Maitland and Dowding families, Blandford & Portsmouth

[ECMaitland]

I am researching the Maitland family who lived in Blanford in the early 1900s. My g grandfather, George, was born in Blandford c 1835 and married Emily Dowding in 1879. George was a tailor and the son of James and Elizabeth Maitland. Emily's mother was also a Maitland - her name was Charlotte and she was the daughter of William Maitland (shoemaker of Blandford) and Mary. I think that William died about 1857 and Mary in 1873, both in Blandford.

George had 4 brothers, 2 of whom lived into adulthood - James b 1829 and John b 1839.

There seem to be several other Maitland's born at a similar time to George around in the town/vicinity at the time, including David who was born c 1813, Andrew bc 1809 and Charlotte bc 1808.

The family appear to have moved to Hampshire some time after 1840 with George, James and John all living at separate addresses in Harley Street, Portsea in the 1871 census.

Does anyone know anything about the Dorset Maitlands ? In particular I'd like to be able to identify James' and Elizabeth's parents/siblings. And. of course, solve the mystery of how a family with a Scottish name ended up in Dorset.

[Richard Leveson]

I am descended from William Maitland's brother Andrew. They seem to have been the children of James and Letitia Maitland. James was a post-boy (postillion) and I am interested to know that William was a shoemaker. Letitia died in William's house in 1859 aged 82. I could speculate that James might have worked for a wealthy family who moved from Scotland to Dorset.

William's daughter Sarah (1829-75) married John Barton (who was Jewish) and my mother remembers the old man in a skull cap. Andrew's daughter Elizabeth was my mother's grandmother.

Was not William's full name William Baker Maitland?

You can reach me directly at levesonr@rogers.com