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John Maitland, Lord Thirlestane, Lord Chancellor

b. 1537, d. 3 October 1595

Person Exhibits

1589 John Maitland 1st Lord Maitland Lord Chancellor

Birth

John Maitland, Lord Thirlestane, Lord Chancellor, was born in 1537.1

Parents

FatherRichard ("the poet who inspired the Maitland Club") Maitland, of Thirlestane (Berwickshire) and Lethington (Haddingtonshire) (b. 1496, d. 1 August 1586)
MotherMariota Cranstoun (b. circa 1510)

Family life

John Maitland, Lord Thirlestane, Lord Chancellor, and Jean ("Jane") Fleming, Countess of Cassilis, were married on 16 January 1583.2

Children with Jean ("Jane") Fleming, Countess of Cassilis, (b. circa 1555, d. 23 June 1609)

DaughterAnn Maitland
SonJohn Maitland, Lord Thirlestane and 1st Earl of Lauderdale (b. circa 1585)

Titles

John Maitland, Lord Thirlestane, Lord Chancellor, held the title of was created Baron by the title of Lord Maitland of Thirlestane on 17 May 1590.3

Working life

  • 4
  • Before 1567 John Maitland, Lord Thirlestane, Lord Chancellor, was occupied as Commendator in Kelso Abbey.1
  • 5
  • On 20 April 1567 John Maitland, Lord Thirlestane, Lord Chancellor, was occupied as Keeper of the Privy Seal.1
  • On 20 April 1567 John Maitland, Lord Thirlestane, Lord Chancellor, was occupied as Commendator in Coldingham Priory.1
  • On 2 June 1568 John Maitland, Lord Thirlestane, Lord Chancellor, was occupied as Extraordinary Lord of Session.6
  • On 26 April 1581 John Maitland, Lord Thirlestane, Lord Chancellor, was occupied as Keeper of the Privy Seal.1,7
  • 8
  • On 18 May 1584 John Maitland, Lord Thirlestane, Lord Chancellor, was occupied as Secretary of Scotland.1,3
  • On 31 May 1586 John Maitland, Lord Thirlestane, Lord Chancellor, was occupied as Vice Chancellor of Scotland.1,3
  • In 1587 John Maitland, Lord Thirlestane, Lord Chancellor, was occupied as Lord Chancellor.1

Property2,9,10,11

John Maitland, Lord Thirlestane, Lord Chancellor, possessed had ratification by Parliament of the baronies of Blythe, Thankarton and Biggar plus the abbeylands of Carse plus Lethington within Haddington to him and his wife Jean Fleming on 22 May 1584 in Biggar and Thankertoun Baronies.12,13,1 He possessed had a charter of the king to him and his wife Jean Fleming for the lands of Castlehill to the east of the parish church at Lauder on 27 January 1587 at Berwickshire in Castlehill.14 He possessed was granted by Parliament ratification of the investments in certain lands of Sir John Maitland and the liferent of his wife Jean Fleming on 29 July 1587 in Barony and regality of Thirlestane and more.15,13,1617 He possessed had a charter of the king for himself and his wife Jean Fleming of the lands and lordship of Dunbar in the constableship of Handingtoun on 18 October 1587 at Edinburgh in Dunbar in Hadingtoun.18 He possessed was named, with his wife Jean Fleming, as vendor of various properties sold to Francis earl of Bothwell, Lord Hallis and Chrichton, grand admiral of Scotland and Margaret Douglas his spouse on 8 April 1588 in various properties.19 He possessed had a charter of the king for himself and the liferent of his wife Jean Fleming in East and West Maynes, Wodendcleuche, Wautonwallis on 21 May 1589 in East and West Maynes, Wodendcleuche, Wautonwallis.20 He possessed had a charter of the king for himself and his wife Jean Fleming of the castle of Lethington on 27 September 1589 in Lethington.21 He possessed had a charter of the king to himself and his wife Jean Fleming for the barony and regality of Mussilburgh based on various estates on Thirlestane's own resignation on 21 December 1591 in Barony and Regality of Mussilburgh.22,23 He possessed had a charter of the king confirming a sale by him and his wife Jean Fleming of the annual rent from Cossorton to George Carketell, burgess of Edinburgh on 20 January 1592 in Cossorton.24 He possessed was granted by Parliament ratification of the infestment of him and his wife Jean Fleming in the lordships of Musselburgh, Dunbar and much more on 5 June 1592 in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland.25,26,27 He possessed had a royal grant of the lands and castle of Thirlestane for himself, his wife Jean and their son John on 7 March 1593 in Thirlestane Castle.28

Death

John Maitland, Lord Thirlestane, Lord Chancellor, died on 3 October 1595 at age ~58 in Thirlestane Castle. He remained till his death, which happened on the 3d October, 1595, in high favour with James VI., to whom he was of essential service on many occasions of importance and difficulty ; and, indeed, the King had nearly devolved the whole weight of public affairs, on his favourite minister. The King wrote in honour of his memory, some verses, which, when compared with the compositions of that age, are far from being inelegant.2,1,3

Citations

  1. [S2] Various contributors, Various contributors, "Wikipaedia," database, Commons, Wikipaedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/: accessed ), ., 11 March 2025; John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane
  2. [S28] Sir James Balfour Paul, The Scots Peerage, vol viii, Fleming Earl of Wigtown pages 519 - 558
  3. [S123] John Bain, The Poems of Sir Richard Maitland of Lethingtoun, p lvii, note *
  4. [S123] John Bain, The Poems of Sir Richard Maitland of Lethingtoun, p xxxv
  5. [S123] John Bain, The Poems of Sir Richard Maitland of Lethingtoun, p xxxvii
  6. [S123] John Bain, The Poems of Sir Richard Maitland of Lethingtoun, p xl
  7. [S123] John Bain, The Poems of Sir Richard Maitland of Lethingtoun, p liii
  8. [S123] John Bain, The Poems of Sir Richard Maitland of Lethingtoun, p liv
  9. [S44] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Rotuli scaccarii regum Scotorum, vol 21, p 484
  10. [S83] George Vere Irving, The upper ward of Lanarkshire described and delineated, vol i, p 325
  11. [S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol v, ch 622, p 193
  12. [S68] KM Brown and others, Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, 1584/5/49
  13. [S83] George Vere Irving, The upper ward of Lanarkshire described and delineated, vol i, p 479
  14. [S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol v, ch 1155, p 383
  15. [S68] KM Brown and others, Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, 1587/7/116
  16. [S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol v, ch 1306, p 442
  17. [S68] KM Brown and others, Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, 1587/7/82
  18. [S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol v, ch 1392, p 479
  19. [S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol v, ch 1516, p 519
  20. [S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol v, ch 1659, p 569
  21. [S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol v, ch 1695, p 581
  22. [S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol v, ch 1982, p 671
  23. [S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol v, ch 2352, p 815
  24. [S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol v, ch 2025, p 686
  25. [S68] KM Brown and others, Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, 1592/4/195
  26. [S68] KM Brown and others, Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, 1648/3/237
  27. [S83] George Vere Irving, The upper ward of Lanarkshire described and delineated, vol ii, p 413
  28. [S43] Scotland Court of Exchequer, Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, vol vi, 1593-1608, ch 73, p 24-26
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