Patrick Maitland, 17th Earl of Lauderdale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patrick Maitland, 17th Earl of Lauderdale
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| Member of Parliament for Lanark |
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| In office 25 October 1951 – 18 September 1959 |
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| Preceded by | Alec Douglas-Home |
| Succeeded by | Judith Hart |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 March 1911 |
| Died | 2 December 2008 (aged 97) |
| Political party | Unionist |
| Spouses |
Stanka Losanitch
(m. 1936; died 2003) |
Patrick Francis Maitland, 17th Earl of Lauderdale (born March 17, 1911 – died December 2, 2008) was an important Scottish politician. He was known as The Hon. Patrick Maitland, Master of Lauderdale from 1953 until 1968. He held a special title called an "Earl," which is a noble rank in the United Kingdom.
Contents
Early Life and Journalism
Patrick Maitland went to school at Lancing College and then to Brasenose College, Oxford University. He earned a degree there in 1933. After university, he started a career in journalism.
During World War II, he worked as a special reporter for The Times newspaper from 1939 to 1941. He reported from places like the Balkans. He also wrote for the Washington News Chronicle.
Later, he became a war correspondent for the News Chronicle. He covered the war in the Pacific Ocean, Australia, and New Zealand from 1941 to 1943. He even flew as a tail gunner in a B17 plane. He also joined the British Foreign Office to help with political information.
His Time in Politics
In 1951, Patrick Maitland became a member of parliament (MP) for Lanark. An MP is someone elected to represent a specific area in the country's government. He took over the seat from Alec Douglas-Home, who later became Prime Minister.
Maitland served as an MP until 1959. Then, Judith Hart from the Labour Party won the seat. From 1957 to 1959, he led a group in the British House of Commons focused on the Commonwealth. He also chaired a special committee on energy and transport.
In 1968, he became the Earl of Lauderdale after his brother passed away. This meant he inherited a special title and a seat in the House of Lords. The House of Lords is another part of the UK Parliament.
He was involved in many important committees. From 1974 to 1979, he chaired a committee in the House of Lords that looked closely at laws from the EEC. He also helped start a group in Parliament that studied energy. He was also appointed chairman of the 'Church in Danger' All-Party Parliamentary Group in 1988.
At the time of his death, he was 97 years old. He was the second oldest living former Member of Parliament. Only Bert Hazell was older than him.
Other Interests and Roles
Besides politics, Patrick Maitland had many other roles. He was a director at Elf Aquitaine (UK) Holdings Ltd., which is a large energy company. He also worked as a consultant, giving advice on economic geography and industry.
He was a former editor of The Fleet Street Letter Service, which provided political news. He also edited The Whitehall Letter. He was a member of the College of Guardians of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. He was also President of The Church Union.
Patrick Maitland was a member of the Royal Geographical Society. This society promotes geographical discovery and understanding. He was also a member of two famous clubs: the Travellers Club in London and the New Club in Edinburgh.
He held a special family role as the Hereditary Bearer of the National Flag of Scotland. He was also the Clan Chief of Clan Maitland.
He also wrote two books:
- European Dateline (1945)
- Task for Giants (1957)
Family Life
On July 20, 1936, Patrick Maitland married Stanka Losanitch. She was from Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Stanka's grandfather was Professor Sima Lozanić, a famous chemist. Stanka passed away in 2003.
Patrick and Stanka had four children:
- Ian Maitland, 18th Earl of Lauderdale (born 1937): He became the 18th Earl of Lauderdale. He was in the Royal Navy Reserve and worked as a banker. He has a son named John Douglas Maitland.
- Lady Olga Maitland (born 1944): She also became a politician and was a Member of Parliament from 1992 to 1997. She married Robin William Patrick Hamilton Hay and they have two sons and a daughter.
- Lady (Caroline Charlotte) Militza Maitland (1946–2010): She worked as a counselor and physiotherapist.
- Rev. Hon. Sydney Milivoje Patrick Maitland (born 1951): He became a priest in the Scottish Episcopal Church.
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Patrick Francis Maitland, 17th Earl of Lauderdale
