Ann Maxwell (abt. 1325 - abt. 1390)

Born about 1325 in Caerlaverock, Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland

Ancestors

Wife of Hamelin (Leslie) Leslie IInd of Balquhain — married about 1350 in Scotland

Descendants

Died about 1390 at about age 65 in Balquhain, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

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Ann Maxwell was an inhabitant of Medieval Scotland. Join: Scotland Project Discuss: Scotland

Biography

Ann (or Anna) was born, likely around 1325/30 at Caerlaverock, Dumfries, said^[1] to be the daughter of "Lord Maxwell of Carlaverock, whose successors became Earls of Nithsdale". He doesn't mention which one, and thus allowing a dating, presumably as the lineage is not precise. If our assertions regarding dates are correct it seems probable that she was a daughter of Sir John Maxwell of Carlaverock, that died, likely, soon after being captured at the battle of Neville's Cross.

She is mentioned as being married in 1350 to Sir Hamelin Leslie of Balquhain.^[2] This marriage would appear unusual an d creates doubt on whether she was of Caerlaverock or whether she was of the Maxwell's of the Mearns. It is certainly not clear just who would have arranged this marriage and for what purpose. At the time the Earldom of Mar, Lord of Garrioch was held by Thomas Mar, Earl of Mar. His sister, who, in 1377, would inherit the titles, married firstly, William Douglas, Earl of Douglas.^[3] The Maxwells would have held their lands to the Earl of Douglas and it seems probable that the marriage would have been arranged by him.

Her son, Sir Andrew Leslie, is stated,^[4] even by the family historian and even relative to his day, as having "been a turbulent baron and of very loose morals". At the time his titles included Balquhain, Syde and Braco. He was nicknamed “Red Andrew the Robber Baron”. He is recorded as having many “natural” children, to unknown mothers, from whom many of the Leslie families are descended. The Leslies of Buchanstone, Andrew Leslie of Cortashy, James Leslie in Aberdeen, David Leslie in Meikle Durno, George Leslie in Drumdollo, Andrew Leslie in Pitscurry, and many others, were all descended from, or were natural sons of, Sir Andrew Leslie. He was constantly fighting, both at war and in feuds with the family of Forbes; he was party to kidnapping and murder.

There are many stories about his mother Ann, who was clearly still living at Balquhain, and his wife Isabel. Both would, in hard times when food and money were in short supply in the surrounding area, load up a cart with food and ale and distribute these provisions to the families who were bringing up Andrew's illegitimate children. Some web sources put these as high as 80 children but there is no definitive source.

Research Notes

Known Maxwell sources, such as Fraser (1873), do not identify this daughter for this John or other nearby Maxwells.^[5]

Footnotes

1. ↑ #S-26 Leslie, Charles Joseph; Volume 3, page 3.
2. ↑ #S-90 Davidson; John; Notes, page 442 and Index
3. ↑ #S-90 Davidson; John; page 57.
4. ↑ #S-26 Leslie, Charles Joseph; Volume 3, page 3.
5. ↑ Sir William Fraser, The Book of Carlaverock (Edinburgh: unknown, 1873), p. 106-109, digital images, https://archive.org/stream/bookofcarlaverv100fras#page/106/mode/1up. Internet Archive (https://archive.org : accessed 31October 2016).

Sources

• Source S-26 Leslie, Charles Joseph. Historical records of the family of Leslie from 1067 to 1868-69. Collected from public records and authentic private sources. Volume III. Edinburgh: Edmonson and Douglas, 1869. archive.org

• Source S-90 Davidson; John. Inverurie and the earldom of the Garioch; a topographical and historical account of the Garioch....... . Edinburgh: D. Douglas, 1878. Open Library

Acknowledgments

Profile created by Doug Straiton