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Hugh Maxwell (1787 Paisley, Scotland - March 31, 1873 New York City) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.

Life

He graduated from Columbia College in 1808. Then he studied law and was admitted to the bar.

During the War of 1812, he was an Assistant Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army.

He was New York County District Attorney from 1817 to 1818, and from 1821 to 1829. In 1826, he prosecuted Jacob Barker, Henry Eckford and others for "conspiracy to defraud."

In 1849, he was appointed by President Zachary Taylor Collector of the Port of New York, and remained in office until 1853 when his term expired. Afterwards he resumed the practice of law, but retired after a few years.

Sources

• The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 369 and 377; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)
• famousamericans.net/hughmaxwell/
• THE LAW INSTITUTE.; PRESENTATION OF BEQUESTS FROM THE LATE HUGH MAXWELL in NYT on July 15, 1873 [giving wrong tenure "1819-1829", which later was copied widely]