MAITTAIRE, MICHAEL, son of Michel Maittaire, Rouen, Normandy, France; b. 29 Nov 1668; his parents settled in England after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes; adm.; KS 1682; Christ Church, Oxford, matr. 16 Oct 1688, aged 18, Canoneer Student 7 Jul 1693 – void 1706; BA 1694; MA 23 Mar 1696/7 (incorp. Cambridge 1708); Under Master of the School 1695-9; kept a private boarding school at Mile End; a non-juror (Hearne, Collections iii, 320), declining to take orders in Church of England; librarian to Sir Richard Ellys, Bart.; tutor to Philip Stanhope (adm. 1743, qv), the illegitimate son of Lord Chesterfield; a classical scholar and historian of typography; the sale of his library occupied 44 evenings; edited classical texts; author, Annales Typographiae, 1719-41, and other works; d. 7 Sep 1747. DNB.
Maitland, The Hon. Sydney George William, second son of Frederick, 13th Earl of Lauderdale, by his first wife, Charlotte Sarah, daughter of Lieut.-Col. Burrows Willcocks Arthur Sleigh, 77th Regt.; b. Dec. 12, 1869; adm. Oct. 1, 1883 (H); left April 1887; Trin. Coll. Camb. (adm. pensr. May 21, 1888); B.A. 1891; M.A. 1895; Cuddesdon Theol. Coll.; ordained deacon 1893, priest 1894 (Lichfield); Curate of St. John's, Longton, Staffs, 1893-6, of Tividale, Staffs, 1896-1902; Vicar of St. Mary Palfrey, Walsall, Staffs, 1903-14, of St. Luke's, Southport, Lancs, 1914-9, of St. Paul, Burton-on-Trent, 1919-27; organising secretary U.M.C.A. for Midlands 1930-34; Rector of lngestre, Staffs, 1927-37 with Tixall, Staffs, from 1932; m. April 11, 1899, Ella Frances, daughter of the Rev. James Richards, Vicar of St. Peter's, Newbold, Lancs; d. Aug. 21, 1946.
MAITLAND, HON. GEORGE, fourth son of Charles Maitland, 6th Earl of Lauderdale (S), and Lady Elizabeth Ogilvie, dau. of James Ogilvie, 4th Earl of Findlater and Seafield (S); b.; adm. (aged 9) Mar 1731/2; KS 1737; elected to Christ Church, Oxford 1741, matr. 30 May 1741, Westminster Student 22 Dec 1741 – res 20 Jan 1743; admonished for disobedience 1 Jun 1742; ordained; Vicar of Painstown, [check county : Meath ?]; Prebendary of Achonry 1755 – Apr 1764; d. unm. 18 Aug 1764.
Maitland, Alfred Sydney Frederick, 16th Earl of Lauderdale, son of the Hon. Sydney George William Maitland (q.v.); b. April 27, 1904; adm. Jan. 17, 1918 (R); left July 1921; Sidney Sussex Coll. Camb., matric. Michaelmas 1922; B.A. 1925; ordained deacon 1927, priest 1928 (Lichfield); Curate of Fenton, Staffs 1927-31, St. James, Wednesbury, Staffs 1931-2, All Saints, Sidley, Sussex 1932-7, Stoke-on-Trent 1937-9, Beene, Sussex 1939-53 and Woodham, Surrey 1953-6; Rector of Catsfield, Sussex since 1957; succeeded as 16th Earl of Lauderdale Feb. 17, 1953; m. 1st Aug. 6, 1938, Norah Mary, daughter of William Henry La Touche; 2nd June 4, 1940, Irene Alice Mary, daughter of the Rev. Charles Parry Shipton, Rector of Halsham, Yorks.; d. 27 Nov. 1968.
Maitland, The Hon. Alfred Henry, brother of the Hon. Sydney George William Maitland (q.v.); b. Dec. 9, 1872; adm. Jan. 14, 1886 (H); left Nov. 1889; Trin. Coll. Camb.; d. 21 Sept. 1914.
Mair, John Dunbar, son of George Herbert Mair CMG, asst Dir. League of Nations Secretariat, and Maire O'Neill, actress; b. 23 Dec. 1914; adm. Sept. 1928 (B); left July 1933; a literary critic New Statesman; PO RAFVR Nov. 1941, DFC; m. 12 June 1940 Joan, d. of George Frederick Greenall of Hemsby, Norfolk; killed in a flying accident on active service 4 Apr. 1942.
John Dunbar Mair was born in Dublin, Ireland on the 24th of December 1914 the son of George Herbert Mair CMG, a journalist and an Assistant Director of the League of Nations Secretariat, and Maire Agnes (nee Allgood later O’Neill) Mair, an actress, of 34, Walpole Street in London. He was christened at Holy Trinity Church, Chelsea on the 16th of March 1915.
He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Busby’s from September 1928 to July 1933. He won the Mitchell Empire Essay Prize and placed 2nd for the Neale History Prize in 1933. On leaving school he became a literary critic for the New Statesman and later for the News Chronicle. He was the author of a biography of William Ireland entitled “The Fourth Forger”, published by Ayer & Company in 1938, and of the novel “Never Come Back” published by Victor Gollanz Ltd. in 1941. He was married in Hertfordshire on the 12th of June 1940 to Joan Marjorie (nee Greenall, later Feisenbergerand) they lived at 6, Caroline Terrace, Sloane Square in London.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve where rose to the rank of Sergeant and was posted to No. 8 Service Flying Training School based at RAF Montrose for pilot training.
On the 27th of June 1940, John Mair and Sergeant G. H. Reed took off in Master Mk I N7613 for a training exercise. At the time he had accumulated 74.30 hours of total solo flying time of which 46.20 were on Master aircraft. At 3pm the aircraft crashed at Drumlithie, Kincardineshire seriously injuring both men. They were admitted to Aberdeen Infirmary where John Mair was treated for facial injuries and a broken humerus.
He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 21st of November 1941 and later became an Observer. He was posted to No. 2 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit where he was attached to A Flight.
At 8.30am on the morning of the 4th of April 1942, John Mair and his crew were one of two crews which were briefed by Flight Lieutenant Aubrey Richard de Lisle Inniss, the commanding officer of A Flight, for a formation training exercise which was scheduled to last for three hours. The weather was reported as 3/10ths cloud down to 2,500 feet with visibility of eight to ten miles. He and his crew took off from RAF Catfoss in Blenheim Mk I L6975 along with Blenheim Mk I L1125 for the exercise. The two aircraft were flying at 2,000 feet, just off the coast at Skipsea and to the north of the airfield, when they began the exercise. At 9.20am the rearmost of the two aircraft hit the tail plane of the leading aircraft with its port wing. The tail plane became detached and the leading aircraft crashed into the sea killing all on board. The remaining aircraft became briefly inverted before it too crashed into the sea killing all on board.
The crew was: -
Flight Sergeant William Thomas Braun RCAF (Pilot)
Pilot Officer John Duncan Mair (Observer)
Sergeant Frederick Ernest Stanley Warren RAAF (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
The crew of Blenheim L1125 was: -
Sergeant George Arthur Edmonds (Pilot)
Vernon Gregory Hanrahan Copas RAAF (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant George Edward Peart (Observer)
His wife received the following letter dated the 17th of April 1942: - “Madam, I am commanded by the Air Council to express to you their great regret on learning that your husband, Pilot Officer John Dunbar Mair, Royal Air Force, lost his life as the result of an aircraft accident on 4th April, 1942. The Air Council desire me to convey to you their profound sympathy in your bereavement.”
John Mair’s body was recovered from the sea the following day but the rest of his crew were never found.
At a subsequent inquiry into the accident a number of statements were taken from witnesses to the accident and its aftermath: -
Statement of Head Observer John McKay Allman, Royal Observer Corps GI Post, Skipsea: - “On the morning of the 4th of April 1942 at 0925 hours, I noticed two Blenheims formating in Vic at 2000 feet on a southerly heading. The one on the right hit the tail plane of the other one with his port wing. The leading aircraft’s tail plane was ripped off and the machine immediately spun and crashed into the sea. The other aircraft went on to its back and flew inverted for a few seconds and then spun into the sea. The aircraft were flying straight and level when they collided.”
Statement of Flying Officer Thomas Primrose MB Ch.B: -
“I am assistant Medical Officer at Royal Air Force Station Catfoss. On the morning of the 4th April 1942 at about 0940 hours, I was informed that a crash had taken place in the sea off Skipsea. I proceeded to the scene of the crash with Squadron Leader Carpenter with three ambulances. On arriving at Skipsea I was directed one mile further up the coast, where I found the wreckage of a Blenheim aircraft lying between high and low water mark. One body, that of Sergeant Peart, was lying on the beach. He was dead. A few minutes later a life saving jacket was seen floating in towards the beach from the wrecked aircraft. This was retrieved, it was found to be attached to the dead body of Sergeant Copas. In an endeavour to discover the body of the pilot, a Corporal waded out to the wreckage and there we found the dead body of Sergeant Edmonds pinned under the wreckage. With assistance the body was got clear and retrieved. In my opinion death in these three cases was due to multiple injuries and to drowning. In the course of the afternoon of Sunday 5th April 1942, having been informed by the police that another body had been washed up on the shore, Squadron Leader Carpenter proceeded to the beach and retrieved the dead body of Pilot Officer Mair. Death in this case was also caused through multiple injuries. An open parachute was found amongst the wreckage.”
His funeral and cremation took place on the 10th of April 1942.
He is commemorated at Hull Crematorium Screen Wall, Panel 4.
MAINWARING, WILLIAM, brother of Edward Mainwaring (qv); b. 7 Sep 1737; adm. (aged 13) Jun 1752 (as Main (sic), but in school list as Mainwaring) (Burges'); Governor, Hudson’s Bay Co.; m. 16 Nov 1771 Frances, dau. of Richard Stone, Ilford, Essex; d. 6 May 1812.
MAINWARING, WALTER COYNEY, second son of Gordon Mainwaring, Whitmore Hall, Staffs., and Mary, dau. of Michael Hickey; b. (South Australia) 12 Mar 1855; adm. 12 Jun 1871 (G); left Christmas 1872; “fundholder” (1881 Census); d. 9 Nov 1888.
MAINWARING, EDWARD, eldest son of Edward Mainwaring, Whitmore Hall, Staffs., and Sarah, eldest dau. of William Bunbury, Inner Temple, London, barrister, Attorney-Gen. for Chester; b. 3 Sep 1736; adm. Jun 1752 (Burges'); Trinity Coll. Cambridge, adm. pens. 28 Nov 1755, scholar 1756; BA 1760; Gentleman of the Privy Chamber 1782 [check] [or perhaps Gentleman Usher Quarterly Waiter, Royal Household 5 Feb 1765 – res by 4 Apr 1783]; m. 19 May 1774 Anne, widow of Robert Davison, The Brand, Shropshire, and eldest dau. of Sir Philip Touchet Chetwode, Bart.; d. 7 Dec 1825.
Main, Ian Macdonald, brother of Archibald Pollock Main (q.v.); b. April 19, 1905; adm. Sept. 26, 1918 (G); left Aug. 1922; a heating engineer; retired; Lieut. R.A., T.A. Aug. 23, 1939; demob. Aug. 1945; d. 7 Mar. 1977.