John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale

John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale KG PC ( born May 24, 1616 Lethington; † August 24, 1682 in Tunbridge Wells ) was a Scottish nobleman and politician.

Life

John Maitland comes from an old family from Berwickshire and East Lothian. His father John Maitland was an eminent jurist of his time, also also president of the Scottish Parliament: He was raised in 1624 to the Earl of Lauderdale. The poet Sir Richard Maitland was his great-grandfather.

Maitland was at the beginning of the English Civil War to the Covenanters. However, he sought a negotiated solution and was therefore included in 1644 by the King in the Privy Council. In the following year he inherits when his father died its title.

He advised the king to reject the proposals of the Independents, and belonged in 1647 to the Engagers who concluded an agreement on the recognition of the Covenanters with Charles I. In return, the king should receive support from Scotland. These troops were subject to Oliver Cromwell at the Battle of Preston in the following year.

In the battle of Worcester Maitland was taken prisoner in 1651; he remained until 1660 in prison. Freedmen Maitland went to Charles II into exile on the continent. After the Restoration, he was appointed Minister of Scotland and one of the main advisers of the king. He was one of the most influential members of the infamous Cabal Ministry, claiming decided against a by Parliament in 1674 intended against him.

Two years earlier he had been raised to the Duke of Lauderdale and included in the Order of the Garter. In Scotland, he made himself generally hated by his absolutist principles. The king stopped him, however, for a long time against massive criticism from Scotland and the English Parliament established. From 1679 let Maitland health but gradually he lost influence and offices. He died in August 1682nd Walter Scott has described him in Old mortality.

Family

Maitland was in his first marriage with Lady Anne Home, daughter of Alexander Home, 1st Earl of Home, married. With her he had a daughter. The spouses lived separately since 1669, to the wife died in 1671.

Since 1669 Maitland had an affair with Elizabeth Tollemache, 2nd Countess of Dysart, which he then married less than four months after the death of his wife. From this marriage he had no children.

As Maitland thus had no male descendants, went out of the title Duke of Lauderdale with his death. The earldom passed to his brother Charles Maitland.