William Maxwell, 5th Lord Herries of Terregles (died 1603) was a Scottish politician and landowner.
On the 20th the general assembly also handed in a complaint against him and others for attending mass in Dumfries (Calderwood, iv.
On 7 July he was denounced a rebel for not appearing to give his advice regarding the quieting of the borders (ib.
Shortly thereafter he was warded in Edinburgh Castle, but on the 24th was released on promising to give caution within three days to keep good rule (ib.
He failed to do so, and was subsequently imprisoned in Tantallon Castle, but on promising to make his men answerable to justice, he was released on 11 September (ib.
On 17 June he was temporarily reappointed warden of the west march, in succession to Sir John Carmichael, who had a short time previously been murdered (ib.
This provoked the jealousy of the Maxwells, and on 20 May 1601 Herries was charged to answer for 'a new design against Johnstone (ib.
On 20 November he and others in Dumfries were denounced for contravening the acts of parliament 'against saying and hearing mass and entertaining priests,' and were summoned before the council on 17 December (ib.
p. 316), but on 8 Jan. he was released on giving surety to repair to the burgh of Edinburgh and there remain during the king's pleasure (ib.
On 9 February he appeared, and bound himself not to harbour John Hamilton and other Jesuits, and to defend and support the minister of Dumfries in his office and in the discipline of the kirk (ib.
In May 1602 the assembly of the kirk decided that he should be placed in charge of a minister for his better instruction and confirmation in the truth, in case he repaired to Edinburgh; but it was reported in November that he had stayed only a short time in Edinburgh (Calderwood, vi.