Darcy Maxwell, born Darcy Brisbane; became Lady Maxwell of Pollok (1743 – 2 July 1810) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

follower of Methodism and a philanthropist. She started a poor school in Edinburgh and several Sunday Schools and she left a large diary.

Life

Maxwell was born in Brisbane in

Largs Largs () is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" (''An Leargaidh'') in Scottish Gaelic. A popular seaside resort with a pier, the town markets itself on its histor ...

in Scotland. Her father was Thomas Brisbane and when she was a teenager she married Sir Walter Maxwell of the Maxwell Macdonald baronets on 19 February 1760 in Edinburgh. An annuity of £300 a year was given to her in exchange for the transfer of ownership of her estate to her husband. By the time she was nineteen she was a mother and a widow as Walter died on 29 April 1762 and only weeks later their baby son, Sir John, died. Her husband's title went to her brother-in-law (now) Sir James Maxwell. She took this disaster as a signal from God and despite proposals of remarriage she decided to devote her life to religious causes. In 1764 she started to attend Methodist meetings and she met the movement's founder

John Wesley John Wesley ( ; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a principal leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies ...

. She also continued to attend Church of Scotland services where she could

Holy Communion The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by J ...

. In 1770 she not only paid for the creation of a school in Edinburgh for children too poor to pay for education, but she managed the school as well. She saw to the schools accounts and supervised the school's operation. Robert Raikes, who published a newspaper in Gloucester, had funded and publicised several

Sunday School ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...

s which he had organised with Thomas Stock. He and Raikes paid four women to teach children on Sundays in their homes in about 1780. The idea spread quickly and John Wesley was keen on the idea. The children would learn to read and also learn the

catechism A catechism (; from , "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of Catholic theology, doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult co ...

. Maxwell established several Sunday Schools. Two were in Edinburgh and one was in London.

Death and legacy

Maxwell died in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

in 1810. After her death two biographies were published; one by the Reverend John Lancaster in 1821. He was able to draw upon her "voluminous diary" and her letters. The other biography was by William Atherton and was published in 1838.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell, Darcy 1743 births 1810 deaths People from Largs Founders of Scottish schools and colleges Wives of baronets Darcy