The Earl of Lauderdale | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Parliament forLanark | |
| In office 25 October 1951 – 18 September 1959 | |
| Preceded by | Alec Douglas-Home |
| Succeeded by | Judith Hart |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Patrick Maitland (1911-03-17)17 March 1911 |
| Died | 2 December 2008(2008-12-02) (aged 97) |
| Political party | Unionist |
| Spouses | |
Patrick Francis Maitland, 17th Earl of Lauderdale,FRGS (17 March 1911 – 2 December 2008),[1] styledThe Hon. Patrick Maitland, Master of Lauderdale, from 1953 to 1968, was aScottish Unionist politician.
Educated atLancing, West Sussex, andBrasenose College, Oxford (B.A. Hons., 1933), Maitland then entered a career in journalism. During theSecond World War he served as Special Correspondent (Balkans & Danubian) forThe Times 1939–1941, and in the latter year was also Special Correspondent for theWashington News Chronicle. He was then War Correspondent for theNews Chronicle in thePacific, Australia, andNew Zealand 1941–1943, was with the US Marines at Guadalcanal, flew as a tail gunner in a B17 and then joined the Political Intelligence Department of the Foreign Office where he ran the Yugoslav DepartmentBritish Foreign Office, 1943–1945.[2]
In 1951, he was elected a member of parliament (MP) forLanark, after its previous MP (and future Prime Minister)Alec Douglas-Home was disqualified after succeeding to his father'speerage. Maitland held the seat until 1959 when it was taken byLabour candidateJudith Hart. From 1957 to 1959 he was Founder-Chairman of the Expanding Commonwealth Group at theHouse of Commons, where he was also Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Energy, and Transport.[3]
Maitland succeeded his brother, The ReverendAlfred Maitland, 16th Earl of Lauderdale in the earldom in 1968. He was also a member of theConservative Monday Club;[4] and was Chairman of the House of Lords Select Committee onEEC Scrutiny 1974–1979, Vice-Chairman of the Association of Conservative Peers Committee 1980–1987, Vice-Chairman and co-founder of the parliamentary group for Energy Studies 1980–1999, appointed Chairman of the 'Church in Danger' All-Party Parliamentary Group 1988.[3] He was a Life member of theSociety for Individual Freedom. At the time of his death, aged 97, he was the second oldest living former Member of Parliament, exceeded only byBert Hazell.
Lauderdale's other roles included being a Director ofElf Aquitaine (UK) Holdings Ltd.,[3] Consultant in Economic Geography, an Industrial Consultant, a former editor ofThe Fleet Street Letter Service (an agency for political and diplomatic news), and editor ofThe Whitehall Letter. He was a member of the College of Guardians of the National Shrine ofOur Lady of Walsingham, Norfolk 1955–1982, and was President ofThe Church Union 1956–1961. He was a Fellow of theRoyal Geographical Society and a member of theTravellers Club in London[5] and theNew Club in Edinburgh.[6] He was also theHereditary Bearer of the National Flag of Scotland,[7] andClan Chief ofClan Maitland[2]
His publications[2] include:
On 20 July 1936, he married Stanka (died 2003), elder daughter of Professor Milivoje Losanitch (serb. Lozanić), fromBelgrade,Yugoslavia,[6] granddaughter of ProfessorSima Losanitch,chemist, president of theSerbian Royal Academy, first rector ofUniversity of Belgrade, minister of foreign affairs, ambassador of theKingdom of Serbia in London etc.,[citation needed] and had issue:
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forLanark 1951–1959 | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
| Preceded by | Earl of Lauderdale 1968–2008 | Succeeded by |
