MAITLAND (Sir Richard), a Scottish poet and eminent public character, who flourished during the greatest part of the 16th century. The ancient name of the family was Mautlant; and the first who distinguished the house was an old Sir Richard, famous for his valour, who lived some time subsequent to the middle of the 13th century. He was then baron or laird of Thirlstane in Haddingtonshire. In 1346 the family must have been eminent; for in that year John Maitland of Thirlstane married Agnes daughter of Patrick earl of March. On the 28th January 1432, William Maitland of Thirlstane obtained from Archibald duke of Touraine and earl of Douglas a grant of
the lands of Blyth and others—William, the father of Maitland, our poet, and who (while his father John Maitland of Thirlstane was yet alive) first had the title of Lethington, married Martha daughter of George Lord Seaton, and was killed at Flodden in 1513.
Sir Richard was born in 1496; was educated at St Andrew's; and went to France to study the laws. Upon his return, says Mackenzie, he became a favourite of James V. and in the books of sederunt is marked an extraordinary lord of session in 1553. By a letter of James VI. it appears that Sir Richard had served his grandfir, goodfir, goodam, his mother, and himself, faithfully in many public offices. He unhappily became blind before 1561, or his 65th year: but notwithstanding, he was made a senator of the college of justice, by the title of Lord Lethington, 12th Nov. 1561; and on the 20th Dec. 1562, one of the counsel and lord-privy seal; which last office he held till 1567, when he resigned it in favour of John his second son. Sir Richard continued a lord of session during all the troublesome times of the regents in the minority of James VI. till 1584, when he resigned; and died 20th March 1586. By Mary his wife, daughter of Thomas Cranston of Corly, he had seven children, of whom three were sons: 1. William, the famous secretary; 2. Sir John, afterward Lord Thirlstane and chancellor; and, 3. Thomas, who is the prolocutor with Buchanan in his treatise De Jure Regni.—Sir Richard is never mentioned by writers but with respect as a man of great talents and virtue. Knox indeed blames him for taking a sum of money, to suffer Cardinal Beaton to escape when imprisoned at Seaton. But Knox (Mr Pinkerton observes) was too vehement, and often blamed without cause.—One poem of Sir Richard's was published in the Evergreen; but no more of his works appeared till they were inserted in the Collection in 2 vols published some years ago by Mr Pinkerton. Besides poems, he wrote a MS. (formerly, as Dr Mackenzie shows, in the earl of Winton's library), the title of which was, "The Chronicle and Historie of the House and Surname of Seaton, unto the moneth of November, in the yeir of God An Thufand Five Hundredth Fifty Aught yeirs. Collectit, writ, and set furth, be Sir Richard de Maitland of Leithingtown, knight, daughter-son of the said house." Mackenzie gives an account of it.—Mr Forbes, in the preface to his Decisions, tells us there is still a MS. of the decisions from 15th December 1550 till 30th July 1565 by our author, folio, in the advocates library.