Clan Maxwell

**Clan Maxwell** is a Lawland Scots clan an a minor house o the ryal House o Stuart (throu the marriage o John Maxwell, 4t Lord Maxwell  tae his wife Lady Agnes Stewart). The clan disna hae a chief the nou, thairfore, it is consithered an Armigerous clan. The name Maxwell is the name o a Scotts faimily, members o whilk hae hauden the titles sic as, member o the council o Regency (1536) o the Kinrick o Scotland Regent o Arran, Yerl o Morton, Yerl o Nithsdale, Lord Maxwell, an Lord Herries.

## History
### Orígins o the Clan

The name is likely taen frae Maccuswell, or Maxwell, near Kelsae, Scotland, in the barony o Holydean. The name Maxwell oríginates frae Maccus, a Norman lord an son o Undweyn, that gae his name tae Maccuswell, a puil o the river Tweed near Kelsae brig. A grandson o Maccus, John Maxwell, becam the chamberlain o Scotland afore deein in 1241, tae be succeedit bi his brither Aylmer. Frae Aylmer, mony branches o the faimily sprang up throu-out the south-wast o Scotland.

Spellin variants include Mackeswal, Makiswel, Makiswell, Makkiswell, Miskill, Maxwaile, Maxwale, Maxweel, Maxwell, Maxuel, Maxvall, Maxvile, an Mescall. Septs include Adair, Blackstock, Dinwiddie, Dinwoddie, Dinwoodie, Dunwoodie, Edgar, Egarr, Halldykes, Herries, Kirk, Kirkdale, Kirkhaugh, Kirkland, Kirko, Latimer, Latimore, Macetterick, Macettrick, Macgetrick, Macgettrich, Macgettrick, Macghittich, Machethrick, Macittrick, Mackethrick, Macketterick, Mackitterick, Mackittrick, Macsata, Macsetree, Maxey, Maxon, Maxton, Monreith, Moss, Nithdale, Paulk, Peacock, Poak, Pogue, Poke, Polk, Pollock, Pollok, Sturgeon, an Wardlaw.

### Wars o Scots Unthirldom

Sir Herbert Maxwell wan muckle fame bi defendin his Caerlaverock Castle again King Edward I o England in 1300. In the Wars o Scots Independence the Clan Maxwell supportit King Robert the Bruce an focht at his side at the Battle o Bannockburn in 1314, unner the clan chief o Eustace Maxwell. Herbert, the succeedin clan chief, wis knichtit bi King James I o Scotland for his services tae the croun. Anither Sir Herbert Maxwell wis made a lord o the Scots pairliament afore 1445.

### 16t-century Anglo-Scots wars an clan conflicts

His grit-grandson John, 4t Lord Maxwell, wis killed at the Battle o Flodden Field fechtin again the Inglis in 1513 in the Anglo-Scots Wars. The fift Lord Maxwell intrigued wi King Henry VII o Ingland, tho bi 1542, King James V o Scotland haed appyntit him warden o the mairches an an Extraordinary Lord o Session, an maist important, Regent o Arran–the lairgest island in the Firth o Clyde. Maxwell wis taen prísoner bi the Inglis at the Battle o Solway Moss in the same year.

The Clan Maxwell focht on the side o Mary, Queen o Scots at the Battle o Langside in 1568. 
 
Robert's grit-grandson John, 7t Lord Maxwell (1553-1593), wis the son o Robert, 6t Lord Maxwell (d. 1554), that wis son o the 5t Yerl an his wife Beatrix, dochter o James Douglas, 3rd Yerl o Morton. Efter the execution o the regent James Douglas, 4t Yerl o Morton, in 1581, the yerldom wis gien tae Maxwell, but in 1586 the attainder o the late yerl wis reversed an he wis deprived o his new title. He haed helpit in 1585 tae drive the ryal favorite James Stewart, Yerl o Arran, frae pouer, an he made active preparations tae assist the invadin Spaniards in 1588.

Thair haed been a lang rinnin feid atween Clan Maxwell an the Clan Johnstone. The feid cam tae a heid on 7 December 1593 at the Battle o Dryfe Sands near Lockerbie. The Clan Maxwell host cam near tae the Johnstone toun o Lockerbie. Johnston keepit maist o his men hidden, juist sendin a wheen o men out on horseback tae provoke the Maxwells. The Johnstones sailzied the Maxwells, surprisin thaim as thay war tryin tae ford the river Annan. The Clan Maxwell didna dae weel ava–it is said that up tae 700 Maxwells war killed, tho this micht be an exaggeratit nummer. Mony war woundit bi dounward swerd straiks kent as "Lockerbie Licks." An thair chief, Lord Maxwell, that wis ane o the maist pouerfu bodies in southren Scotland, wis slain in cauld bluid bi the Johnstones when he socht mercy an offered tae surrender. Tho Sir Johnstone escapit punishment frae the King for his deeds, he didna escape the unforgiein haund o the neist Lord Maxwell, son o the chief that wis killed at Dryfe Sands. In 1608, Lord Maxwell shot Sir Johnstone in the back in a meetin that wis hauden “unner trust,” whilk made him an outlaw. Lord Maxwell wis taen an executit bi hingin thairefter.
 
The Maxwells haed a feid wi the pouerfu Clan Douglas an aa. The twa clans focht ower the Yerldom o Morton, whilk Lord Maxwell regardit as his inheritance. Efter a life o exceptional an continuous lawlessness, he escapit frae Scotland, an while awa, wis sentenced tae daith for the murder o Lord Johnstone; efter returnin tae his native kintra, he wis taen an wis beheidit in Edinburgh.

### 17t Century & Cívil War

In 1618 John's brither an heir Robert (d. 1646) wis restore't tae the lordship o Maxwell, an in 1620 wis made Yerl o Nithsdale, surrenderin at this time his claim tae the Yerldom o Morton. He an his son, Robert, efterward the 2nt yerl, focht unner James Graham, 1st Marquess o Montrose for King Charles I in the Wars o the Three Kinricks. Robert dee'd athout sons in October 1667, an his cousin John Maxwell, 7t Lord Herries (d. 1677), becam the third yerl.

### 18t Century & Jacobite Uprisins

William, 5t Yerl o Nithsdale (1676-1744), a grandson o the third yerl wis, like his fore-elder, a Roman Catholic, an wis leal tae the cause o the exiled House o Stuart. In 1715 he jynt the Jacobites an wis taen prísoner at the Battle o Preston; he wis sentenced tae daith an imprísoned in the Touer o Lunnon. Houaniver, wi the help o his wife, he disguised hissel as a servin wumman. The couple fled tae Roum, whaur the yerl dee'd in 1744.

## Castles

*Caerlaverock Castle wis the seat o the chief o Clan Maxwell.http://www.abstractconcreteworks.com/caerlaverock/caerlaverock-photos.html
*Threave Castle wis awned bi the Clan Maxwell atween 1526 an 1640.http://www.clanmaxwellusa.com/threave.htm 
*Maxwell Castle wis biggit in 1545 but destroyed bi the Inglis in 1570.http://www.clanmaxwellusa.com/lostcastle.htm 
*Newark Castle, Port Glesga wis biggit bi the Clan Maxwell in the 15t century.http://www.rampantscotland.com/castles/blcastles_newark.htm 
*Haggs Castle wis awned bi the Maxwells frae 1585 tae 1972.
*Pollok House, the seat o the Maxwell Baronets o Pollok, is nou o internaitional importance, as it hauds the warld-famous Burrell Collection in its grunds.

## See also

*Scots clan
*Armigerous clan

## External links

*Clan Maxwell Worldwide Society 
*Clan Maxwell Society Canada  
*Clan Maxwell Society of the USA