John Hall Maxwell

John Hall Maxwell (1812–1866) was a Scottish agriculturist.

Life

Maxwell, eldest son of William Maxwell of Dargavel, Renfrewshire, who died in 1847, by Mary, eldest daughter of John Campbell of Possil, near Glasgow, was born in Queen Street, Glasgow, in February 1812, and called to the Scottish bar in 1835.

He practised his profession until 1845, when he succeeded Sir Charles Gordon of Grimkin as secretary to the Highland Agricultural Society. At this time the number of members was 2,620, and the funds of the society amounted to £34,000; when he retired there were 4,200 members, and the finances had risen to £50,000. The annual shows under his management displayed improvements, and Maxwell paid attention to the collection of agricultural statistics. On 5 February 1856 he was created a C.B.

On his own estate at Dargavel Maxwell carried out costly improvements, especially in the reclamation of waste land. He died at his residence, Torr Hall, near Paisley, on 25 August 1866. He had married, 3 August 1843, Eliza Anne Margaret, eldest daughter of Thomas Williams of Southwick Crescent, Hyde Park, London.

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