MAXWELLTOWN, a burgh of barony, in the parish
of Troqueer, stewartry of Kirkcudbright; adjoining
the town of Dumfries, and containing 3230 inhabitants.
This place, originally the small village of Bridge-End,
was erected into a burgh of barony in 1810, in favour
of its superior, Marmaduke Constable Maxwell, Esq., of
Nithsdale, in honour of whom, upon the occasion, it
assumed its present name. The town, which .since that
time has greatly increased in extent and population, is
pleasantly situated on an eminence on the western bank
of the Nith, opposite to the ro)'al burgh of Dumfries, to
which it forms an interesting suburb, and with which it
is connected by two bridges over the river. It is included
in the parliamentary boundaries of that burgh.
The more ancient portion of the town is irregularly built,
consisting of indiiferently-formed and narrow streets,
the houses of which possess neither uniformity of character
nor pretension to neatness; but the more modern
portion is handsome, its streets regular and spacious,
and the houses of very superior appearance. In the
year 1833 the inhabitants adopted the general police
act, for paving, hghting, and cleansing the streets, &c.;
and the aspect of the town has thus been much improved,
and the comfort of the population enhanced. In
the environs, which are very pleasant, are four nurseries,
two of them having hot-houses for raising grapes and
other fruits, which are produced in great perfection.
A manufactory for damask which is celebrated for the
beauty of its texture, and the elegance of its patterns,
gives employment to several of the inhabitants; and a
waulk-mill, a dye-house, a brewery, and two rope- walks,
have long been established. Two iron-foundries, also,
have been lately erected; but though both are in full
operation, they scarcely afford a supply of articles adequate
to the demand. The market for butchers' meat
is amply supplied, and for some time it took precedence
of that of Dumfries. A branch post-ofRee under that of
Dumfries has been established; and facility of communication
is maintained by the public road from London
to Portpatrick, and that to Glasgow and Edinburgh by
Thornhill and Elvanfoot, both of which pass through
the town. The government is vested in a provost, two
bailies, and four councillors, elected annually by the
proprietors of subjects in the burgh of the yearly rental
of £5 or upwards. The magistrates hold courts for the
determination of civil actions to a limited extent, and
for criminal cases as occasion may require, in both of
which they are assisted by the town-clerk, who acts as
assessor: their civil jurisdiction is, however, much lessened
by the small-debt courts held here by the sheriff;
and their criminal jurisdiction is confined to the smaller
offences. The court-house is a plain building, but has
sufficient accommodation. for transacting the public business
of the burgh, and for holding the several courts;
and below it is a gaol for the confinement of delinquents
till their committal to the gaol of Kirkcudbright. A
chapel, to which an ecclesiastical district having a population
of igS'i was for a time annexed, was erected here
within the last few years; it is a neat building containing
about 1000 sittings. The members of the Free
Church have a place of worship with 800 sittings. A
school has been erected, the master of which has a salary
of £9. 12. from an endowment by the heritors, and £4
the interest of a bequest, in addition to the fees; and
there are two other schools, supported wholly by the fees.
In these three schools about 2.50 children are taught.