Baron John Maxwell^[1]

1512 - Abt 1583  (71 years)    Has more than 100 ancestors and more than 100 descendants in this family tree.

• Name	John Maxwell
  Prefix	Baron
  Birth	1512	Terregales, Kirkcudbright, Dumfrieshire, Scotland
  Gender	Male
  Death	Abt 10 Jan 1583	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
  Siblings	2 Siblings
  + 1. Robert Maxwell   d. 13 Sep 1552, Dumfries ▻ Beatrix Douglas,  m. Aft 25 Jul 1530 + 2. Baron John Maxwell,   b. 1512, Terregales, Kirkcudbright, Dumfrieshire, Scotland d. Abt 10 Jan 1583, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland  (Age 71 years) ▻ Baroness Agnes Herries,  m. Bef 18 Mar 1548   3. Margaret Maxwell   d. Yes, date unknown ▻ Earl Archibald Douglas;   William Baillie
  Person ID	I239434	Geneagraphie
  Last Modified	12 Jan 2008

  
  

  Father	Robert Maxwell,   b. 1494   d. 1546 (Age 52 years)
  Mother	Janet Douglas   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F96529	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Baroness Agnes Herries,   b. Abt 1534   d. 14 Mar 1593, Terregales, Kirkcudbright, Dumfrieshire, Scotland (Age 59 years)
  Marriage	Bef 18 Mar 1548
  Children	+ 1. William Maxwell   d. 10 Oct 1604   2. Robert Maxwell   d. Yes, date unknown + 3. Edward Maxwell   d. 29 Sep 1598   4. James Maxwell   d. Yes, date unknown   5. John Maxwell   d. Yes, date unknown + 6. Elizabeth Maxwell   d. Yes, date unknown + 7. Margaret Maxwell,   b. 1548, Terregales, Kirkcudbright, Dumfrieshire, Scotland d. 8 Jan 1617, Preston Grange, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland (Age 69 years) + 8. Agnes Maxwell   d. Yes, date unknown + 9. Mary Maxwell   d. 28 Oct 1592 + 10. Sarah Maxwell   d. Yes, date unknown   11. Grissel Maxwell   d. Yes, date unknown + 12. Nicola Maxwell   d. Yes, date unknown   13. Catherine Maxwell   d. 8 Feb 1593
  Family ID	F96530	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	12 Jan 2008

  
  

• Event Map	Click to hide
  		Death - Abt 10 Jan 1583 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Notes

  4th Lord Of Herries/Harries John Maxwell, Lord Herries, succeeded in 1667 to the Earldom of Nithsdale. His son, having joined the Rebellion in 1715, was taken prisoner, attainted and ordered for execution with Lords Derwentwater and Kenmuir, but escaped the previous night in woman's apparel. The attainder having been reversed, the title of Lord Herries was claimed by William Constable Maxwell, and judgement given in his favour, 23rd June, 1858. On the 24th of May, 1589, at the trial of the Lords Errol, Huntly, and Bothwell, Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick sat as one of the assize, together with Lord Hamilton, Angus, Morton, Atholl, Mar, Marshall, Seton, Somerville, Dingall, Catheart, and the Barons of Pitarrow and Lag. (Spottiswood, p. 376.) The same year the King granted to him a Writ of Fire and Sword, against sundry persons who had committed depredations upon his baronies and lands of Closeburn, Bridburgh, Auchinleck, Alisland, &c., constituting him his Justiciary in those parts. And again, in the year 1593, he obtained another of these dreadful warrants. At this time the Border outrages were enormous, and the country, far and wide, was laid waste with fire and sword. On the 6th of December this year (1593), in a fight called the battle of Dryffe Sands, near Lockerby, Lord Maxwell was killed, and the Lairds of Closeburn, Drumlanrig, and Lag, who had joined his banner against the Laird of Johnstone, barely escaped by the fleetness of their horses. Tradition reports, that previous to the fight Maxwell had offered a £10. land to any of his party who should bring him the head or hand of the Laird of Johnstone. This being reported to Johnstone, he answered that he had not a £10. land to offer, but would give a five merk land to the man who should that day cut off the head or hand of Lord Maxwell. Willie of the Kirkhill, mounted upon a young grey horse, rushed upon the enemy, and earned the reward, by striking down their unfortunate chieftain, and cutting off his right hand. Sir Walter Scott, in his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, gives a fuller and somewhat different account of this affair. In 1585, he says, John Maxwell, or, as he styled himself, the Earl of Morton, having quarrelled with the Earl of Arran, reigning favourite of James the Sixth, and fallen of course under the displeasure of the Court, was denounced Rebel. A commission was also given to the Laird Johnstone, then Warden of the West Marches, to pursue and apprehend the ancient and rival enemy of his house. Two bands of mercenaries, commanded by Captains Cranstoun and Lammie, who were sent from Edinburgh to support Johnstone, were attacked and cut to pieces at Crawford Muir, by Robert Maxwell, natural brother to the chieftain; who, following up his advantage, burned Johnston's Castle of Lockwood, observing, with savage glee, that he would give Lady Johnstone light enough by which 'to set her hood.' In a subsequent conflict Johnstone himself was defeated, and made prisoner, and is said to have died of grief at the disgrace which he sustained. By one of the revolutions common in those days, Maxwell was soon after restored to the King's favour in his turn, and obtained the Wardenry of the West Marches. A bond of alliance was subscribed by him and Sir James Johnstone, and for some time the two clans lived in harmony. In the year 1593, however, the hereditary feud was revived on the following occasion. A band of marauders, of the clan Johnstone, drove a prey of cattle from the lands belonging to the Lairds Crichton, Sanquhar, and Drumlanrig, and defeated with slaughter the pursuers, who attempted to rescue their property. The injured parties being apprehensive that Maxwell would not cordially embrace their cause, on account of the late conciliation with the Johnstones, endeavoured to overcome his reluctance by offering to enter into bonds of manrent, and so to become his followers and liegemen; he, on the other hand, granting to them a bond of maintenance or protection, by which he bound himself in usual form to maintain their quarrel against all mortals saving his loyalty. Thus the most powerful and respectable families in Dumfriesshire became for a time the vassals of Lord Maxwell. This secret alliance was discovered to Sir James Johnstone by the Laird of Cummertrees, one of his own clan, though a retainer to Maxwell. Cummertrees even contrived to possess himself of the bonds of manrent, which he delivered to his chief. The petty warfare between the rival barons was instantly renewed. Buccleugh a near relation to Johnstone, came to his assistance with his clan, 'the most renowned Freebooters, the fiercest and bravest warriors among the Border tribes.' With Buccleugh also came the Elliots, Armstrongs, and Graemes. Thus reinforced, Johnstone surprised and cut to pieces a party of the Maxwells stationed at Lochmaben. On the one hand, Lord Maxwell, armed with the royal authority, and numbering among his followers all the barons of Nithisdale, displayed his banner as the King's Lieutenant, and invaded Annandale at the head of two thousand men. In those days, however, the royal auspices appear to have carried as little good fortune, as effective strength with them. A desperate conflict, still renowned in tradition, took place at the Dryffe Sands, not far from Lockerby, in which Johnstone, although inferior in numbers, partly by his own conduct, partly by the valour of his allies, gained a decisive victory. Lord Maxwell, a tall man and heavily armed, was struck from his horse in the fight, and cruelly slain, after the hand which he stretched out for quarter, had been severed from his body. Many of his followers were slain in the battle, and many cruelly wounded, especially by slashes in the face, which wound was thence termed a 'Locherby Lick.' The Barons of Closeburn, Drumlanrig, and Lag escaped by the fleetness of their horses.

  
  

• Sources

  [S190] Peter Barns-Graham, British Pedigrees, (Stirnet), Maxwell of Ballycastle, Maxwell of Carlaverock, Maxwell of Cavens, Maxwell of Gribton, Maxwell of Kirkhouse, Maxwell of Middlebie, Maxwell of Nithsdale, Maxwell of Orchardtoun, Maxwell Herries of Terregles.