Robert (Maxwell) Fifth Lord Maxwell (abt. 1493 - 1546)

Born about 1493 in Terregles, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 9 Jul 1546 at about age 53 in Logan, Wigtownshire, Scotland

Biography

Robert (Maxwell) Fifth Lord Maxwell is a member of Clan Maxwell.

Robert (Maxwell) Fifth Lord Maxwell is Notable.

Robert Maxwell, 4th Lord Maxwell, Admiral of Scotland was born about 1493 or 94, the eldest son of John Maxwell, 3rd or 4th Lord Maxwell, b. c 1454 and killed at the battle of Flodden, 9 September 1513 ^[1]. His mother was Agnes Stewart, elder daughter of Sir Alexander Stewart, of Garlies. d. a 25 Jul 1530. ^[2]

Robert married twice. Firstly to Janet Douglas, daughter of Sir William Douglas, 6th of Drumlanrig, by whom he had 3 children, and secondly to Agnes Stewart d. Feb 1557, illegitimate daughter of Sir James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan. There were no children born to Robert and his wife Agnes Stewart. ^[3]

He was invested as a Knight before 1510. He held the office of Warden of the Western Marches. He succeeded to the title of 4th Lord Maxwell [S., 1445] on 9 September 1513. He was Hereditary Sheriff of Kirkcudbright before 1515. He held the office of First Gentelman of the Bedchamber. He was Captain of the Guard before 1524. He held the office of Provost of Edinburgh before 1524. He was invested as a Privy Counsellor (P.C.) [Scotland] in 1526. He held the office of Chief Carver to King James V in 1528. He held the office of Extraordinary Lord of Session in 1533. He held the office of a Lord of Regency in 1537. He fought in the Battle of Solway Moss on 24 November 1542, where he was taken prisoner by the English.

Robert Maxwell, 4th Lord Maxwell, Admiral of Scotland died on 9 July 1546 at Logan, Ayrshire, Scotland.^[4]

After the battle of Flodden Robert was returned heir to his father on 4 November 1513. Around this time he was also bestowed as Regent of Arran the largest island in the Firth of Clyde. Making the 5th Lord Maxwell essentially Monarch of the Island. Although others would achieve other highly respected noble titles in the distinguished line of the House of Maxwell none would match that of 5th Lord Maxwell's success. Not much is known about his reign as Regent other than he didn't spend much time on the Island. At the time of Flodden he was admiral of a fleet, which it was proposed to France, but which on the voyage was driven back, and arrived at Kirkcudbright on the day after the battle. Maxwell immediately afterwards seized Lochmaben; and on 26 November he was appointed captain and keeper of Thrieve. On the forfeiture of Alexander Home, 3rd Lord Home in 1516 he acquired part of his lands, and in the following year was made warden of the west marches.

After the return to Scotland of Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, husband of the dowager queen Margaret Tudor, Maxwell became one of the queen's party. He was concerned in the removal of the young king James V from Stirling to Edinburgh, 26 July 1524; and on 18 August made lord Provost of Edinburgh; he then took part in the scheme for the king's nominal assumption of the government in November, with the advice of the Kings mother. He was then appointed as one of the council to assist her in the government. The queen's divorce from Angus changed the attitude of Maxwell as well as other nobles towards her; and on the king attaining his majority, fourteen years, 21 June 1526, Maxwell became one of the council appointed to assist Angus in the guardianship of the king and management of affairs, he was in company with the king at the Battle of Melrose on 25 July, when an unsuccessful attempt was made by Walter Scott of Branxholme and Buccleuch to get possession of him. The same year he was appointed steward of Kirkcudbright and keeper of Thrieve.

On the escape of the king from Falkland Palace to Stirling in July 1528, Maxwell separated himself from the party of Angus, and was chosen one of the new council. Having accompanied the king to Edinburgh he was again made lord provost of the city, and on 26 August frustrated an attempt of Angus to take possession of it. He was one of the jurors on the trial of Angus, and on his forfeiture received a portion of his lands.

Like most of the southern nobles, Maxwell gave his indirect countenance to the border raiders, and engaged in raids on his own account. In 1528 he had been compelled by Angus to make compensation to the English for burning Netherby, and this probably was the reason of his hostility to Angus. In the following year, when the king determined to make a progress southwards to punish raiders, it was deemed advisable to place Maxwell and other sympathisers with them in ward in Edinburgh Castle, but after the king's return they were released on giving pledges for their allegiance. The execution of John Armstrong, who was partly under his protection, was specially distasteful to Maxwell, but he afterwards became reconciled to the king, and on 17 November 1533 was appointed an extraordinary lord of session. During an excursion into England in 1536 he burned Penrith. The same year he was appointed one of the ruling regents during the absence of King James on his matrimonial expedition to France; and after the death of the king's first wife, Madeleine of Valois, was sent in December 1537 with other ambassadors to conclude a treaty of marriage with Mary of Guise.

Maxwell as high admiral commanded an expedition to the Orkney Islands in 1540. He joined the army which assembled on the Borough Muir of Edinburgh in October 1542, and having in vain urged that battle should be given to the English, he after its disbandment took the principal part in raising a force for a new expedition. In command of ten thousand men he proceeded to the western borders, but just before the encounter with the English at the Battle of Solway Moss a warrant was produced by Oliver Sinclair, authorising him to assume the chief command. In the confusion little resistance was made to the English, and Maxwell was captured, perhaps deliberately. Along with other captive nobles he was sent to London; Eustace Chapuys wrote that Maxwell and 23 Scottish gentlemen were brought to the Tower of London on 20 December and the next day were released to be billeted in houses of London gentry.[1]

The death of James V in December somewhat changed Henry VIII's policy. The captive nobles were permitted to return to Scotland on paying a ransom, and on entering into a bond to aid the English king by force if necessary in his scheme for a marriage of Prince Edward with the young queen, Mary Stuart. Maxwell was at Carlisle in March 1543, and was able to write to the King's widow, Mary of Guise, and arrange the passage of her French servants who took messages on to the Duke of Suffolk at Newcastle. Suffolk was told that Guise was favourable to the marriage plan.

Cardinal Beaton, who opposed the marriage to the heir of a Protestant country, was detained. Maxwell showed his hostility to him by proposing and getting passed an act that all should have liberty to read the Bible in the Scots and English tongue. Along with Hugh Somerville, 5th Lord Somerville he was one of the chief agents of Angus in his intrigues with Henry VIII. On the last day of October 1543 Maxwell and Somerville were captured by John Hamilton, the Abbot of Paisley, while proceeding with letters to Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassilis and William Cunningham, 4th Earl of Glencairn, Maxwell being sent to the castle of Edinburgh.

On obtaining his liberty he joined Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox in Glasgow Castle, and was taken prisoner at its capture during the battle of Glasgow, 1 April 1544. He was released on 3 May 1544, on the approach of the English fleet to Leith roads, in case his friends or followers should ally with the English.

Having now excited the suspicions of Henry as to his fidelity, he was taken prisoner and sent to the Tower of London. Thereupon he offered to serve under the Earl of Hertford, with a red cross on his armour as a symbol of his devotion to England; but in August 1545 he remained imprisoned at Pontefract Castle,[3] only in October 1545 he was allowed to return to Scotland, on delivering Caerlaverock Castle into English keeping. Early in November his castles were captured by Beaton, and he was conveyed a prisoner to Dumfries; but having affirmed that he had only made terms with Henry in fear of his life, he on 12 January 1546 received a remission, and was at the same time made chief justice of Annandale. On 3 June 1546 he was appointed warden of the west marches. He died on 9 July of the same year.

Family

A contract for the marriage of Robert Maxwell, 4th Lord Maxwell, Admiral of Scotland and Janet Douglas daughter of Sir William Douglas, 6th of Drumlanrig and Elizabeth Gordon, was signed on 4 June 1509.^[5]

By Janet (died about 1520), Robert had the following children:

1. Robert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell, later Nithsdale, d. 13 Sep 1552
2. Sir John Maxwell, 4th Lord Herries b. c 1512, d. 20 Jan 1583 married Agnes Maxwell, 4th Lady Herries of Terregles
3. Margaret, d. 1593, married firstly to Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, and secondly to Sir William Baillie of Lamington.

Robert Maxwell, 4th Lord Maxwell, Admiral of Scotland married second to Agnes Stewart d. Feb 1557, illegitimate daughter of Sir James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan, Lord Auchterhouse, Sheriff of Angus, Banff, & Forfarshire, High Chamberlain of Scotland, Ambassador to France and Margaret, after 8 October 1516.^[6][7] and widow of Alexander, Lord Home, and Adam, Earl of Bothwell. After the death of Robert Maxwell, she married fourthly before 13 Dec 1549, Cuthbert Ramsay and was later legitimised by Queen Mary of Guise, on 31 October 1552, under the Great Seal of Scotland.^[2]

There was no issue from his second marriage, but Robert did apparently have an illegitimate son from whom the Maxwells of Logan are descended.^[8]

Research Notes

• The Peerage: Robert Maxwell

• Marlyn_Lewis

Sources

1. ↑ Paul, James Balfour. "The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom", Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1909, Vol. VI, Archive.org, pp. 478-9
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Cokayne, George Edward, "The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom", London: William Pollard & Co, 1932, Ed. 2 Vol VIII, Archive.org, pp. 592-4
3. ↑ Paul, James Balfour. "The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom", Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1909, Vol. VI, Archive.org, pp. 480-1
4. ↑ Richardson, Douglas, "Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families", Salt Lake City: the author, 2013 Vol. I, p. 671
5. ↑ Paul, James Balfour. "The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom", Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1909, Vol. VI, Archive.org, p. 280
6. ↑ Richardson, Douglas, "Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families", Salt Lake City: the author, 2011, Ed. 2 Vol. III, p. 592
7. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. "Book of Carlaverock: Memoirs of the Maxwells, Earls of Nithsdale, Lords of Maxwell & Herries", Edinburgh: private, 1873, Vol. I, Archive.org, pp. 173-209
8. ↑ Paul, James Balfour. "The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom", Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1909, Vol. VI, Archive.org, p. 481

See also:.

• Wikipedia: Robert_Maxwell,_5th_Lord_Maxwell

• Wikidata: Item Q13972091, en:Wikipedia

• Burke, John Bernard, "A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire", London: Harrison,1866, Archive.org, p. 389