Maxwelltown ( gd, Ceann Drochaid, IPA: �kʰʲaun̴̪ˈt̪ɾɔxətʲ was formerly a

burgh of barony A burgh of barony was a type of Scottish town ( burgh). Burghs of barony were distinct from royal burghs, as the title was granted to a landowner who, as a tenant-in-chief, held his estates directly from the crown. (In some cases, they might also ...

and

police burgh A police burgh was a Scottish burgh which had adopted a "police system" for governing the town. They existed from 1833 to 1975. The 1833 act The first police burghs were created under the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1833 (3 & 4 Wm IV c.46). Thi ...

and by the time of the burgh's abolition in 1929 it was the most populous burgh in the county of

Kirkcudbrightshire Kirkcudbrightshire ( ), or the County of Kirkcudbright or the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright is one of the historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Kirkcudbrightshire was an administrative county ...

, Scotland. In 1929 Maxwelltown was merged with the neighbouring burgh of

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...

. Maxwelltown lies to the west of the

River Nith The River Nith ( gd, Abhainn Nid; Common Brittonic: ''Nowios'') is a river in south-west Scotland. The Nith rises in the Carsphairn hills of East Ayrshire, more precisely between Prickeny Hill and Enoch Hill, east of Dalmellington. For the ...

, which forms the historic boundary between Kirkcudbrightshire and

Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries (''Siorrachd Dhùn Phris'' in Gaelic) is a historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the historic county. I ...

. Maxwelltown was a hamlet known as Bridgend up until 1810, in which year it was made into a

under its present name, later becoming a

in 1833. Maxwelltown comprises several suburbs, including Summerhill,

Troqueer Troqueer is a former village and a parish in the historic county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway on the west side of the River Nith. The eastern-side was merged with Dumfries to the east in 1929, and today eastern Troqueer is a sub ...

, Janefield, Lochside, Lincluden, Sandside, and Summerville. The burgh of Maxwelltown straddled the two parishes of

Terregles Terregles () is a village and civil parish near Dumfries, in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It lies in the former county of Kirkcudbrightshire. The name Terregles, recorded as ''Travereglis'' in 1359, is from Cumbric ''*trev-ïr-eglẹ:s''. ...

and

. In a referendum in 1928 the residents of Maxwelltown voted to join the burgh of Dumfries. The change took effect on 3 October 1929, and also had the effect of transferring Maxwelltown from Kirkcudbrightshire to Dumfriesshire. Statue of Old Mortality and his pony

The oldest remaining building within the Dumfries urban area is on the Maxwelltown side of the Nith,

Lincluden Abbey Lincluden Collegiate Church, known earlier as Lincluden Priory or Lincluden Abbey (the name by which it is still known locally), is a ruined religious house, situated in the historic county of Kirkcudbrightshire and to the north of the Royal Bu ...

. Queen of the South football ground is also on the Maxwelltown side. Some of the most notable local players for the club hail from the same side of the Nith, including Ian Dickson,

Billy Houliston William Houliston (4 April 1921 – 10 February 1999) was a Scottish footballer who played for Crichton, Queen of the South, Berwick Rangers, Third Lanark and the Scotland national team. Early years Houliston was born in Maxwelltown, at West ...

and

Ted McMinn Kevin Clifton "Ted" McMinn (born 28 September 1962) is a Scottish former association footballer who played as a winger. His nickname is ''The Tin Man''. Playing career Early years Born in Castle Douglas and raised in nearby Dumfries, McMinn ...

.Queen of the South Legends
Other buildings of note are the former Dumfries Mill, now the Robert Burns Centre, with visitor centre, museum, film theatre and restaurant. Dumfries Museum and Observatory and the Camera Obscura are further up on the hill as is the Sinclair Memorial. The former Benedictine Convent of the Immaculate Conception stands on a prominent position on Corbelly Hill. HMP Dumfries is at Jessiefield and the former Maxwelltown Burgh Court House is now flats.

Maxwelltown railway station Maxwelltown railway station was a station in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, located on the Dumfries-to- Stranraer direct railway line. It served the town of Maxwelltown. History In the middle of the nineteenth century the counties of Gallow ...

in the Summerhill area on the

Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway The Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway was a railway in south west Scotland which linked Castle Douglas in Kirkcudbrightshire to Dumfries. It opened in 1859. Other companies' lines extended westwards and southwards, and the CD&D line formed ...

closed in 1965.

References

External links

Maxwelltown
in the Gazetteer for Scotland
The Robert Burns Centre Film TheatreMaxwelltown entry in South West Scotland future museum
Burghs Dumfries Kirkcudbrightshire {{DumfriesGalloway-geo-stub