAND, Robert 1
- Born: About 1336
- Marriage (1): WIFE, Unknown
User ID: J890.
General Notes:
"Robert (Maitland). Among the witnesses to a charter by Sir William de Abernythe to the monks of Dryburgh of the Mill of Ulkestoun, undated, circa 1380, are 'Johanne Mautalente domino de Thyrlystane Roberto filio suo Roberto fratre suo.' "
from Scots Peerage (vol 5) 1
Research Notes:
ROBERT MAITLAND
The Scots Peerage establishes that in 1380 there was a brother of John Maitland of Lethington and Thirlestane named Robert. It continues:
"This Robert Maitland is said to have married the heiress of Schivas of that Ilk in Aberdeenshire, and to have settled there; a tradition which seems corroborated by the fact that in 1417, Robert Matilland, dominus de Schewes, appears in an inquest with regard to the marches of Tarves and Udny. Various families are said to have sprung from him ; notably the Maitlands of Gight, of Auchencrieff, and of Pittrichie"
It is not at all clear that the recorded fact noted in the last extract actually does corroborate the tradition to which the author refers. No other evidence that it was in fact this Robert Maitland who was the 'dominus de Schewes' is provided there, though he may have been the Robert Maitland of Netherdale referred to as coming after James Maitland of Netherdale.
The principal consideration that it was not this Robert Maitland who married the heiress of Schivas, is age. Even allowing that he was born posthumously, that is to say after October 1346 when his father died, he would have then been 70 years old in 1417.
Moreover, The Thanage of Fermartyn, notes on page 450 that 'Robert Maitland of Netherdale' who became laird of Gight and Schevas after his marriage to the heiress of that estate, "witnessed a charter of James Dunbar of Frendraught, afterwards fourth Earl of Moray, 1435 3[3 Ant. A. and B. I. pp. 344, 5, 525]."
By 1435 Robert Maitland, the son of Sir Robert Maitland of Lethington and Thirlestane, would have been at least approaching 90 years old, and, if not a posthumous son, possibly older.
The son of Robert Maitland, laird of Schivas, Patrick Maitland, whose parentage is not in dispute, is referred to, in available records, by his father's former designations from about 1446:
"Sir Patrick Matulant is mentioned of Netherdale, Gight, Schivas, &c., from 1446-60-67."
We know that Patrick's father is likely have died, then, between 1435 and 1446.
Robert Maitland, who was the brother of John Maitland of Lethington and Thirlestane, may well have been the ancestor of the Maitlands of 'Gight, of Auchencrieff, and of Pittrichie', but it is unlikely that the 1417 reference to the 'dominus de Schewes' refers to him. It is more likely that he had a son Robert, and that father and son have become confused.
Unfortunately, this scenario is based on inference rather than evidence, and the Maitland laird of Schivas could have been a son of any of the sons of Sir Robert Maitland of Lethington and Thirlestane. 1 2
Robert married Unknown WIFE. (Unknown WIFE was born about 1340.)
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