Marie Maitland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marie Maitland
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1550 |
| Died | 1596 |
| Other names |
|
Marie Maitland (born around 1550 – died 1596) was a Scottish writer and poet. She was part of the important Maitland family from Thirlestane Castle. Later in her life, she was known as Lady Haltoun. Her first name is sometimes spelled "Mary".
Contents
Marie Maitland's Poetry
Marie Maitland was very important for writing down and creating poetry. She copied the Maitland Quarto manuscript in 1586. She also wrote many of her own poems.
The Maitland Quarto contains poems that show Marie's very personal feelings and unique perspectives. These poems are among the earliest of their kind in Europe since ancient times. This makes the Maitland Quarto a key historical record.
Along with the Maitland Folio manuscript, these are called the Maitland Manuscripts. They are very important for studying Scots literature from the 1400s and 1500s. Marie also helped her father by writing down his many works as his eyesight got worse. He eventually became blind.
Her Early Life
Marie Maitland was the daughter of Sir Richard Maitland (1496–1586). Her mother was Mariotta (or Margaret) Cranstoun (died 1586). Her mother's family came from Corsbie Castle in Berwickshire, Scotland.
Marie had three brothers and three sisters. Her oldest brother, William Maitland of Lethington (died 1573), was a top advisor to Mary, Queen of Scots. Her second oldest brother, John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane (1543-1595), held a very high legal position in Scotland.
The Maitland Manuscripts Explained
The Maitland folio and quarto manuscripts are collections of poems. They were put together and partly written by members of the Maitland family. These manuscripts are written in two old styles of handwriting: Italic and Secretary hands.
A historian named John Pinkerton was the first to suggest that Marie Maitland was the person who copied these texts. Her name appears twice on the title page of the quarto manuscript. Some poems inside the Maitland Quarto were written by her. Others mention her or are dedicated to her.
In 2021, a Scottish researcher named Ashley Douglas worked with an education group called Time for Inclusive Education. They created lesson plans for high school students about Marie Maitland's poetry. These lessons were part of a new program in Scotland. They also had a modern picture made of Marie Maitland. This picture is now on display at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Her Family and Marriage
In 1586, Marie married Alexander Lauder of "Haltoun," also known as "Hatton." He was buried in Holyrood Abbey in 1627. Alexander was the main local official for Edinburgh. Haltoun was a large estate near Kirkliston.
Alexander Lauder's parents were William Lauder (died 1596) and Jean Cockburn (died 1600). Jean Cockburn's aunt, Elizabeth Douglas, Lady Temple Hall, was also a poet. She was part of the same group of writers in East Lothian. Marie would not have been called "Marie Lauder" after her marriage. This is because women in early modern Scotland usually kept their own family names.
Marie Maitland, Lady Haltoun, had several children:
- Alexander Lauder, who was the younger heir of Hatton (died 1623). He married Susannah Cunningham. She was a daughter of the Earl of Glencairn.
- Richard Lauder of Hatton (1589-1675). His younger daughter Elizabeth married Charles Maitland. He later became the Earl of Lauderdale.
- Jane Lauder. She married Alexander Hay of Smithfield first. Then she married Bryce Sempill of Boghauche and Cathcart.
- Helen Lauder (died 1620). She married Thomas Young of Leny, who was a lawyer.
Marie Maitland passed away in June 1596. Soon after, Alexander Lauder married Annabella Bellenden. She was the sister of a lawyer named Lewis or Ludovick Bellenden. She was also the sister-in-law of a courtier named Margaret Livingstone, Countess of Orkney. Annabella became a stepmother to Marie's young children.
George Lauder was a son of Alexander Lauder and Annabella Bellenden. He was a soldier and a friend of William Drummond of Hawthornden. George also became a well-known poet.
