William Alexander Maxwell was born in Edinburgh on 30 April 1793, the 3rd out of 4 sons of General Sir William Maxwell of Calderwood 7th Bt. His mother was Isabella Wilson. The history of the regiment says that the KDG were in Scotland from 1818. In May 1819 five Troops in ‘out-quarters’ were ordered into Hamilton for inspection by Major-General Hope. Captain Maxwell’s Troop came in from Linlithgow. After inspection, when the five Troops ‘gained great credit in every respect’ they returned to their out-stations preparatory to the whole regiment embarking at Port Patrick in June for Ireland and landing at Donaghadee.
In 1826 the regiment was employed in aid of the civil powers in the north of England. In April the regiment was quartered at Leeds and on 26th Captain Maxwell’s Troop was sent to Otley to protect property. On 3 May his Troop was moved from Manchester to Bury and then proceeded to Bolton. This period saw Troops having to march as much as 50 to 60 miles a day. In February 1827 they left to go to Scotland.
Sir William succeeded to the baronetcy on 16 March 1837 to be 8th Baronet and rose to the rank of colonel. The Edinburgh Gazette of 8 Feb 1853 lists ‘1st Dragoons - Brevet Colonel Sir William Alexander Maxwell, Bart. from half-pay Unattached, to be Lieutenant-Colonel, vice Marten, who exchanges. Dated 4th February 1853.’ Maxwell is not mentioned in the KDG army lists from at least 1835 and not mentioned in the 1st Dragoons list in 1853-54. Lieut-Col Thomas Marten commanded the 1st Dragoons from 1835 to 1853 and was succeeded by Lieut-Col John Yorke.
Sir William married Catherine Cameron Logan on 15 June 1847. They had no children. He died at 27 Adelaide Crescent, Brighton on 4 April 1865. The portrait shows him as a captain in the dress uniform of the King’s Dragoon Guards c1824.
