Sir John Maxwell, 1st of Pollok

John had from his father the lands of Netherpollok, Dryps and Calderwood in Clydesdale; Governor of Dumbarton Castle. [Burke's Peerage]

Sir John Maxwell, Knight, first of Pollok, 1270-1306.

Sir John Maxwell, second son of Sir Aymer, and brother of Sir Herbert, Lord of Maxwell and Carlaverock, was provided by his father to the estate of Pollok, from which he and his descendants were designated. It is easy to conjecture why Sir Aymer thus provided his younger son to Pollok. He had recently acquired the valuable barony of Mearns, but his older baronies of Maxwell and Carlaverock, being situated near the English border, were much exposed to hostile attacks, and required all his energies for their portection and defense, and he had little time to devote to the care of the distant barionies of Mearns or of Pollok. Here therefore wisely settled his second son in Pollok very soon after its acquisition; that is, about the year 1270.

The Pollok branch thus early planted - the earliest offshoot from the parent stem - became itself and independent tree, whence numerous branches have since sprung, which are now flourishing both in Scotland and in other countries. In the course of little more than a century, it was enabled, by an alliance with a member of the royal house of Stewart, to provide large estates to a second son, who became the founder of the baronial family of Calderwood.

At a later period, when the misfortunes of the parent line of Lords Maxwell had been reduced them from their former affluence, the position of the Pollok branch was such that its representative was solicited by the leading members of the family to relieve the estates of it s burdens,a nd to assume, on the death of the then chief, his place as head of the house of Maxwell.

A race which has been so long established as the Pollok Maxwell family and several of the representatives of which have held positions of prominence and distinction, seems worthy of having its descent recorded. It is the object of these Memoirs to trace this descent through the seventeen successive generations which have existed between the first Baron of Pollok and his present representative, who is the twenty-first in descent from Undwyn, father of Maccus. We, therefore, commence these Memoirs of the Pollok line, in continuation of the four generations of the main line already given, with the younger son of the fourth generation, who was Sir John Maxwell, first Baron of Pollok. Sir John Maxwell and his brother Alexander witnessed a charter by their eldest brother, Herbert Maxwell, to the church of Saint James and Saint Mirrin of Paisley, of the lands in Mearns, about the year 1300, in which they are designated brothers of Herbert. As Lord of Pollok (lower), Sir John Maxwell also witnessed another charter, about the same year, by Herbert Maxwell, his brother, to the parish church of Merness, of six merks of an annual-rent from the mills of Merness. It has not been ascertained whom Sir John married. [Memiors of the Maxwells of Pollok I:9-10]

Sources:

  1. Type: Web Site

     Author: Jim Weber

     Title: The Phillips, Weber, Kirk & Staggs Famlies

     URL: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jweber&id

     Date: Sep 19, 2010

     Detail: Jim Weber cites numerous sources for his data. See his posting for details.

  2. Type: Web Site

     Author: Jim Weber

     Title: The Phillips, Weber, Kirk & Staggs Famlies

     URL: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jweber&id

     Date: Sep 19, 2010

     Detail: Jim Weber cites numerous sources for his data. See his posting for details.

     Page: date only

  3. Type: Web Site

     Author: Jane Williams Flank

     Title: Williams/Rose Legacies

     URL: http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jwflank&id

     Date: Jan 10, 2009 

Sir Robert Maxwell of Pollok (abt 1275-1330) was the son of Sir John Maxwell of Calderwood, Dryps and Netherpollok.2. His son was Sir John Maxwell of Pollok+2 d. c 1360

pedigree

"Memoirs of the Maxwells of Pollok" IV- 3. Sir Aymer de Maccuswell, second of Caerlaverock. Married Mary of Mearns and acquired the Barony of Mearns. 1195-1266. He had

• V- 3. Sir John Maxwell, ancestor of the Maxwells of Pollok. 1270-1306. Had
  • VI- 1. Sir Robert Maxwell, second of Pollok. 1306-1330. Had
    • VIM. Sir John Maxwell, third of Pollok. 1330-1360. Had
      • VIII- 1. Sir John Maxwell, fourth of Pollok. Married first Isabella Lindsay, and second, Elizabeth St. Michael. 1360-1405