# John Maitland — The Middle Temple Murder character guide

> John Maitland in The Middle Temple Murder by J. S. Fletcher.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Maitland, John Maitland of Market Milcaster

**First appearance:** 0014-xv-market-milcaster

## Snapshot

A disgraced Market Milcaster man whose name shadows the Marbury murder, he is either victim or villain depending on who is telling the story.

## Who they are

Maitland was a Market Milcaster man who went to prison and left behind a ruined family, a vanished son, and a fortune nobody could trace. His sister-in-law Jane Baylis speaks of him with cold contempt, while old Elphick insists with strange heat that Maitland never killed anyone. Whether he is the murdered man in the mortuary or the murderer everyone is hunting, his shadow lies across every clue Spargo turns up.

## Relationships

### [Frank Spargo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/characters/frank_spargo)

_professional_

John Maitland is a key witness or suspect, and Frank interviews him as part of the investigation.

### [Jane Baylis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/characters/jane_baylis)

_family_

Jane Baylis and John Maitland are related, likely as father and daughter or close kin.

### [Frank Spargo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/characters/frank_spargo)

_professional_

John Maitland is a key witness or suspect, and Frank interviews him as part of the investigation.

### [Jane Baylis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/characters/jane_baylis)

_family_

Jane Baylis and John Maitland are related, likely as father and daughter or close kin.

### [Frank Spargo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/characters/frank_spargo)

_professional_

John Maitland is a key witness or suspect, and Frank interviews him as part of the investigation.

## In the story

### [Mr. Quarterpage Harks Back](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/chapters/xvii-mr-quarterpage-harks-back)

Identified by Mr. Quarterpage as the probable original owner of the silver ticket; a once well-known man in Market Milcaster.

### [XVIII: An Old Newspaper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/chapters/xviii-an-old-newspaper)

Former bank manager of Market Milcaster Bank, convicted of embezzling over £221,000, sentenced to ten years.

### [XIX: The Chamberlayne Story](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/chapters/xix-the-chamberlayne-story)

Former banker convicted of embezzlement; his disappearance after release is discussed.

### [XX: Maitland Alias Marbury](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/chapters/xx-maitland-alias-marbury)

Former resident of Market Milcaster, convicted in the Chamberlayne affair; now believed to be the murdered man known as Marbury.

### [Arrested](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/chapters/xxi-arrested)

Revealed to be the true identity of John Marbury; his past as a bank embezzler and ex-convict is confirmed.

### [XXII: The Blank Past](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/chapters/xxii-the-blank-past)

Marbury's true identity; a former bank manager sentenced for embezzlement.

### [XXIII: Miss Baylis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/chapters/xxiii-miss-baylis)

Referred to as a thoroughly bad and unprincipled man; his son died while in Miss Baylis's care; his identity as the murdered man Marbury is confirmed.

### [XXIV: Mother Gutch](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/chapters/xxiv-mother-gutch)

Maitland is discussed as the father of the boy and as having been imprisoned.

### [Revelations](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/chapters/xxv-revelations)

Referred to as the father of the boy who was taken away and told the child was dead.

### [XXVII: Mr. Elphick's Chambers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/chapters/xxvii-mr-elphick-s-chambers)

Identified as the murdered man previously known as John Marbury.

### [XXX: Revelation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/chapters/xxx-revelation)

Referred to as the murder victim and as Breton's father; his grave is suspected to be empty.

### [XXXII: The Contents of the Coffin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/chapters/xxxii-the-contents-of-the-coffin)

Mentioned as Ronald Breton's father; believed to have been led astray by Chamberlayne.

### [Myerst Explains](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/chapters/xxxv-myerst-explains)

Referred to as the murder victim and Breton's father; Myerst claims to have his papers and valuables.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/characters/john_maitland
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_temple_murder_se/characters