Maxwell Family of Ontario and Alberta

This web page is part of A Family Reunion of Douglas J. Graham. There is a search page for finding specific information. Last update of page: 30 October 2001.

The Maxwell Clan was founded in the thirteenth century in Scotland. The ancestor of the Maxwells is said to be the 12th century Maccus who gave his name to "Maccus Well" (a pool of the Tweed River near Kelso, "well" being Old English for pool). The first use of the name Maxwell dates from the following century. The Maxwell's great castle at Caerlaverock was occupied from this time. Many members of the family emigrated to Ireland and to the New World. Much more information on the Maxwells is available from general sites cited in Sources (4) and (5).

The Maxwell family enters into Douglas J. Graham's Family Reunion through my grandmother, Mildred Maxwell, wife of Paul Ashmore Graham. Relatively little information is available on this side of the family and there are many gaps that could probably be readily filled in with some research. Records are presented here going back three generations from my grandmother:

William Maxwell --- m. --- Sarah Lowry

Hamilton Maxwell of Ontario, b. 1832 --- m. --- Margaret Coulter (5 children; link through her to Rowan and Dick)

Bill Maxwell, b. 1855 --- m. --- Martha Smyth (10 children)

Paul Graham, b. 1894 --- m. --- Mildred Maxwell (4 children)

William Graham, b.1929 --- m. --- Margaret Barclay (3 children)

Douglas J. Graham, b. 1959 --- m. --- France Marcoux (2 children)

Camille, b. 1992 and Stéphanie Graham, b. 1994

William Maxwell, b. ca. 1800

The father of Hamilton Maxwell, b. 1832, was not recorded by Clayton Holmes (2, 8), the source of almost all my information on early Maxwells. He noted however that Hamilton's mother was Sarah Lowery (8).

From more recent information on the early Maxwells which remains to be written up and recorded here (16), we know that the father of Hamilton Maxwell was William Maxwell and was apparently married to Agnes Lowry (note correct spelling). They are buried in Owens Sound.

Hamilton Maxwell, b. 1832, and his Siblings

The only Maxwell recorded in this generation by Clayton Holmes was Hamilton. However, he had at least one brother, William, from whom the source of (16) is descended (from a line of the family that moved west to Saskatchewan).

Hamilton Lowery Maxwell was b. about 1832. We don't know whether he was born in Scotland, in Ireland, or in Canada. Hamilton m. Margaret Coulter (8). They had five children (see section below). They farmed in southern Ontario but we have little in the way of hard facts as to where and when. Margaret died in Sullivan, Ontario in 1874 (8) so they perhaps lived in that area? We know his son Bill farmed in Keady, Ontario from at least 1883 to 1897. Was it only the son Bill that lived in Keady or was it Hamilton and all his family?

As a widow of about 65, Hamilton Maxwell moved west, apparently with his son William in about 1897. He is buried in the Arcola Cemetery beside his daughter Agnes and his grandson Thomas. He died 21 January 1905 aged 75. In July 1982 we found all three headstones to be in good condition. His reads: "Hamilton Maxwell died January 21 1905 aged 73" and there is a quotation (in full?) from the Bible from Matthew 11:28.

Coulter Family

In (8), Clayton Holmes mentions a history of the Coulters done by Maxwell Kerr of Regina but this has not been located (nor particularly searched for). Most of the information recorded here comes from the web site of (15).

Thomas Coulter was married, before 1797, in Ayr, Scotland to Sarah Rowan (this is the spelling according to (17) though Roan is spelling on web site of (15)). Note also that Janet Dick's mother was a Rowan. Three children are recorded, Hugh, Robert (18), and an unnamed child (18).

The son Hugh Coulter was b. 11 December 1797 in Ballantrae, Ayr. He m. 21 January 1823 at Dailly, Ayr to Janet Dick. See the Dick chapter for much more information on Janet and her family.

They emigrated from Ayrshire to Vaughan Township, York County, Ontario in 1832 (19). Other members of the Dick family emigrated with them. In September 1847 they moved to Derby Township, Grey County (SW of Owen Sound), Ontario, to Lot 10, Concession 4 and Lot 9, Concession 4; cost 75 Pounds (19). The Coulter Family is apparently still farming at this location (Concession 4, Lot 10) (20). Hugh died in 1859 in Owen Sound, Ontario and Janet in about 1875.

Margaret Coulter, b. 1834, and her Siblings

According to (2), Janet Dick and Hugh Coulter had seven children: Elizabeth, Robert Dick, Thomas, Margaret, Alexander, Janet, and Mary. An alternative listing of 10 children, with some slight differences in order and perhaps including children that died very young is provided by (15): Elizabeth, Thomas, Robert Dick, Sarah, Hugh, Margaret, Alexander, Janet, William, and Mary. Using this latter list (and only referring to (2) when there are differences), the children are:

1) Elizabeth Coulter, b. 23 May 1823 (according to (2), b. 1820) at Dailly, Ayr. She m. John Rogers (2) and died at Albean, Ontario.

2) Thomas, b. 22 November 1825 (according to (2), b. 1830) at Dailly. According to (2), d. 1908, unm. but died 30 July 1828 at Dailly according to (15). In (2) the order here of Thomas and Robert Dick is reversed.

3) Robert Dick, b. 5 April 1828 at Dailly. He m. Mary Waddell 16 February 1852 in Ontario. She was born in September 1829, daughter of Robert Waddell. Nine children were born to them from 1852 to 1870, all at Owen Sound. According to (15), Robert came to Manitoba first in 1882. At that time he would have been about 54. In 1884 he brought his wife and 3 sons (Hugh, Robert, and Gavin) and settled and farmed on north half of section (360 Acres) 14-20-27 at Silver Creek. This location is perhaps now called Silverton, Manitoba (near Russell)? He died 28 May 1910 at Silver Creek, Manitoba and his widow died in the same place on 5 April 1911. Their children, all born in Owen Sound, were the following:

Elizabeth Coulter, b. 19 November 1852. She married 18 January 1874 to George Campion at Owen Sound and died in November 1884 at Owen Sound.
Janet Rowan, b. 2 July 1854 and died 28 January 1875 at Owen Sound.
Mary Agnes, b. 12 February 1856. She married 8 April 1880 at Owen Sound to William Kennedy and died 2 February 1895 in Ontario.
Hugh Alexander, b. 20 July 1858. He m. 28 June 1908 at Silver Creek, Manitoba to Edna Mabel Stewart. She was born May 1883 at Silver Creek, daughter of John McN. [sic] Stewart and Sarah Jane Curtis. He died 13 August 1923 in Vancouver while his much younger widow died 2 January 1962 in Russell, Manitoba. They had four sons (see (15) for details, two of whom died in Europe in WWII.
Margaret, b. 4 November 1860. She married 8 April 1880 to Thomas Robertson. She died 18 July 1902 in Canada.
Robert John, b. 4 June 1864. He m. 19 May 1891 in Canada to Margaret Elizabeth Peddie. He died 1 October 1935 in Canada.
Sarah Thompson, b. 26 April 1866, died young 29 March 1873 at Owen Sound.
Gavin Waddell, b. 29 April 1868. He m. 18 December 1896 in Canada to Annie Anderson. He died 25 January 1924 in Canada.
David, b. 12 August 1870 and died an infant 12 June 1871 at Owen Sound.

4) Sarah, b. 21 January 1830 at Dailly, died there the same year as an infant.

5) Hugh, b. 28 March 1832 at Dailly. He m. in Canada to Jane Porteous. He was not listed by (2).

6) Margaret, b. 28 July 1834 at Vaughan Township, York, Ontario (as were all the following children of her parents). She m. Hamilton Maxwell and died in 1874 (2) in Sullivan (2, 15), Ont. For their children see the section below.

7) Alexander, b. 9 November 1837. He m. Lucy Edgarton (2) and died in 1870 at Derby Township, Ontario (15).

8) Janet, b. 14 July 1839. She m. Ruben Rossiter (2) and d. in 1870 at Derby Township (15) or in 1876 (2).

9) William, b. 14 August 1841 but died as an infant in 1843.

10) Mary, b. 3 December 1843, m. John Reed (2) and died 20 February 1880 in Ontario.

Bill Maxwell, b. 1855, and his Siblings

The five children of Hamilton Maxwell and Margaret Coulter were the following:

1) Janet Maxwell, b. 1854, m. John Finley Hamilton, b. 27 July 1848, son of James Hamilton (1818-1891) and Marion McGowan (1821-1861). See (2) for the siblings of John Hamilton. John died in 1923 and Janet in 1933. They lived in Ontario and had 12 children (2). Were they also briefly in Arcola? (unclear implication this might have been so in (10)). Clayton Holmes (2) calls them an "American branch of the family", "from Michigan to California" so most of the family must have moved to the States.

James Hamilton, b. 18 January 1875, m. Sadie Lee. They had one recorded son; James died in 1943. As mentioned below under his brother John, "Jim" at one time lived in Oakland, California (or perhaps he moved there?). Their son was:
1. James William Hamilton, b. 14 February 1907.
Alexander, b. 13 October 1876. He m. on 26 January 1910 to Sarah Lee, b. in Ontario in 1875. According to a Burdett history (6), Alex and Sarah were married in Calgary. He registered his homestead claim a few miles southwest of Burdett, Alberta on 21 October 1908. Alex was not on his homestead very long before he sold out and became a blacksmith in Burdett. He and Sarah also ran the post office in Burdett. Sarah had been a schoolteacher in Alberta and Ontario before her marriage. When Burdett became a village in 1913 Alex was elected to the first council. He served on Council for 24 of the next 27 years (Bill Maxwell also occasionally served on Council) and was mayor for 18 terms. According to the local history of Burdett (Burdett Prairie Trails published in 1981) it was said in those days that "Burdett is a one man town and Alex Hamilton is the man". He died in 1943 and Sarah died in 1953. Their three children were:
1. John Finley Hamilton, b. 2 January 1911 but died three days later.
2. Jean Lee, b. 3 December 1911. She m. Lester Carter Bennett of Orion on 24 September 1949 but had no children. In about 1982 they lived in Medicine Hat.
3. Marion Alexandra, b. 4 January 1918, d. in 1932 (or June 1933).
William Lowery ("Lourey" in (2)), b. 3 June 1878. He m. on 20 April 1903 to Delta Muth. He died in 1954. They had two sons and one daughter:
1. Elaine Mildred Hamilton, b. 1 September 1904. She m. Laurence Noble Allen on 28 July 1926 and had two children (see (2) for further details).
2. John Presley, b. 27 February 1906. Unmarried (2).
3. William Oliver, b. 6 December 1912. Deceased (2).
Margaret Coulter, b. 12 March 1880. She m. in December 1902 to Edward Tester, b.1872. He died in 1951 and she in 1965. They had four sons and two daughters:
1. Harold Tester, b. 2 September 1903, m. Lorraine Morris 3 November 1943. They had one son (see (2)).
2. Lyal, b. 23 October 1905, m. Alice Bibeau 28 December 1948. No recorded children.
3. Lucille, b. 15 July 1907, m. John William Marsh (1904-1961) on 3 December 1930. They had three children, all of whom married and had children (see (2)).
4. Leroy, b. 23 February 1908. Died unmarried in 1931.
5. Janet, b. 4 April 1910, m. Robert Duncanson in 1934. They had three children, all of whom married (see (2)).
6. Jack, b. 30 June 1920, m. Susan McKinnon 19 July 1958. No recorded children.
Marian McGowan, b. 31 March 1882. She m. in January 1903 to Donald Patterson, b. 1871. He died in 1935 and she died in 1956. Their only child was:
1. Marion Frances Patterson, b. 1919. She m. Robert James Russell on 2 June 1941, b. 1916. They had three children (see (2)).
John Finley, b. 14 April 1884. He m. on 16 December 1906 to Anna Leah Anderson, b. 1886. According to further information from (6), John filed on a homestead two miles west of Burdett in 1908, six weeks before his brother Alex did. He sold his blacksmith shop and home in Taber and moved to Burdett with his wife and first baby. He was the first postmaster in Burdett but they lived on their homestead until they moved into Burdett in 1918. From 1915-1920 he was agent for the Stacey Lumber Comp. in Burdett. He briefly lived in Oakland, Calif. with his brother Jim but returned and moved to Magrath, Alberta in 1922. He died 4 May 1963. They had a large family of seven sons and four daughters:
1. Janet Leah Hamilton, b. 9 September 1907. On 21 December 1929 she m. Harold Dunbar Boucher, b. 1899. They had three children who all married and had children (see (2)).
2. Estella Marie, b. 7 April 1909. On 5 December 1931 she m. John Leo Cook. They had four children who all m. and had children (see (2)).
3. John Alfred, b. 19 February 1911. He m. 30 June 1938 to Vinessa [sic] Mae Tanner, b. 1913. They had five children, at least three of which married (see (2)).
4. Anna Lucile [sic], b. 8 September 1912, d. 1913.
5. Hazel Eva, b. 18 March 1914. She m. 1 September 1933 to Marion Wilbe Cook, b. 1907. They had one recorded daughter.
6. William Vere, b. 8 March 1916. He m. on 24 February 1947 to Elsie Heines. No recorded children.
7. George Henry, b. 17 November 1917. He m. in 1938 to Doroth Harker, b. 1921. They had four children at least three of which are recorded as marrying (see (2)).
8. James Finley, b. 23 August 1920. He m. 24 September 1945 to Lorna May Caughey. They had four children (see (2)).
9. Maxwell Ian, b. 2 October 1923. He m. on 23 March 1949 to Roxey Iris Quist, b. 1929. They had five children (see (2)).
10. Alvin Rex, b. 16 September 1925. He m. 11 September 1946 to Corinne Hedalan. They had four children (see (2)).
11. Robert Anderson, b. 13 December 1926. He m. 25 June 1953 to Patricia Maude McCormack, b. 1932. They had five children.
Adam Ladeau ("Ladeaux" in (2)), b. 24 February 1886. He m., had three children, and died in 1964. His children, for whom we only have their names, are:
1. Harvey Hamilton.
2. Nadine.
3. Maxine.
Hamilton Maxwell Hamilton, b. 15 March 1888. He m. on 21 August 1913 to Margaret Ellen Morrison (1890-1967). Clayton Holmes mentions in 1968 (8) a "recent visit" from Hamilton, the "only one left of his generation". They had three children (see also (2) for names of all their grandchildren):
1. Leita Ruth Hamilton, b. 22 October 1915. On 25 March 1935 she m. Floyd Clegg. They had three children.
2. Maxwell Thomas, b. 21 June 1920. On 8 September 1945 he married Arletta Gonnerman. They had four children.
3. Morris John, b. 14 February 1925. On 11 February 1950 he m. Helen Walker and they had two children.
Janet Lily, b. 12 April 1891. She m. on 26 September 1914 to Peter Brown Thomson (1889-1955). She died in 1963. They had one daughter:
1. Marion Isabel Thomson, b. 6 September 1915. On 28 December 1938 she m. Jack Norman Edmison, b. 1911. They had one recorded son (see (2)).
Marie Agnes, b. 12 April 1891 (a twin of Janet). She m. 4 May 1911 to William John MacKay (1876-1950). She died in 1956. They had two sons and a daughter:
1. Francis Hamilton MacKay, b. 17 June 913. On 28 December 1939, he m. Geogina [sic, but likely Georgina] May Rawson, b. 1914. They had two children, who both married (see (2)).
2. Allen Maxwell, b. 11 June 1916. He m. on 25 July 1942 to Bernice Dorothea Blakley [sic]. They had five children (see (2)).
3. Mabel Dorothy, b. 25 July 1919. She m. on 18 May 1940 to Willard Ira Myers and had three childen (see (2)).
Robert Quentin, b. 24 July 1893. He m. 25 November 1920 to Eve Wallis, b. 1898. They had one daughter. He died in 1957 and she died the same year. Their daughter was:
1. Marjorie Jean Hamilton, b. 27 July 1922.
Charles Frederick, b. 8 September 1896. He m. on 25 August 1920 to Ruby Emma Stirling and they had one son and three daughters. She died in 1951 and he died in either 1960 (2) or 1961. Their children (see also all their grandchildren in (2)) were:
1. Phyllis Jane Hamilton, b. 12 July 1921. She m. on 18 August 1947 to Grant Crane, b. 1915. They had three children.
2. Jean Elizabeth, b. 23 February 1923. She m. on 19 December 1942 to Robert Edge Cope and had four children.
3. Gertrude Stirling, b. 12 December 1924. She m. on 20 January 1951 to Warren Charles Juhl, b. 1922. They had two children.
4. Charles Finley, b. 28 December 1930. He m. on 24 August 1957 to Margaret Anne Zuelch, b. 1935. They had two children.

2) William James, b. 1855, m. Martha Smyth, b. 1855 (her surname is given as "Smythe" in (2) but as "Smyth" in (2A)). Martha was the daughter of John Smyth. They eventually had eleven children (see following section).

Bill Maxwell lived and farmed at Keady near Owen Sound in Ontario. We know he farmed in Keady Ontario from at least 1883 (birth place of Jim Maxwell) to 1896 or 1897 (when he left for Manitoba). Was it only the son Bill that lived in Keady or was it Hamilton and all his family?

Bill and Marg Graham in 1993 went looking for family roots there (extracts here from the wonderful little account in (1); further extracts in the Smyth chapter):

I wanted to go to Owen Sound and dig for the roots of the Maxwells. Marg was sceptical and quick to point out that they had abandoned the area 100 years ago. I admit that I continually interrupt our holidays in order to visit long dead, fossil family. As I pointed out, though, this was a long overdue visit - I had never been to my Mother's birth place, Owen Sound.

Mother later pointed out that she had actually been born in a village named Keady some 10-15 miles out of Owen Sound. [Arriving there], I had a bit of a sinking feeling because there really wasn't a town of Keady. All that had survived was a wonderful old church that had been built in 1901, four or five years after the Maxwells had moved west to Arcola, Sask.

Across the road from the church was a broken-down garage/shop/home. There was also an agricultural (?) office and maybe two frame houses. In desperation, we went into the church. We put $5.00 in the box for a set of note cards ("Keady United Church"). I found the Annual Report (1992) for the church - it ran to 30 pages - and I began to search for familiar names. There were no Maxwells hoolding offices but I found a Kerr, Madill, Coulter, Brown, McKee... I felt the rush of discovery. I crossed the street to the old garage and spoke to the resident family - "Who would know about the old days?".

[...] Ron Kuhl was the local historian. He said that the Maxwell's grist mill had been 1 to 2 km to the west - "just over that hill, but no point in going out there, nothing left, but you might find the depressions and banks of the mill ponds; Maxwells left a long time ago".

In about 1896 (7), when he would have been about 42, he went west to Hartney, Manitoba, abandoning the grist mill of Keady. He took a quarter section at Chain Lakes and herded cattle for the summer (7). They then moved further west to Arcola, Sask. This was probably in 1898 (this is the date given in (6) for arriving in Saskatchewan). Bill's sister Mrs. Kerr was already living (7) in Arcola. It is unsure who came with Bill Maxwell in the move west. Of his four sisters, at least three lived in the Arcola area at some time and his father also died in Arcola. When they first arrived in Arcola, Bill worked at carpentry and hauling but eventually homesteaded just west of Arcola. His house and barn were still standing in 1982 (see pictures in my files of the original barn, original house, and the old school house). In (3), from 1972, there is a sketch of location, about five miles our of Arcola toward Kisbey.

In the spring of 1911 (11) they moved to Burdett, Alberta. Martha Smyth had died in the winter of 1910-1911 of tuberculosis. In Burdett, the family consisted only of Bill and the three youngest daughters (Mary, Millie, and Jane). John and Rob had homesteaded earlier in the Burdett area. His son Jim was also there in 1911.

Bill was apparently always involved in various ventures (11). He briefly managed the Imperial Oil Company, owned the combined pool room/barber shop and later built and operated a larger pool hall. He was not really suited for business and was perhaps illiterate; Jane Maxwell said of him when he was running the Imperial Oil Company: "that didn't last very long, for records were never his best attribute and he relied on remembering, until he got home at night, and told Mary what he had transacted that day". Note however that I have a short notes he wrote in 1947 and 1948, just before he died.

Eventually, he "went back to what he was so well equipped to do, build houses, barns, anything, you name it, he could build it, even furniture". He built the town's livery stable and their large house which he built later became the Burdett Hotel (which burned down in 1930). Of an earlier building of his that burned down, Daisy Sanderson (10) told us that arson was likely involved to collect the insurance money! He was the first constable in Burdett when it was incorporated: "one of the old time law men with a big gun in a holster on his hip". He worked in Barnwell on irrigation ditches in the hard years (10).

After his daughters had left home, he remarried (in 1920, according to (2)) to Mary Catherine Brown, a widow of Mr. Chalmers. Or perhaps, as noted in (10), Millie and Jane left home when he remarried. She was a sister of Emerson and Kervin Brown (6). Eventually they moved back to Ontario (to Lowbanks near Dunnville). Mary had two children by her previous marriage: Alta and Hugh Chalmers who were both apparently "not in their right minds" (10). Bill and Mary lived with Alta in Ontario. After Mary's death, Bill moved back to Alberta where he lived with Rob Maxwell in Champion.

My father writes (13): "Ol' Bill Maxwell had been living with Rob Maxwell and family for years. He was becoming a burden and as Rob said, 'it was time Millie shared in his care'. So Ol' Bill (Gramps) was brought up to Calgary to live withus at 2321-17th Street." So, the very last years of his life, when he was quite senile, were spent with Paul and Millie Graham in Calgary. Bill died in 1948 or 1949.

3) Ellen, b. 1856. She m. in 1880 to George Kerr, b. 1848. They had only one son. She died in 1941 and he died in 1924. The Kerrs lived in the Arcola area (10) and were apparently there before 1897 when Bill Maxwell and his family arrived. This would seem to be confirmed by the story from (21) in which Margaret Bryce writes: "Aunt Ellen farmed the land just north of Arcola town sight [sic] and when the Riel Rebellion was on she would take her son Joe and hide in the wheat fields". Several members of the Kerr family are buried in the Arcola Cemetery. Their son was:

Joseph A. Kerr, b. 1881, m. in 1901 to Lucinda Morrow Atchison, b. 1881, who died immediately thereafter in 1902. He remarried in 1903 to Myrtle Morris and they had a son and a daughter. He died in 1950. His two children were:
1. Hazel Irene Kerr, b. 1905. In 1926 she m. George Alston Laurie and they had one son who married and had children (see (2)). She remarried on 26 December 1942 to Thomas Ross Stark (1893-1966) but they had no family.
2. Melville, b. 1913, d. 1934.

4) Mary, b. 1864. She m. in May 1881 to James Gormley McInnis, b. 1853 (his surname sometimes appears as McGinnis (e.e., (12), but as McInnis in (2)). She died in 1940 and he died in 1932. The McInnis farm was across Bill Maxwell's farm in Arcola (according to (10) at Armilla Siding across the track) so they presumably moved there about the same time as her brother Bill. They had 10 children:

William McInnis, b. 24 February 1882. He m. on 17 Jan. 1906 to Gretta E. Gray. William died in 1938. They had two children:
1. James Gray McInnis, b. 1907, d. 1942 unmarried.
2. Marjorie Gretta, b. 1 April 1915. On 5 July 1939 she m. Nicholas Ayers; no recorded children.
Margaret, b. 14 May 1883. She m. on 30 March 1904 to Robert John Kerr, b. 1878. She died in 1957 and he died in 1950. They had eight sons and one daughter (see (2) for the names of grandchildren and great-grandchildren):
1. Lilah Melvina Kerr, b. 21 March 1905. On 6 November 1929 she m. Newton Blair, b. 1898. They had three children, all of whom married.
2. Howard Robert James, b. 4 November 1906. He m. on 7 July 1931 to Eva Barker; no children.
3. William Earl, b. 26 May 1908. He m. on 8 July 1967 [sic] to Sharon Knibbs; no children.
4. Bliss Lennand, b. 10 February 1910. He m. on 1 July 1936 to Flossie Pearl Slack and they had two children who both married.
5. Laird Borden, b. 20 January 1912, d. 1934 unmarried.
6. Kenneth Thomas, b. 17 August 1916. He m. in 1944 to Muriel Toeppner and they had two children, one of whom is recorded as married.
7. Maxwell McInnis, b. 16 May 1918. He m. 31 January 1942 to Christina Zelma Munro; no children. This Maxwell Kerr is the author of the work on Coulters mentioned in Sources below. Elizabeth Greenwood was not able to locate him in 1978 (12).
8. John Bruce, b. 8 June 1920. He m. 18 June 1948 to Janet Whitecross Brown Davidson and had two children.
9. Cecil Lorne, b. 27 June 1924. He m. 20 November 1947 to Elizabeth Isabel Lucht. They had two daughters, one of whom is recorded as married.
Nellie Gormley, b. 1 January 1886. She m. on 16 Aug. 1905 to Walter Lowe, b. 1879. She died in 1957. They had two sons and a daughter (see (2) for granchildren):
1. Minor Lowe, b. 1907. He m. on 4 May 1940 to Marjorie Mainman. They had two children.
2. Victor, b. 1909. He m. on 10 September 1938 to Gladys Irene Pace and they had four children.
3. Mary, b. 1911. She m. on 11 June 1941 to Austin J. Alley and had two children.
Delilah Pearl, b. 29 July 1888. She m. on 18 Dec. 1912 to Archibald J. Sinclair, b. 1878. He died in 1963.They had two sons and two daughters (see (2) for granchildren):
1. Mary Sinclair, b. 23 October 1913. She m. on 21 June 1940 to Clare Fleming; no children.
2. Donald, b. 14 September 1915. He m. 15 October 1949 to Grace Holmes and they had four children.
3. Jean, b. 7 May 1921. She m. on 22 July 1946 to John Black and they had one daughter.
4. James, b. 19 June 1924. He m. 14 September 1946 to Ruth Donavon and they had four sons.
Mary Viola, b. 5 February 1889, d. that same year.
Janet Florence, b. 14 December 1890. She m. on 28 November 1936 to John Fredrick [sic, but probably Frederick] Lunney, b. 1878, d. 1955. He already had a son Jack.
Thomas John, b. 10 July 1893. He m. on New Year's Day 1924 to Daphne Leone Parsons, b. 1897. They had two sons and a daughter:
1. Thomas George McInnis, b. 17 March 1925. He m. on 2 June 1951 to Shelagh Mary Fisher, b. 1926. They had three children.
2. John Morley, b. 20 December 1926. He m. on 25 March 1948 to Patricia Joan McKee, b. 1927. They had four children.
3. Patricia Anne, b. 15 March 1940 [sic]. She m. 31 July 1964 to Donald John McDonald, b. 1937. They had one recorded son.
Lillian May, b. 10 February 1896. She m. on 12 August 1925 to Frank V. Evans but had no children. She died in 1955.
Foster Lowery [also spelled as Lowrey], b. 5 July 1900. He m. on 5 July 1927 to Emma Mae Lawson. They had one daughter and he died in 1969. The daughter was:
1. Donna Mae McInnis, b. 1930. She m. on 12 February 1954 to Donald Coates and had three children.
Robert, b. 17 August 1902. He m. 4 April 1926 to Elizabeth Hemsortt, b. 1904. Robert died in 1962. They had one daughter:
1. Mary Elizabeth McInnis, b. 1927. She m. on 20 October 1951 to Robert J. Bell. They had three children (see (2)).

5) Agnes (in (10) "Aggie"), b. 1866. She m. in 1890 to Charles R. Gough and they had two daughters. We were also told that she went by the name of "Mrs. Armstrong" so either her husband's name is incorrect or she was married twice. Charles Gough died in 1895. She had tuberculosis and at that time one cure was to "go west for TB". She and her two daughters came to Arcola. The daughters went to live with Agnes' sister Ellen who refused to allow the mother to live with them because of the risk of tuberculosis spreading in her family. Agnes went to live with Bill Maxwell and although perhaps not causally related, most of his family later were wiped out by consumption. This apparently caused many bad feelings within the Maxwell family. Aggie died of tuberculosis on 26 June 1902 aged 36 and was buried at Arcola. Their children were:

Janet L. Gough (in (10) "Jennie"), b. 19 February 1891. She m. on 26 Oct. 1916 to William W. Elson, b. 1880 but they had no children. She was a stenographer in Arcola (10). He died in 1952.
Mitilda R. (in (10) "Tilly"), b. 15 February 1893. She m. on 28 June 1926 to Dudley J. McLeod, b. 1887, but they had no children. She was a schoolteacher in Arcola (10) and died in 1947.

Mildred Maxwell, b. 1894, and Siblings

Bill Maxwell and Martha Smyth had 11 children. There are no birth places recorded in (2). From other sources however we know that at the very least the third child Jim Maxwell was born in 1883 in Keady, Ontario as well as the tenth child, Mildred, b. 1894. Very likely all the other children were born in Keady. The last child, Jane, b. 1899, was born in Arcola. They are:

1) John Smyth Maxwell, b. 1879 or 1882 (both dates appear in (2)). In 1901 he m. in Arcola to Sarah Jane Atchison (according to (2)), b. 1883, d. 1917. In (10), according to his daughter, the marriage is to Sarah Jane Cross. We also have notes suggesting the wife was Jane Thomizena Atchison (10, 14) but I'm not entirely sure how the latter would fit it? Perhaps she was previously married?. John farmed in the Arcola area for a few years. His home is extant and located just west of the Arcola graveyard. He filed for land in Burdett in 1908. He had a bad year in Arcola just before he left (10). Its not clear whether they or he actually moved to Burdett?

John and his younger brother Fred went to California ("supposedly San Diego", (10)) in 1909 for their health. My father has written up this story in (14). Fred reputedly died of TB before Christmas in 1909 (6) in San Diego and John a week later. Apparently however there is no evidence to suggest that John was ever ill. It is possible that the two brothers couldn't handle their familial responsibilities and fled to California to start over. His daughter Daisy told us "Fred and John ran off" (10). It is possible they lived in California for many years. There are no apparent death records for either of them in the U.S. Social Security Death Index (which covers almost all deaths in the US after 1936).

John's wife Jane was left in Burdett with five children. She died in Burdett in 1917 aged 34. The orphaned children went to various homes. They were apparently all born in Arcola (6); the last in 1910 might therefore have been born after John vanished to California. The children were:

William Carl ("Willie") Maxwell, b. 17 January 1902. He was m. first to Ann Blome (this not recorded by (2)) with whom he had a daughter Vernis who later married (10). On 9 May 1943 Bill remarried to Emma Altenhof, b. 1914. She died in 1968. William was a barber in Calgary. He died 3 August 1978 from cancer. They had two children:
1. Dennis Maxwell.
2. Dianne.
Lucina Morrow, b. 1 September 1905, m. on 14 March 1923 to Edward Newton Smiley of Arcola (10), b. 1901. When her mother died, Lucina went to Jim and Mabel Maxwell (10), as did Daisy and Johnny. Lucina and Edward farmed in Manitoba but she died in 1974 in Swift Current. They had four children:
1. James Edward Smiley.
2. Orval Gordon.
3. Frances Muriel.
4. Jean Agnes.
Margaret, b. 9 May 1906. Orphaned young, she was brought up by her aunts, Mildred and Jane, in her grandfather's home. After Mildred and Jane left, Bill Maxwell remarried but his new wife didn't get on very well with Margaret. She left at the age of 13 to live with her Uncle Ham. A family quarrel at this time with Paul and Millie Graham (to whom Maggy might have gone to live with) resulted in a rupture between these sides of the family.
Margaret married on 14 June 1929 to James Watson Bryce of Arcola, b. 1896, son of Scotty Bryce, a well known breeder of Clydesdale horses. She and Jim Bryce farmed north of Arcola and had two children (see also (2) for grandchildren). Jim died in February 1972 and Margaret remarried in 1975 to Hubert Angus. They lived for a short time in Willmar, Sask. but then resided in Arcola where my whole family visited them in the summer of 1972 (3). My father and I revisted them in 1982 (10). She died sometime before 2000. The two children of the Bryces were:
1. William Hamilton Bryce.
2. Margaret Forbes Ruth.
Daisy Agnes, b. 22 July 1908. After her mother died she, Lucina, and her brother Johnny were taken in by Jim Maxwell. After Jim's wife Mabel became ill, Daisy and John were each adopted by childless couples in Burdett: Daisy to the Stewarts and Johnny to the Goodyears. Mrs. Stewart and Mrs. Goodyear were sisters. Daisy m. on 18 March 1927 to Alfred E. Cox of England, b. 1894. In the fall of 1929 they went to Brandon, Man. where they farmed five miles east of the city. She and Alfred had nine children. They later moved to town for his health where she worked for many years at a drycleaners. He died in 1955. She remarried on 18 July 1959 to Charles Sanderson of Souris, Man. They lived in Calgary from 1966 till his retirement from Western Co-op in 1980 (living in Bowness in 1972 (3)). They lived in Brandon in about 1982 where he was working at the Crystal Hotel. On 4 July 1982 my father and I visited Daisy in Brandon where she graciously provided many details on herself and the early Maxwells (10). She was visited again in May 2002 by my parents, Bill and Marg Graham. The children of Daisy Maxwell and Alfred Cox were (see (2) for the numerous grandchildren):
1. Margaret Pearl Cox.
2. Donalda Jean.
3. Wilma Joyce.
4. Maxwell Emest.
5. Gloria May.
6. Reginald.
7. Kenneth William.
8. James.
9. John Wayne.
John Fredrick [sic], b. 26 May 1910. He left the Goodyears, his adoptive family, when he was about 13. He m. on 12 October 1937 to Mabel Armstrong, b. 1912. He died in 1960 (10). Mabel remarried to a crippled man and lived in Duncan, B.C. Her second husband died in 1981: "a mean and ornery crippled fellow" (10). John and Mabel had three children (see also (2) for grandchildren):
1. Norma Maxwell.
2. Stell.
3. Lloyd.

2) Hamilton Lowery, b. 1882, m. on Christmas Day 1903 to Anne Maud Harrison, b. 1885. They farmed just out of Arcola for many years (10). He died in about 1962, in Arcola (10). Their children were:

Thomas Robert Maxwell, b. 22 September 1904, m. on 6 December 1932 to Mildred Idelle Richardson but they had no children. Tom was formerly with the RCMP. He and his wife lived in Maple Ridge, B.C. in 1980 (9).
William George, b. 17 April 1906, m. on 30 June 1932 to Hilda Lavina Pearl Dunn, b. 1916. George was a hunchback due to polio (3). He lived in Calgary and was a barber but was dead by 1982 (10). They had three children:
1. Ortan Royce Maxwell.
2. Clifford Hamilton.
3. Alexis Ann.
Gordon Alexander, b. 21 January 1908, d. 1924 (2).
Henry Earl, b. 21 June 1910, m. on 16 October 1929 to Mary Margaret ("Mame") Williamson, b. 1908. They lived in Calgary in 1980 (9). They had three girls:
1. Helen Dorothea Maxwell.
2. Elsbeth Lenore.
3. Donna Kathleen.
Edith ("Edie") Laura, b. 14 August 1912, m, on 29 September 1936 to William Charles Williamson, b. 1910. Charles was a mechanic in Calgary (3). In 1982, she was alive but he was deceased (10). They had two children:
1. Ronald Charles Williamson.
2. Judith Lynne.
James, b. 16 August 1914, m. on 17 March 1941 to Alma Fisher, b. 1914. Both James and his brother Charlie were living in the Saskatoon area in 1982 (10). They had three children:
1. Joan Maxwell.
2. James.
3. Glenn.
Charles, b. 16 August 1914 (a twin of James), m. on 26 November 1938 to Sarah Kathleen Rusnell, b. 1920. Their children were:
1. Kenneth George Maxwell.
2. Robert Charles.
3. Ruth Ann.
4. James Lloyd.
Marion Jean, b. 21 February 1923, m. in 1942 to Vandel Lindstrom, b. 1918. They also lived near Saskatoon in 1972 (10). They had two children:
1. Margaret Eileen Lindstrom.
2. Allen Emest.

3) James ("Jim") Henry Maxwell, b. 24 September 1883 in Keady, Grey Co., Ontario. Much of the following information on Jim comes from (7). He attended school in Keady till his father and family moved west in 1896 to Hartney, Man. where he attended Whitewater School.

After they moved to Arcola, Ham and Jim helped their father with hauling. Jim m. on 6 June 1906 to Mabel Kitty Grieve, b. 1886, of Kisbey, Sask. They farmed a quarter section at Stouten, Sask. They moved to Burdett in the spring of 1912 where Jim helped his father in the livery stable. In the fall of 1912, Jim took a homestead at Consul, Sask. They built their house in a week and started immediately breaking the land.

In 1930, at the start of the Depression, they moved to Fruitvale, B.C. and later to Trail and Nelson. In Nelson he worked at the sawmill while his wife ran a store from 1931-1932 for Taylor New and Used Goods. In 1940 they returned to the farm at Consul. He had been injured in 1934 at the sawmill and still had problems getting around. His son Fred helped on the farm. The land was not productive and after briefly living in the town of Consul, Jim and Mabel moved back to Fruitvale. She died 19 January 1950 (10) at which time Jim moved to Vancouver with his son Fred.

He moved to Haney, B.C. in around 1958 and lived there till 1977. Well into his 90's he was an active bowler and never missed a local dance. For 22 years after his wife's death he lived with Alma Cissell. I visited her in 1980 in Maple Ridge (9) with my sister Janice (who was living in Maple Ridge at the time). She took pains to stress that it was a platonic relationship only. After a major stroke, Jim went to live with his daughter Rose in Fruitvale in November 1977. He died in Trail, B.C. 1 December 1979 aged 96. Jim and Mabel's children were:

Rosetta ("Rose") Maxwell, b. 1907, m. on 23 March 1931 to Charles Veysey, b. 1906. They lived in Fruitvale, B.C. Their children are:
1. James Fredrick Veysey.
2. Joyce Lorraine.
3. Alfred Lawrence.
Fredrick James, b. 1910, m. 11 November 1935 to Nettie Lena Groslin, b. 1914. They lived in Port Coquitlam, B.C. where his widow was living in 1982 (10). He died in 1968 (10). Their four children are:
1. Carol Louise Maxwell.
2. Judith Marie.
3. Frederick.
4. Gregory Neil.
Albert, b. 1919, d. 1940.
Audrey Jean, b. 1926, m. in 1945 to Howard Lyster, b. 1927. They lived in Fruitvale, B.C. Their children are:
1. Linda Lyster.
2. Bonnie.
3. Donna.
4. Jodie.

4) Frederick William, b. 1885, m. in 1907 to Mary Mills. They had one son. See above under his brother John Maxwell for further details of his travels to California. After word of Fred's death was received, Mary remarried to her brother-in-law Rob Maxwell (see below). They had a son but she and Rob later separated. She went to live in Seattle.

Lyndon, b. 1908, d. 1932.

5)Thomas Andrew, b. 1886, d. 22 April 1904 aged 17. He is buried in the Arcola Cemetery.

6) Margaret, b. 1888, d. 1905, unm.

7) Robert Alexander, b. 13 December 1890 in Keady, Ont. Rob first married his brother's widow, Mary Mills. They had one son but they later separated, Mary going to Seattle with her son Basil (10). Rob homesteaded about 15 miles south of Burdett (much of the information here from (11) and (6)), having filed for land in 1909, when he was about 18. He raised horses after discovering it was too dry to grow any crops. After a severe drought he sold the homestead and became a lumberjack in B.C. and a cowboy and camp cook in southern Alberta. He became a barber in 1924. While in Medicine Hat he met and eventually married on 3 September 1928 to Anna Madeline Desjardin (possibly Johnaus (2) or Jahraus (6)). She was born in 1896. From her obituary comes the following information: "Anna was born in S. Dakota and came as a young girl with the Len family first to Maple Creek, Sask., later moving to Medicine Hat. Alta. where she and Bob were married".

In 1929 they moved to Champion, Alta. where they ran a barber and beauty shop for many years. He also worked in an insurance business and had the Alberta Treasury Branch agency. He retired in 1962 but they remained active with community and church activities. She died 25 June 1974 and he died 3 February 1980 in Vulcan. He is buried in Archmount Cemetery in Lethbridge. Rob was a mayor of Champion for several years. By his first wife he had one son:

Basil.

By his second wife, he had two daughters:

Audrey Iris Maxwell, b. 1929, m. to L. Ronald McGrail. He died 1 February 1980 at Champion, aged about 50 (6). They lived in the Champion area and had three children. In 1978 my parents visited them in Vulcan, Alberta (13). The children were
1. Michael McGrail, b. 1951.
2. Jeff, b. 1953. Both Michael and Jeff are in California (14).
3. Robyn, b. 1957.
Leora Ann, b. 1935, m. to Roger Maurice Jensen, b. 1930. They lived Champion where he died 1 February 1980. The Jensens had two children:
1. Tracy Jensen.
2. Nancy.

8) Mary, b. 1892, m. in 1912 to Fred Baldwin of Ogema, Sask. She died two years after the marriage leaving no children.

9) Jennett Mildred, b. 7 September 1894 (her identical twin died at birth) at Keady, Ont. Her father moved to Saskatchewan/Manitoba when she was about two or three. Her father then moved to Burdett in early 1911 when she would have been about 18. The girls (Mary, Millie, and Jane) arrived in the early spring but their father had prededed them. Her first job was at Reber's store in Burdett (11). They lived in a small four roomed house beyond Reber's store and next door to the Methodist Church. Bill later built them a larger house (which became the Burdett Hotel) and then another house beside it. Both burned down in about 1930.

When gas was discovered in the Burdett area, there was an influx of gas company men. One of them was Paul Graham, who married Millie on 30 June 1921. At that time she was working at the bank in Burdett. See Paul Graham for more details of her married life and for her children. Before she was married, she lived briefly in Calgary while taking a secretarial course. She had left for Calgary when her father remarried (10).

For most of her married life she was more than occupied with running her household on what was, at best, an irregular and meagre financial support from Paul. She was an expert tailoress and in that capacity worked part time at Hurtig Furriers in Calgary. She also worked for Joe and Edna Leathem in their tailor business. She was an exceptionally well read person and a keen bridge player.

Millie was never close to her Maxwell relatives and it is only in the last 20 years that we have slowly "discovered" them. My father writes (13): "I'm beginning to understand the mystery surrounding the Maxwells. Mother was a drinking, communist, atheist. Consequently, she was well-read and worldly. Furthermore, she was married to an intellectual, physically handicapped alcoholic. All of this was, to me, the norm, but it created a gulf betwee her and her siblings and cousins. They were rural, conservative, and religious. Possibly the estrangement was mutual".

After Paul died in 1959 she spent 18 months living with Bill and Marg Graham in Nairobi. Later "Grandmillie" lived in her own house in Calgary until her sudden death on 14 September 1976.

10) Unnamed twin of Mildred who died at birth.

11) Myra Jane, b. 1899, in Arcola. By a special arrangement with her teachers in Burdett, Jane was able to attend Grade 8. It took her two years to complete as she had to help teach the younger children. She later attended school in Lethbridge and in Burdett after a high school opened there. She taught school in 1919 at the Pine Hill School near Red Deer, Alberta.

In June 1920 in Calgary she married Clayton Alfred Holmes, b. 1895 in Quebec. Much of the information here on Clayton is from (6). Clayton had come west in 1916 where he took a job as Assistant Agent with the CPR at Burdett. In 1918-1919 Clayton was in training at Petawawa near Ottawa.

After the marriage they farmed for seven years in Quebec but then a fire wiped out their farm. Clayton went to the States to look for work and did not see his family for a year and a half. Eventually they moved to South Bend, Indiana where Clayton worked for 33 years for Studebaker Packard Corp., eventually attaining an executive position. After he retired in 1960 they moved to Medford, Oreg. There they were both very active, particularly in golf and other sports.

Clayton did quite a bit of work on the Maxwell family history and for much of this material I am indebted to him. He prepared the long and detailed report (2) which is the source of much information here. After he retired he took up painting and writing and produced a full length romantic novel before his death in November 1979. Jane died 21 January 1983 aged 83. Their children ((2) and (6))were:

Martha Jean Holmes, b. 1922, m. in 1945 to Alex Paul Levay, b. 1915. She did secretarial work in Corpus Christie, Texas. Their children are:
1. Dean Alex Levay, b. 1949
2. Paul Sandor, b. 1951.
3. Joseph Anthony, b. 1954.
William Howard, b. 1923, m. in 1949 to Louise Larsen. He worked for the Bendix Corporation in Jackson, Tenn. They had two children:
1. Gregory Reier Holmes, b. 1952.
2. Douglas Howard, b. 1955.
Donald, b. 1925, d. 1925.
Alan Benner, b. 1927, m. in 1953 to Rowean Jean Bush. Alan is an attorney in Medford. I visited and stayed with my father's cousin Alan and his wife Rowean in November 1980 on my bike trip through western USA. Their children are:
1. Laura Jane Holmes, b.1958.
2. Amy Elizabeth, b. 1959.
3. Rebecca Anne, b. 1967.

Sources

Sites (4 ) and (5) both provide general information, history, tartans, etc. The latter is the Clan Maxwell Society of Canada.

For the original 1982 version of the Family Reunion, an important source was a detailed 27 page genealogical listing from Clayton Holmes of the family of Hamilton Maxwell and Margaret Coulter and their descendents (2). There was also some work done on Coulters by Maxwell Kerr of Regina (I don't currently have the latter but my father may?). The published history of Burdett, Alberta (Burdett Prairie Trails, 1981), provided useful information on the Maxwells settled in that area. Additional information consulted in the 1980s was provided by my father about his mother's family from his notes and from memory. Visits with some members of the family also yielded additional information (notably Margaret Angus and Daisy Sanderson).

Subsequently, some additional research has been done by my father, Bill Graham and by myself (see various footnotes below).

Footnotes

(1) "The Keady Maxwells", Bill Graham, September 1993. Account of their trip to Keady, Ontario and Owen Sound to dig up information on the Maxwells and Smyths.
(2) This source is a 27 page listing, in five chapters, of all the descendents of Hamilton Maxwell and Margaret Coulter (very basic genealogical information). The copy I have is not dated and does not include the author's name but from separate correspondence I know it was compiled by Clayton Holmes, probably in 1968. I also have a photocopy of a very similar but slightly revised copy of (2) which seems to be a bit older (cited as 2A). Accompanying this document, and with much the same information, are large family trees drawn up by Clayton and dated April 23, 1968.
(3) Notes written by Bill Graham from a meeting in summer of 1972 with Maggie Bryce in which she provides some information on early Maxwells (as a 14 year old I was also visiting along with the rest of my family).
(4) Electric Scotland.com site has some general information on the Clan.
(5) Clan Maxwell Society of Canada has lots of interesting resources.
(6) Local history of Burdett, Alberta (Burdett Prairie Trails published in 1981 in Lethbridge by the Burdett History Book Committee) includes information on Alex Hamilton and various Maxwells. Consulted in 1982 and notes taken but I don't have a copy.
(7) Information on Jim Maxwell, b. 1883, comes from a typewritten document: Recollections by Jim Maxwell as told to Anne Veysey. Anne Veysey was the wife of his grandson James Veysey. I have only notes that I made (probably about 1982?) on this document.
(8) Three page document by Clayton Holmes dated May 3 1968 entitled "Geneology [sic] of Hamilton Lowery Maxwell and Margaret Coulter".
(9) Notes from 17 May 1980 of a meeting of my sisters and I with Alma Cissell in Maple Ridge, B.C., companion of the late Jim Maxwell.
(10) Notes written by Douglas Graham on 4 July 1982 from a meeting between my father and I and Daisy Sanderson (née Maxwell) in Brandon, Manitoba and with her sister Maggy Bryce in Arcola. They provided us with much information on the early Maxwells and on themselves.
(11) Untitled and undated memoirs (13 pages) by Jane Maxwell about her early days in Burdett, Alberta. I have a photocopy.
(12) Letter from Elizabeth Graham to Bill Graham, Nov. 1978, with some information on Maxwell side.
(13) Essay of William Graham, "Audrey Maxwell", February 21, 1996, with a few insights on early Maxwell side of the family.
(14) Essay of William Graham, "The Maxwells of San Diego", December 4, 1996.
(15) Helpful web site of Mr. John Dickson of Melbourne, Australia (http://www.alphalink.com.au/~dicksonj/homepage.htm).
(16) Email from Christine Adams in January 2001. Her sources unknown but correspondence is ongoing.
(17) Information from Ruth Wilkins of New Zealand, cited on (15).
(18) Source note from (15): "!CHR: From Scottish Church Records".
(19) Source note from (15): "Moved to Vaughan Township, York County, Ontario, Canada in 1832. Family after the war moved to New Zealand in 1946, where they still are. Settled in the township of Vaughan, York County, 9th Concession. In Sep. 1847, they moved to to Owen Sound, Derby Township (Twsp), Grey County, Lot 10, Con.4 & Lot 9, Con.4. Cost 75 Pounds".
(20) Source note from (15) on Janet Dick.
(21) Letter from Margaret Bryce to Bill and Marg Graham, about 1972 (copy in my files; original sent to her granddaughter, Wendy Walker).

Created by Douglas J. Graham. Comments or enquiries would be very welcome at: douglasjgraham@earthlink.net. The web address of the Family Reunion site is "http://home.earthlink.net/~douglasjgraham/DG_FM.htm".