Born John Maxwell Scott in Maryhill on the 10th.October 1880. He must have a very clever young man as he entered the University of Glasgow in 1894 at the remarkable age of fourteen.
Graduated with a Batchellor of Science degree in the then new field of electrical engineering. Some years later he founded his own business manufacturing electrical swicthgear, and in 1923 had a trade text book published which for many years was regarded as a valuable reference work. He also wrote a novel.
There is mention elsewhere that Mr.Scott Maxwell was responsible for 'much of the electrification of Glasgow's tramways'. This is irresponsible, as Mr.Scott Maxwell was only 18 to 22 years old - when the whole of the Glasgow sytem had been completely electrified. See quote from : www.theglasgowstory.com
"Extensions were made to the system and in 1898 the first electric tram route was opened, the entire system being converted by 14 April 1902."
Its surely too much to expect a recently graduated, 22 year old to have been responsible for 'much' of this great feat.
He inherited Baillieston House and the estate from his grand uncle John Maxwell (who actually died 2 years earlier) in 1901 upon reaching 21 and appended Maxwell as his surname to keep the family name on the estate - which was fairly normal practice in those times. Hence the rather long and unusual style of name.
He lost no time in upgrading and refurbishing the property, part of which dated from at least 1750 which can be seen in the picture gallery on this site.
He married an American - Florida Pier (see seperate entry) in 1910 and they had three sons and one daughter (Hilary, who happily is still alive & well). All three sons went onto graduate as engineers - one going on to building his own engineering business and the other two rising to become directors with the Vickers Engineering co. and British Steel Corporation. Mr. Scott Maxwell divorced and later re-married his secretary, Isa Dawson.
Scott Maxwell was a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers (Territorials) and a magistrate - the youngest justice of the peace in Lanarkshire at the time. He was a great exponent of the need to disperse people from the slums of the inner cities - especially Glasgow and this probably led him in his early forties to become involved in the sale of his land north of Glasgow Rd.to Henry Boot & Co. and became part of the conception and development of the present Garrowhill (see Garrowhill Garden Suburb story) and Ladyhill.
He died at Baillieston House on the 25th. September 1951 leaving the estate to his eldest son Stephen, his ashes were buried there but exhumed in the early sixties and re-interred in the Maxwell plot in Baillieston Old Parish church graveyard alongside his grand uncle. This was of course due to Baillieston being sold to Lanarkshire County Council who had designated the land for housing (Berriedale).
Although John Scott Maxwell seemed to have a minimal effect on the village of Baillieston - spending most of his time working in the city - he is remembered by people still alive today for his kindness in allowing the gardens at Baillieston house to be used for fettes, picnics and the like. Most of all he will be remembered for the creation of Garrowhill and the Ladyhill Drive suburbs.
All in all a remarkable man.
Our thanks to Hilary Scott Maxwell for help in compiling this profile of her father.
* Discovered by baillieston.net in the book; "Lanarkshire Leaders; Social and Political" by Ernest Gaskill, published London 1906 by the Queenhithe Printing and Publishing Co.
copyright: Robert Murray and baillieston.net © 2004
