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William the Queen's secretary Maitland, of Lethington
b. 1525, d. 9 June 1573
Person Exhibits
Signature of William Maitland and his wife Mary Fleming
Birth
William the Queen's secretary Maitland, of Lethington, was born in 1525.1
Parents
| Father | Richard ("the poet who inspired the Maitland Club") Maitland, of Thirlestane (Berwickshire) and Lethington (Haddingtonshire) (b. 1496, d. 1 August 1586) |
| Mother | Mariota Cranstoun (b. circa 1510) |
Family life
William the Queen's secretary Maitland, of Lethington, and Mary ("one of the Four Marys") Fleming were married on 6 January 1567 in Stirling. Jamie Reid-Baxter has suggested that the Scots Renaissance comedy Philotus, about a lecherous octogenarian seeking marriage to a teenage girl, may first have been performed during the Maitland-Fleming wedding celebrations in Stirling.
Hunter -
The murder of Rizzio separated the lovers for six months, but Lethington having been restored to favour, renewed his addresses with redoubled ardour, and all arrangements having been made, they were married at Stirling on the 6th of January 1566.
Robertson -
He was married to Mary Fleming on the 6di of January 1566-7, at Stirling, where the Queen kept the last Twelfth Tide she was to see beyond the walls of a prison. — (Cale n da r of State Papers relating to Scothwd, vol il p. S25, vol L pp. aoi, 207, 112, 223, 238; 242. Bishop Keith's History of Scotland, vol il p. 241. Miss Strickland's Lives of the Queens of ScoCbnd, vol iv. pp. 107, 131. Mr. Tytler's History of Scotland, vol v. pp. 495-496.)
However her husband might waver or fell in his loyalty, Mary Fleming— or, as she was often called after her marriage, ' Madame de Lethington,' or ' the Secretaxys wife^ — remained unshaken in her devoUoo to her Bustress.1,2,3,4
Hunter -
The murder of Rizzio separated the lovers for six months, but Lethington having been restored to favour, renewed his addresses with redoubled ardour, and all arrangements having been made, they were married at Stirling on the 6th of January 1566.
Robertson -
He was married to Mary Fleming on the 6di of January 1566-7, at Stirling, where the Queen kept the last Twelfth Tide she was to see beyond the walls of a prison. — (Cale n da r of State Papers relating to Scothwd, vol il p. S25, vol L pp. aoi, 207, 112, 223, 238; 242. Bishop Keith's History of Scotland, vol il p. 241. Miss Strickland's Lives of the Queens of ScoCbnd, vol iv. pp. 107, 131. Mr. Tytler's History of Scotland, vol v. pp. 495-496.)
However her husband might waver or fell in his loyalty, Mary Fleming— or, as she was often called after her marriage, ' Madame de Lethington,' or ' the Secretaxys wife^ — remained unshaken in her devoUoo to her Bustress.1,2,3,4
Children with Mary ("one of the Four Marys") Fleming (b. 1543, d. after 1584)
| Son | James Maitland (b. circa 1570) |
| Daughter | Margaret Maitland+ (b. circa 1572, d. before 1613) |
Working life
- Circa 1560 William the Queen's secretary Maitland, of Lethington, was occupied as Ambassador in England. Mary sent William Maitland of Lethington as an ambassador to the English court to put the case for Mary as the heir presumptive to the English throne. Elizabeth refused to name a potential heir, fearing that would invite conspiracy to displace her with the nominated successor.[75] However, she assured Maitland that she knew no one with a better claim than Mary.[76] In late 1561 and early 1562, arrangements were made for the two queens to meet in England at York or Nottingham in August or September 1562. In July, Elizabeth sent Sir Henry Sidney to cancel Mary's visit because of the civil war in France.[77]5
- On 12 September 1570 William the Queen's secretary Maitland, of Lethington, was occupied as secretary to the queen in Edinburgh.2
Property
William the Queen's secretary Maitland, of Lethington, possessed was granted the greatest part of her lands by the Abbess of Haddington in 1567 in Haddington.65,7 He possessed his father's Castle was taken from him by force in the name of the King in 1570 in Lethington Castle.8 He possessed his father's Castle was occupied by Lord Lindsay on 13 March 1572 in Lethington Castle.9 He possessed their estates were granted a tack of the teind shaves of the parish kirk of Lawder to go to his heir for 19 years after 1584 in Kirk of Lawder.10
Death
William the Queen's secretary Maitland, of Lethington, died suicide by poison in order to avoid the humiliation of public execution on 9 June 1573 at age ~48 at Tollbooth in Leith. Mary Fleming's husband, Lethington, died in prison in June 1573, having been placed in confinement for assisting to hold the Castle of Edinburgh against the Regent Morton. By interceding with Burleigh, she succeeded in getting possession of his remains, and thus rescuing them from the manifestations of infamy and disgrace which, in virtue of an old law against treason, they would undoubtedly have received.
Robertson -
Lethington died in June 1573. His widow, by her moving appeal to his old friend Btirleigh, rescued his corpse from the shame and ignominy with which it was threatened by the Scottish law of treason. See above, pp. xxil xxiil, note 3. In February 1583-4 she obtained a reversal of his forfeiture ; and in May 1584, the Parliament extended the benefits of the pacification of Perth in 1572, to her and to her children, whom she seems to have brought up in the old faith.
The suicide cause is diputed, as he was old and infirm. Not really, her was only 48ish.11,1,3,4
Robertson -
Lethington died in June 1573. His widow, by her moving appeal to his old friend Btirleigh, rescued his corpse from the shame and ignominy with which it was threatened by the Scottish law of treason. See above, pp. xxil xxiil, note 3. In February 1583-4 she obtained a reversal of his forfeiture ; and in May 1584, the Parliament extended the benefits of the pacification of Perth in 1572, to her and to her children, whom she seems to have brought up in the old faith.
The suicide cause is diputed, as he was old and infirm. Not really, her was only 48ish.11,1,3,4
Citations
- [S2] Various contributors, Various contributors, "Wikipaedia," database, Commons, Wikipaedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/: accessed ), ., 11 March 2025; William Maitland of Lethington
- [S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol iv, ch 1927, p. 497
- [S5] William Hunter, Biggar and the House of Fleming, p 524
- [S111] Joseph Robertson, Inventaires de la Royne Descosse Douairiere de France, p xlviii-xlx, notes 3 and 1
- [S2] Various contributors, Various contributors, "Wikipaedia," database, Commons, Wikipaedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/: accessed ), ., online; 10 November 2023; Mary, Queen of Scots at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Queen_of_Scots
- [S123] John Bain, The Poems of Sir Richard Maitland of Lethingtoun, p xxxvii
- [S5] William Hunter, Biggar and the House of Fleming, p 533
- [S123] John Bain, The Poems of Sir Richard Maitland of Lethingtoun, p xliv
- [S123] John Bain, The Poems of Sir Richard Maitland of Lethingtoun, p xlvii, note *
- [S113] John Spottiswoode, Liber S. Marie de Dryburgh, p 324
- [S68] KM Brown and others, Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, 1584/5/40
| Context | Ch forebears (#1) Ch forebears (#2) |
| Last Edited | 19 May 2025 |