John Maitland, 5th Earl of Lauderdale facts for kids

John Maitland (later Lauder), 5th Earl of Lauderdale (1655 – 30 August 1710, both at Haltoun House, Ratho, Midlothian, Scotland) was an important Scottish judge and politician. He is known for supporting the Acts of Union, which brought Scotland and England together under one parliament.

Becoming the Earl of Lauderdale

John Maitland was the second son of Charles Maitland, 3rd Earl of Lauderdale. He became the Earl of Lauderdale in 1695 after his older brother, Richard Maitland, 4th Earl of Lauderdale, passed away.

In 1691, John Maitland received ownership of a large estate called the Barony of Haltoun. Because of this, he had to change his last name from Maitland of Ravelrig to Lauder of Haltoun. This was a common practice back then when people inherited certain lands.

John Maitland's Career

John Maitland began his legal career on July 30, 1680. He joined a group of top lawyers called the Faculty of Advocates. Later that year, on November 16, 1680, he was given a special title: a Baronet of Nova Scotia. This was an honor given by the King.

He was also appointed as a judge, known as an Ordinary Lord of Session, on October 28, 1689. This made him a Senator of the College of Justice, with the title of Lord Ravelrig. He also owned land in the Currie parish.

Serving in Parliament

John Maitland was a Member of Parliament for Edinburghshire. He served from 1685 to 1686. He was also part of an important meeting called the Convention in 1689. During these times, he was known as Sir John Lauder of Haltoun.

He served in parliament again from 1689 to 1693, this time as Sir John Maitland of Ravelrig. On April 16, 1679, he became a Privy Counsellor. This meant he was a trusted advisor to the King. He supported the changes that happened during the 1688 revolution. When he took his seat in parliament on September 8, 1696, he strongly supported the idea of joining the Scottish and English parliaments.

Around 1690, he became the Colonel of the Edinburghshire Militia, which was a local military force. In 1699, he was made the General of The Mint, overseeing the making of coins.

John Maitland's Family

Around 1680, Sir John Maitland married Margaret. She was born about 1662 and passed away in 1742. Margaret was the daughter of Alexander Cunningham, 10th Earl of Glencairn.

John and Margaret had three sons and one daughter. Their daughter, Elizabeth, married James Carmichael, 2nd Earl of Hyndford. Their son and heir was Charles Maitland, 6th Earl of Lauderdale, who was born in 1688 and died in 1744.