
Sir Herbert Eustace Maxwell, 7th Baronet, (8 January 1845 – 30 October 1937) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, artist, antiquarian, horticulturalist, prominent salmon angler and author of books on angling and
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
politician who sat in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
from 1880 to 1906.
Early life
A member of
Clan Maxwell
Clan Maxwell is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands and is recognized as such by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. However, as the clan does not currently have a chief, it is considered an armigerous clan.
History Origins of the clan
The cla ...
descended from the first
Lord Maxwell
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are e ...
of
Caerlaverock Castle
Caerlaverock Castle is a moated triangular castle first built in the 13th century. It is located on the southern coast of Scotland, south of Dumfries, on the edge of the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve. Caerlaverock was a stronghold of t ...
, Maxwell was the eldest surviving son of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir William Maxwell, 6th Baronet and his wife, Helenora Shaw-Stewart, daughter of
Sir Michael Shaw-Stewart, 5th Baronet
''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part o ...
. He was educated at
Eton
Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England.
Eton may also refer to:
Places
*Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England
*Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States
*Éton, a commune in the Meuse depa ...
and at
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...
. He was a captain in the 4th battalion
Royal Scots Fusiliers
The Royal Scots Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1678 until 1959 when it was amalgamated with the Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Ma ...
and a
J.P. and
Deputy Lieutenant for
Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown (, ) is one of the Counties of Scotland, historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Wigtownshire was an counties of Scotland, administrative county used for ...
.
Political career

Maxwell was elected
Member of Parliament for
Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown (, ) is one of the Counties of Scotland, historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Wigtownshire was an counties of Scotland, administrative county used for ...
in the
1880 general election and held the seat until 1906. He served in the
Conservative administration of
Lord Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (; 3 February 183022 August 1903), known as Lord Salisbury, was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United ...
as a
Junior Lord of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom there are at least six Lords (or Ladies) Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, serving as a Government agency, commission for the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer, Treasurer of the Exchequer. The board consists of the ...
from 1886 to 1892 and was admitted to the
Privy Council in 1897. By April 1897, Maxwell held the chair of the
Royal Commission on Tuberculosis
The Royal Commission on Tuberculosis (1896–1898), also known as the First Royal Commission on Tuberculosis, was an early investigation into the history of tuberculosis (TB).
On 25 April 1895 the report was published as a parliamentary paper.
...
.
He was
Lord Lieutenant of Wigtown
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Wigtown, part of the Dumfries and Galloway council area of south-west Scotland. Prior to 1975 the lieutenancy area corresponded to the historic county of Wigtownshire. Since 1975 the li ...
from 1903 to 1935. He was made a
Knight of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland, who asserted that he was reviving an earlier order. The ...
in 1933. He received an honorary doctorate (
LL.D
A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...
) from the
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...
in June 1901.
Antiquarian interests
Maxwell was President of the
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body of Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. The Society's aim is to promote the cultural heritage of Scotland.
The usu ...
(1900–1913), and Chairman of the
National Library of Scotland
The National Library of Scotland (NLS; ; ) is one of Scotland's National Collections. It is one of the largest libraries in the United Kingdom. As well as a public programme of exhibitions, events, workshops, and tours, the National Library of ...
(1925–1932). He was the chairman of
(RCAHMS) from its inception in 1908 until 1934.
Maxwell gave the
Rhind Lectures in 1893, on the place names of Scotland,
and again in 1912 on the early chronicles relating to Scotland.
In 1913 he published a report on the
Talnotrie Hoard
The Talnotrie hoard is a 9th-century mixed hoard of jewellery, coinage, metal-working objects and raw materials found in Talnotrie, Scotland, in 1912. Initially assumed to have belonged to a Northumbrian metal-worker, more recent interpretations a ...
.
[Maxwell, Herbert]
"Notes on a Hoard of Personal Ornaments, Implements, and Anglo-Saxon and Northumbrian Coins from Talnotrie, Kirkcudbrightshire."
''Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland''. Vol. 47. 1913.
He was elected a
Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...
in 1898 and was awarded the
Victoria Medal of Honour
The Victoria Medal of Honour (VMH) is awarded to British horticulturists resident in the United Kingdom whom the Royal Horticultural Society Council considers deserving of special honour by the Society.
The award was established in 1897 "in per ...
by the
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...
in 1917.
[
]
Marriage and issue
Maxwell married Mary Fletcher-Campbell, daughter of Henry Fletcher-Campbell, of Boquhan
Boquhan (pronounced Bow-whawn) is a hamlet in Stirling, Scotland, sometimes known as Wester Boquhan to distinguish it from another Boquhan, near Kippen. The hamlet lies southwest of the village of Balfron and northeast of Killearn.
Just east ...
, Stirling, on 20 January 1869. She predeceased him on 3 September 1910. By her, he had two sons and three daughters:
* Sgt. William Maxwell (29 September 1869 – 12–19 June 1897), died on the veldt
Veld ( or , Afrikaans language, Afrikaans and Dutch language, Dutch: ''veld'', field), also spelled veldt, is a type of wide-open, rural landscape in Southern Africa. Particularly, it is a flat area covered in grass or low scrubland, scrub, ...
near Fort Gibbs, Mashonaland
Mashonaland is a region in northeastern Zimbabwe. It is home to nearly half of the population of Zimbabwe. The majority of the Mashonaland people are from the Shona tribe while the Zezuru and Korekore dialects are most common. Harare is the larg ...
* Ann Christian Maxwell (5 September 1871 – 5 April 1937), married Sir John Stirling-Maxwell, 10th Baronet
Sir John Maxwell Stirling-Maxwell, 10th Baronet, KT, DL, FRSE (6 June 1866 – 30 May 1956) was a Scottish landowner, Tory politician and philanthropist.
Life
The eldest son of Sir William Stirling-Maxwell, 9th Baronet and Lady Anna Maria ...
* Winfred Edith (19 July 1873 – 30 October 1968), married Alastair Graham-Moir of Leckie.
* Beatrice Mary (24 January 1875 – 11 April 1938), married Ernest Walker, son of Sir James Robert Walker, 2nd Baronet in St Margaret's Westminster on 10 October 1901.
* Lt. Col. Aymer Edward Maxwell (26 October 1877 – 9 October 1914). In 1909, he married Lady Mary Percy, daughter of Henry Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland
Henry George Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland, (29 May 1846 – 14 May 1918), styled Lord Warkworth between 1865 and 1867 and Earl Percy between 1867 and 1899, was a British Conservative politician. He served as Treasurer of the Household un ...
and by her had one daughter and three sons before he died of wounds suffered at Antwerp while serving with the Lovat Scouts
The Lovat Scouts was a British Army unit first formed during the Second Boer War as a Scottish Highland yeomanry regiment. They were the first known military unit to wear a ghillie suit, and were renowned for their elite reconnaissance capabili ...
:
** Christian Maxwell (31 July 1910 – 7 May 1980), died unmarried
** Sir Aymer Maxwell, 8th Baronet
''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part o ...
(7 December 1911 – 8 July 1987)
** Eustace Maxwell (24 February 1913 – 12 April 1971), married Dorothy Bellville, with whom he had one daughter and one son:
***Diana Mary Maxwell (born 19 January 1942)
*** Sir Michael Maxwell, 9th Baronet (1943-2021)
** Gavin Maxwell
Gavin Maxwell FRSL FZS FRGS (15 July 19147 September 1969) was a Scottish naturalist and author, best known for his non-fiction writing and his work with otters. He became most famous for '' Ring of Bright Water'' (1960) and its sequels, which ...
(15 July 1914 – 7 September 1969), naturalist, and author of ''Ring of Bright Water''
Sir Herbert died at Monreith House, Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown (, ) is one of the Counties of Scotland, historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Wigtownshire was an counties of Scotland, administrative county used for ...
, aged 92.
Works
Novels
* ''Sir Lucian Elphin'' (1889)
* ''The Letter of the Law'' (1890)
* ''A Duke of Britain'' (1895)
''Chevalier of the Splendid Crest'' (1900)
Nonfiction
''Meridiana, Noontide Essays'' (1892)
''Scottish Land Names'' (1894)
''Post meridiana: Afternoon Essays'' (1895)
''Rainy Days in a Library'' (1896)
''Sixty Years a Queen''
(London: Harmsworth, 1897)
* ''Memories of the Months'' (7 series-1897 through to 1922)
''Salmon and Sea Trout'' (1898)
''The life of Wellington. The restoration of the martial power of Great Britain'' (1899)
''Robert the Bruce and the Struggle for Scottish Independence'' (1901)
* ''History of the House of Douglas-from the earliest times down to the legislative union of England and Scotland'' (1902), introduction by William Lindsay, Windsor Herald
Volume 1
Volume 2
* ''British Soldiers in the Field'' (1902)
''British Fresh-Water Fish'' (1904)
*
of the Tweed'' (1905)
* ''Scalacronica
The ''Scalacronica'' (1066–1363) is a chronicle written in Anglo-Norman French by Sir Thomas Grey of Heaton near Norham in Northumberland. It was started whilst he was imprisoned by the Scots in Edinburgh Castle, after being captured in an ...
; The reigns of Edward I, Edward II and Edward III as Recorded by Sir Thomas Gray'' (1907)
''Official guide to the Abbey-church, palace, and environs of Holyroodhouse'' (1908)
''Scottish Gardens'' (1908)
* ''Cronicles of the Houghton Fishing Club 1822-1908'' (1908)
''The Making of Scotland'' (1911)
''The Lanercost Chronicle'' (1913); translated from the Latin, with notes
''Fishing at Home and Abroad'' (1913)
i
Classics of Angling Literature
''The Lowland Scots regiments : their origin, character and services previous to the great war of 1914'' (1918)
* ''The Place Names of Galloway: Their Origin & Meaning Considered'' (1930)
Also "Lives" of W. H. Smith, Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
, Romney, etc.
References
*
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell, Herbert
1845 births
1937 deaths
Nobility from Dumfries and Galloway
Herbert
Herbert may refer to:
People
* Herbert (musician), a pseudonym of Matthew Herbert
* Herbert (given name)
* Herbert (surname)
Places Antarctica
* Herbert Mountains, Coats Land
* Herbert Sound, Graham Land
Australia
* Herbert, Northern Territor ...
People educated at Eton College
Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford
Royal Scots Fusiliers officers
Scottish novelists
Scottish essayists
Scottish genealogists
Knights of the Thistle
Baronets in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia
Fellows of the Royal Society
Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society
Lord-lieutenants of Wigtown
Scottish Tory MPs (pre-1912)
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Scottish constituencies
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
UK MPs 1880–1885
UK MPs 1885–1886
UK MPs 1886–1892
UK MPs 1892–1895
UK MPs 1895–1900
UK MPs 1900–1906
Scottish horticulturists
Directors of the Glasgow and South Western Railway
Victoria Medal of Honour recipients
Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland