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 USA has chosen to include in our Society those families whose roots can be traced to those 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.
This page links to brief historical narratives on each of the Society’s allied and dependent families.
Dinwiddie/Dinwoodie/Dinswoodie
Latimer/Lattimer/Latimore/Lattemore
MacKitterick/MacKettrick/Macetterick/MacKetterick/MacKitterick
