Maxwelltown was originally called Brigend, and had a reputation
throughout Scotland as a hiding place for criminals. Although it
was just accross Devorgilla Bridge from the thriving burgh of
Dumfries, it was in a different county, the Stewartry of
Kirkcudbright, and the nearest civil authorities were 20 miles
away. In 1810 Marmaduke Constable Maxwell of Terregles
obtained a Charter from the Crown making the little village into a
free Burgh of Barony, to be called "Maxwelltown".
In 1833 Maxwelltown adopted the Police Act which enabled it to
raise money to improve the burgh by such things as paving and
cleaning the streets and putting up street lighting. In order for
the act to be adopted three quarters of qualified voters had to be
in favour. Inhabitants were aslo free to choose which parts of the
act to adopt.
These improvements were accompanied by the development of small
scale industries such as tanneries, a brewery, iron foundries,
weaving shops, a brick and tile works and saw mills. Troqueer and
Rosefield Mills were built, new streets were laid out and old lanes
were developed with quality housing for the better off.
By 1900 Maxwelltown had grown from a huddle of thatched cottages
to one of the biggest burghs in south west Scotland. In the 1920s
the town council introduced a radical housing scheme which put the
burgh at the forefront of Scottish municipal social welfare.
When union with the burgh of Dumfries was proposed the people of
Maxwelltown rejected it in a referendum. Despite continued
opposition it was reluctantly accepted when the terms of the Local
Government (Scotland) Act of 1929 became clear. Large burghs like
Dumfries with a population of 20,000 or more acquired many of the
powers previously exercised by the county council, but small burghs
like Maxwelltown had to hand over many of their powers to the
county council. Maxwelltown and Dumfries amalgamated on 3
October 1929.