William Maitland (historian) facts for kids

William Maitland (born around 1693, died 1757) was a Scottish businessman. He became famous for writing books about history and describing different places. He was known as a historian and a topographer.

His Life Story

William Maitland was born in a town called Brechin, in Scotland, around the year 1693. When he was younger, he traveled around northern Europe. He worked as a "hair merchant," which meant he bought and sold hair, likely for making wigs that were popular at the time.

Later, he lived in London for a while. He was very smart and interested in learning new things. Because of his knowledge, he became a member of two important groups. In 1733, he joined the Royal Society, which is a famous group for scientists. Then, in 1736, he became a member of the Society of Antiquaries of London, a group for people who study old things and history. He left this group in 1740 when he moved back to Scotland.

His Famous Books

The History and Survey of London, by William Maitland, published in 1756.

A print of Bethlehem Hospital by William Henry Toms for Maitland's History of London, published in 1739.

William Maitland wrote several important books. In 1739, he published a big book called The History of London. This book covered the city's story from when it was founded by the Romans all the way up to his own time. It also included information about nearby areas like Westminster and Southwark. The book had many beautiful pictures. Later, new versions of this book were published, with updates and more details.

His next major book was about Scotland's capital city. In 1753, he published The History of Edinburgh. This book told the story of Edinburgh from its beginnings. It also described the different parts of the city and nearby Leith. Like his London book, it included many pictures of important buildings.

Around 1750, Maitland wanted to write a huge book about all of Scotland. He sent letters to ministers across the country, asking for information. Not many people replied, but he decided to travel around Scotland himself to gather facts. His last big work was History and Antiquities of Scotland. This book was published in 1757, after he had passed away. It used his own experiences and research to tell Scotland's history from ancient times up to the year 1437.