Sir John Maxwell, Lord of Caerlaverock

SIR JOHN DE MAXWELL, brother and successor of Sir Eustace, was taken prisoner at the battle of Neville's Cross, 17 October 1346, and sent to the Tower, where it is supposed he died soon afterwards. His two successors at Carlaverock were Herbert (1347 to 1353 or 1354) and John, both thought to have been his sons. [Complete Peerage VIII:588]

From Jim Weber's Rootsweb database

ID: I19138 John MAXWELL , Lord of Caerlaverock, Sir

Sir John Maxwell of Carlaverock is described in two undated grants (ratified by the Prior of St. Andrews 23 January 1343-44) to Dryburgh Abbey of the patronage of Pencaitland Church, as son of the late John Maxwell of Pencaitland, Knight, and as 'Johannes de Maxwell, miles, quondam Alius domini Johannis de Maxwell et heres domini Eustachii de Maxwell fratris sui.' In the ratification he is called John Maxwell, Knight, Lord of Maxwell.(8) He was captured at the battle of Nevill's Cross, 17 October 1346, and sent to the Tower of London,(9) and probably he died soon afterwards.

• (8) _Liber de Dryburgh_, 271-272.
• (9) _Rot. Scot._, i. 678. [Ref: SP VI:472, sub MAXWELL, EARL OF NITHSDALE]

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Captured at Battle of Neville's Cross. Taken to Tower of London, where he died.

From the Maxwell Society page on "The Lords Maxwell":

http://www.maxwellsociety.com/History/Lordsmaxwell.htm

In 1333 King David II’s army was defeated by Edward III of England at Halidon Hill. The English army was supported by Edward Balliol, son of the deposed King John, who Edward had crowned King of Scots.

After the defeat, Sir Eustace Maxwell sided with his old overlords family and for some years supported the usurper’s crown but when David returned to Scotland in 1340 he reverted to his former loyalty. He died in 1342 and was succeeded by his brother Sir John.

Sir John Maxwell was with King David at his defeat at Nevilles Cross in October 1346 and was taken prisoner with his king. He died in captivity within the year and his son Sir Herbert became Lord of Maxwell.

From the English Wikipedia page on the Battle of Neville's Cross:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Neville%27s_Cross

The Scots only discovered the presence of the English army on the morning of 17 October. Troops under command of William Douglas stumbled upon them in the morning mist during a raid south of Durham. The two rearward divisions of the English army drove the Scots off with heavy Scottish casualties.

Upon hearing Douglas's report, David II led the Scottish army to high ground at Neville's Cross (site of an old Anglo-Saxon stone cross), where he prepared his army for battle. Both the Scots and English arranged themselves in three battalions. Though the Scots were in what is considered a rather poor position (with various obstacles between them and the English position), they remembered well their defeats in the Battle of Dupplin Moor and the Battle of Halidon Hill and thus took a defensive stance, waiting for the English to attack. However, the English also took a defensive stance, knowing they had the superior position and likely knowing that time was on their side.

A stalemate resulted that lasted until the afternoon, when the English sent longbowmen forward to harass the Scottish lines. The archers succeeded in forcing the Scots to attack, but their initial hesitation in going on the offensive appears in hindsight to have been the correct decision.

The Scots' poor position resulted in their formations falling apart as they advanced, allowing the English to deal easily with the Scottish attack. When it became clear that the battle was going in favour of the English, Robert Stewart, the future King of the Scots, and the Earl of March deserted the Scottish Army, abandoning David II's battalion to face the enemy alone.

Late in the afternoon, the king's own battalion attempted to retreat, but was unsuccessful and David II was captured (though not without difficulty), while the rest of the Scottish army was pursued for more than 20 miles.