(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 Mautalant; 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 seclusion is marked an extraordinary lord of session in 1553. By a letter of James VI. it appears that Sir Richard had served his grandfathers, good sir, good dam, 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 26th Dec. 1562, one of the council 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 1581, when he resigned; and died 22nd March 1586. By Mary his wife, daughter of Thomas Cranston of Corstorphine, 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 month of November, in the year of God An Thousand Five Hundredeth Fifty Eight yeirs. Collectit, writt, and set furth, be Sir Richard de Maitland of Lethingtown, knicht, daughter-fone of the said hous." 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 1st December 1550 till 30th July 1565 by our author, folio, in the advocates library.

Maitland (John), Lord Thirlstane, chancellor of Scotland, was the second son of Sir Richard. He was born in the year 1537, educated in Scotland, and was afterwards sent to France to study the law. On his return to his native country, he commenced advocate; in which profession his abilities became eminently conspicuous. In 1567, his father resigned the privy-seal in his favour. This office he kept till 1570; when, for his loyalty to the queen, he lost the seal, and it was given to George Buchanan. He was made a senator of the college of justice, or lord of session, in 1581; secretary of state in 1583; and lord high chancellor in 1586. The chancellor's power and influence created him many enemies among the Scottish nobility, who made several attempts to destroy him, but without success. In 1589 he attended the king on his voyage to Norway, where his bride, the princess of Denmark, was detained by contrary wind. The marriage was immediately consummated; and they returned with the queen to Copenhagen, where they spent the ensuing winter. During their residence in Denmark, the chancellor became intimately acquainted with the celebrated Tycho-Brahe. In 1590 he was created Lord Maitland of Thirskane—Towards the end of the year 1592, the chancellor incurred the queen's displeasure, for refusing to relinquish his lordship of Musselburgh, which she claimed as being a part of Dunfermline. He absented himself for some time from court; but was at length restored to favour, and died of a lingering illness in the year 1595, much regretted by the king. He bears a high character both for talents and integrity among all historians. Melville, who writes the Memoirs, Mr Pinkerton observes, was his personal enemy, so must not receive much credit in his censures of him. Beside his Scottish poetry in the Maitland Collection, he wrote several Latin epigrams, &c., to be found in the Deliciae Poetarum Scotorum, vol. ii. The chancellor's only son, John Lord Thirskane, was first made viscount and then earl of Lauderdale, by James VI. 1624. The earl's son was John, the only duke of Lauderdale, and born 1616 at Lethington.