MAITLAND, Richard of Lethington and Thirlestane, Sir 1
- Born: About 1498 1 2
- Marriage (1): CRANSTOUN, Mariota soon after 1520 1
- Died: 20 March 1586 1 2
User ID: H674.
General Notes:
"Lawyer and blind poet. Maitland studied law at the University of St Andrews and in Paris. He was employed by King James V (1512-42) and, under the Regency that followed James' death, was appointed a Lord of Session (1551) and Lord Privy Seal (1562). He went on to serve Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-87) and James VI (1566 - 1625) as Privy Counsellor and Keeper of the Great Seal, but seems to have managed to avoid the divisive politics of the time. He became blind in his mid-60s and occupied himself in writing, including poetry, a History of the House of Seaton and satires such as Aganis the Theivis of Liddeadaill. Maitland collected early Scottish poetry which he included with his own works in the Maitland Folio Manuscript, which together with the Maitland Quarto Manuscript, completed by his daughter, represent important literary works now held by the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge.
His sons included William Maitland (c.1525-73), who became a powerful Secretary of State, and Sir John Maitland of Thirlestane (c.1545-95). A literary society, the Maitland Club, was founded in his honour in Glasgow in 1828."
from Gazetteer for Scotland 2
Richard married Mariota CRANSTOUN soon after 1520.1 (Mariota CRANSTOUN was born about 1513 and died after 20 March 1586 1.)
Marriage Notes:
"He (Richard Maitland)married, soon after 1520, Mariota, daughter of Sir Thomas Cranstoun of Corsbie, who survived him only to die on his funeral day. Their second son, the Chancellor, is said to have written the following couplet on his parents :
'Unus Hymen, mens una duos, mors una diesque
lunxit, et una caro, sic cinis unus erit.'
Though the Consolator Ballad gives him seven sons, Sir Richard is only known to have had three sons and four daughters"
from Scots Peerage (vol 5) 1
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