Clan Maxwell is a

Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Scottish Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared heritage and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure r ...

of the

Scottish Lowlands The Lowlands ( or , ; , ) is a cultural and historical region of Scotland. The region is characterised by its relatively flat or gently rolling terrain as opposed to the mountainous landscapes of the Scottish Highlands. This area includes ci ...

and is recognized as such by the

Lord Lyon King of Arms The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officer of State, Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scotland, Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry i ...

. However, as the clan does not currently have a chief, it is considered an armigerous clan.

History

Origins of the clan

The claimed origin of the name

Maxwell Maxwell may refer to: People * Maxwell (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** James Clerk Maxwell, mathematician and physicist * Justice Maxwell (disambiguation) * Maxwell baronets, in the Baronetage of N ...

is that it comes from ''Maccus Well'', a pool in the

River Tweed The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is a river long that flows east across the Border region in Scotland and northern England. Tweed cloth derives its name from its association with the River Tweed. The Tweed is one of the great salmon rivers ...

near Kelso, Scottish Borders. Maccus or Magnus in Old Norse was believed to be a Norse chief who lived during the reign of

David I of Scotland David I or Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim (Scottish Gaelic, Modern Gaelic: ''Daibhidh I mac haoilChaluim''; – 24 May 1153) was a 12th century ruler and saint who was David I as Prince of the Cumbrians, Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 112 ...

. Sir John Maxwell was Chamberlain of Scotland but he died without issue and was succeeded by his younger brother, Aymer. From Aymer's sons sprang many branches of the family throughout south-west

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

Wars of Scottish Independence

Sir Herbert Maxwell appears on the Ragman Rolls of 1296, swearing fealty to

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 ...

. Herbert's son, Eustace Maxwell held Caerlaverock Castle as a vassal of the English, however he later followed

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...

to the Battle of Bannockburn.

15th and 16th centuries

Eustace's descendant, another Sir Herbert, was created Lord Maxwell in about 1440. He took a seat as a Lord of Parliament. A branch of the clan, the Maxwells of Monreith descend from his second son and they were later created baronets in 1681. John Maxwell, 4th Lord Maxwell was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. The fifth Lord Maxwell intrigued with King

Henry VII of England Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509), also known as Henry Tudor, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henr ...

. In 1526 the Maxwells supported Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus at the Battle of Melrose where they defeated the forces of Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

. However, by 1542 King James V of Scotland had appointed him Warden of the Marches. Also in 1542 Lord Maxwell was captured at the Battle of Solway Moss. John Maxwell, the seventh Lord Maxwell was a devout Catholic throughout the

Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process whereby Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke away from the Catholic Church, and established the Protestant Church of Scotland. It forms part of the wider European 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Fr ...

and he was linked to a number of plots to restore

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

to the throne. After Mary was executed in 1587 and after the defeat of the

Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (often known as Invincible Armada, or the Enterprise of England, ) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aristocrat without previous naval ...

, Lord Maxwell continued to correspond with

Philip II of Spain Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...

trying to gain support for a Catholic revolution. However Maxwell was killed in 1593 in a feud with the Clan Johnstone of Lockerbie. (See: Battle of Dryfe Sands). The feud continued and the next Lord Maxwell shot Sir James Johnstone. Maxwell's brother, Robert, succeeded to the Maxwell title and was created Earl of Nithsdale in 1620.

17th century

Lord Maxwell was also at feud with the powerful Clan Douglas over the Earldom of Morton, which he regarded as his inheritance. For this quarrel he was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle in 1607. After escaping, he shot Sir James in the back during a meeting held "under trust", and he fled to France. He was convicted of treason in his absence and sentenced to death. On his return to Scotland in 1612 he was arrested, and was beheaded at Edinburgh on 21 May 1613.

18th century and Jacobite risings

The fifth Earl of Nithsdale was a staunch Jacobite and was captured at the Battle of Preston (1715) during the

Jacobite rising of 1715 The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Francis Edward Stuart, James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland ...

. He was sentenced to death and imprisoned in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

. However, with the assistance of his wife Winifred, he disguised himself as a serving woman and the couple fled to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

where the earl died in 1744.

Notable People and Groups

* Barons Farnham * Earls of Nithsdale * Heron-Maxwell baronets * Lords Herries of Terregles * Maxwell baronets of Cardoness (1804) * Maxwell baronets of Monreith (1681) * Maxwell baronets of Orchardtoun (1663) * Maxwell baronets of Pollok (1630) * Maxwells of Munches *

Henry Maxwell (1669–1730) Henry Maxwell Privy Council of Ireland, PC(I) (1699 – 2 February 1730) was an Anglo-Irish Whigs (British political party), Whig politician and political writer. He was one of the most influential and active figures in the Irish House of Commons ...

James Clerk Maxwell James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish physicist and mathematician who was responsible for the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, which was the first theory to describe electricity, magnetism an ...

Castles

* Caerlaverock Castle was the seat of the chief of Clan Maxwell. * Threave Castle was owned by the Clan Maxwell between 1526 and 1640. *Maxwell Castle was built in 1545 but destroyed by the English in 1570. * Buittle Castle owned by the Maxwells from the 16th century until 1984 * Newark Castle, Port Glasgow was built by the Clan Maxwell in the 15th century. * Haggs Castle was owned by the Maxwells from 1585 to 1972. * Pollok House, the seat of the Maxwell Baronets of Pollok, is now of international importance, as it houses the world-famous

Burrell Collection The Burrell Collection is a museum in Glasgow, Scotland, managed by Glasgow Museums. It houses the art collection of William Burrell, Sir William Burrell and Constance Burrell, Constance, Lady Burrell. The museum opened in 1983 and reopened on ...

in its grounds. * Isle Tower

Tartan

References

External links

Clan Maxwell Worldwide SocietyClan Maxwell Society Canada

Clan Maxwell Society of the USA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clan Maxwell Armigerous clans Gaelic families of Norse descent Scottish Lowlands