• Allied and Dependent Families •

On the borders of Scotland, as elsewhere during the turbulent Middle Ages, survival often depended on the protection afforded by the allegiance given to a powerful local noble. In this way, families with claims of ancient heritage to their lands could prevent falling prey to more powerful predatory neighbors. The price of such protection often involved military service with the noble in his quarrels or feuds or if he was required to provide armed service to the crown.

In this way, many families who lived on lands in areas dominated by the Maxwells became associated with them for generation after generation. Thus we would find families traceable to Dumfrieshire or Nithsdale or parts of Galloway or areas in Ayror around present Glasgow who would have ridden to war under the Maxwell banner.

For this reason, Clan Maxwell Society has chosen to include within our Society those families whose roots can be traced to areas where Maxwell influence was dominant for many centuries. Each family has a notable history of its own, and it is from their collective strength that the power of the Maxwells was derived.

Adair   Blackstock   Dinwiddie/Dinwoodie/Dinswoodie   Edgar   Herries   Kirk/Kirkhoe   Kirkland   Latimer/Lattimer/Latimore/Lattemore   MacKitterick/MacKettrick/Macetterick/MacKetterick   Maxton   Monreith   Moss   Nithsdale   Peacock   Pollock/Pollok   Polk/Paulk   Rawlins   Sturgeon   Wardlaw  

( Eash of the above links will take you to a brief historical narrative for one of the Society’s allied and dependent families. )