Maxwelltown
Encyclopedia
Maxwelltown was formerly a burgh of barony
and police burgh
in the county of Kirkcudbrightshire
in south west Scotland. In 1929 Maxwelltown was merged with Dumfries
.
Maxwelltown lies to the west of the River Nith
. The river was formerly the boundary of Kirkcudbrightshire and Dumfriesshire
. Maxwelltown was a hamlet known as Bridgend up until 1810, in which year it was erected into a burgh of barony
under its present name. Maxwelltown comprises several suburbs, including Summerhill
, Troqueer, Janefield, Lochside, Lincluden, Sandside, and Summerville.
The oldest remaining building within the Dumfries urban conurbation is on the Maxwelltown side of the Nith, Lincluden Abbey. 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
and Ted McMinn
. Other buildings of note are the former Dumfries Mill, now the Robert Burns Centre Museum, that in the evenings becomes a film theatre; Dumfries Museum and observatory up on the hill; the Sinclair Memorial; the former Dominican Convent of Saint Benedict; Dumfries Prison; and the former Maxwelltown Court House. Maxwelltown railway station in the Summerhill area on the Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway
closed in 1965.
Burgh of barony
A burgh of barony is a type of Scottish town .They were distinct from royal burghs as the title was granted to a tenant-in-chief, a landowner who held his estates directly from the crown....
and police burgh
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 Act, 1833...
in the county of Kirkcudbrightshire
Kirkcudbrightshire
The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright or Kirkcudbrightshire was a county of south-western Scotland. It was also known as East Galloway, forming the larger Galloway region with Wigtownshire....
in south west Scotland. In 1929 Maxwelltown was merged with Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
.
Maxwelltown lies to the west of the River Nith
River Nith
The River Nith is a river in South West Scotland.-Source, flow and mouth:The Nith rises in the Carsphairn hills of East Ayrshire, more precisely between Prickeny Hill and Enoch Hill, 7 km East of Dalmellington...
. The river was formerly the boundary of Kirkcudbrightshire and Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries is a registration county of Scotland. The lieutenancy area of Dumfries has similar boundaries.Until 1975 it was a county. Its county town was Dumfries...
. Maxwelltown was a hamlet known as Bridgend up until 1810, in which year it was erected into a burgh of barony
Burgh of barony
A burgh of barony is a type of Scottish town .They were distinct from royal burghs as the title was granted to a tenant-in-chief, a landowner who held his estates directly from the crown....
under its present name. Maxwelltown comprises several suburbs, including Summerhill
Summerhill, Dumfries
Summerhill in Dumfries is a post war residential suburb on the West side of the town. It is located on the Maxwelltown side of the River Nith that runs through Dumfries...
, Troqueer, Janefield, Lochside, Lincluden, Sandside, and Summerville.
The oldest remaining building within the Dumfries urban conurbation is on the Maxwelltown side of the Nith, Lincluden Abbey. Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...
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
Ian Dickson (footballer)
Ian William Dickson was a Scottish professional footballer whose played as a forward. He played for Queen of the South, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough...
, Billy Houliston
Billy Houliston
William "Billy" Houliston was a Scottish footballer who played for Crichton, Queen of the South, Berwick Rangers, Third Lanark and the Scotland national team.-Early years:...
and Ted McMinn
Ted McMinn
Kevin Clifton "Ted" McMinn is a Scottish former association footballer who played as a winger. His nickname is The Tin Man.-Early years:...
. Other buildings of note are the former Dumfries Mill, now the Robert Burns Centre Museum, that in the evenings becomes a film theatre; Dumfries Museum and observatory up on the hill; the Sinclair Memorial; the former Dominican Convent of Saint Benedict; Dumfries Prison; and the former Maxwelltown Court House. Maxwelltown railway station in the Summerhill area on the Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway
Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway
The Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway was a nominally independent railway in south west Scotland which linked Dumfries to Castle Douglas.-History:It was incorporated on 21 July 1856; the act was obtained by the Glasgow and South Western Railway....
closed in 1965.