Thomas Maitland (British Army officer)

General Maitland meets Toussaint L'Ouverture to discuss the secret treaty

Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Maitland, GCB, GCH (1759–1824) was a British soldier and colonial governor. He also served as a Member of Parliament for Haddington from 1790–96, 1802–06 and 1812–13. He was made a Privy Councillor on 23 November 1803. He was the third son of James Maitland, 7th Earl of Lauderdale and younger brother of James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale.

Military service

Maitland was commissioned into the Edinburgh Light Horse, shortly after his birth, but did not take up his commission until he joined the 78th Foot as a Captain in 1778. He transferred to the 72nd Foot, and then to the 62nd Foot as a Major in 1790. He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in 1794 and Colonel and Brigadier-General in 1798.

Love story at Ceylon

The governor's palace, Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka

Whilst he was assigned to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) as the governor during the period of 1805–1811, Maitland was attracted to a place at "Galkissa" (Mount Lavinia) and decided to construct his palace there.

During this time, Maitland fell in love with a half-caste dancing girl named Lovina who had been born to Portuguese and Sinhalese parents. During the construction, the governor gave instructions for the construction of a secret tunnel to Lovina's house which was located close to the governor's palace. One end of the tunnel was inside the well of Lovina's house and the other end was in a wine cellar inside the governor's palace. When the governor came to reside there, he would often use the tunnel to meet Lovina.

Maitland left Ceylon in 1811 and transferred to Malta, where he lived and died as a bachelor. There he was known as "King Tom" by the Maltese. He also served as governor of Corfu during the British administration of the island.

After some time in 1920, the tunnel was sealed up and the Sinhalese village that surrounded the Governor’s mansion developed into a modern city. Later the city of "Galkissa" was renamed "Mount Lavinia" in honour of Lovina.

The bicentenary celebration of the Mount Lavinia Hotel was held in 2005. Some of Sir Thomas Maitland's relatives living in the UK attended the ceremony.

See also

• Mount Lavinia Hotel

Further reading

• Dixon, Cyril Willis (1939) The Colonial Administrations of Sir Thomas Maitland Longmans, Green and Company, London, OCLC 2888724; reprinted in 1968 by Cass, London, OCLC 461019
• Hulugalle, H. A. J. (1963) "Sir Thomas Maitland (1805-1811)" British Governors of Ceylon Associated Newspapers of Ceylon, Colombo, Sri Lanka, pages 18–25, OCLC 4175720

External links

• worldstatesmen.org
• regiments.org
• The Louverture Project: Thomas Maitland - Thomas Maitland and the Haitian Revolution.

Political offices
Preceded by Frederick North	Governor of Ceylon 1805–1811	Succeeded by John Wilson, acting
Preceded by Sir Hildebrand Oakes (Civil Commissioner)	Governor of Malta 1813–1824	Succeeded by The Marquess of Hastings
New title	Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands 1815–1823	Succeeded by Sir Frederick Adam
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by William Fullarton	Member of Parliament for the Haddington Burghs 1790–1796	Succeeded by Robert Baird
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Robert Baird	Member of Parliament for the Haddington Burghs 1802–1805	Succeeded by John Dalrymple
Preceded by Sir George Warrender, Bt	Member of Parliament for the Haddington Burghs 1812–1813	Succeeded by Anthony Maitland
Military offices
New regiment	Colonel of the 10th West India Regiment 1798–1802	Regiment disbanded
	Colonel of the 5th Garrison Battalion 1803–1805
	Colonel of the 3rd Garrison Battalion 1805–1807	Succeeded by The Lord Forbes
Preceded by Oliver Nicolls	Colonel of the 4th West India Regiment 1807–1811	Succeeded by Sir James Leith
Preceded by Henry Edward Fox	Colonel of the 10th Regiment of Foot 1811–1824	Succeeded by Sir John Lambert
Honorary titles
New title	Grand Master of the Order of St Michael and St George 1818–1824	Succeeded by The Duke of Cambridge