John Maxwell

Born in Belfast, Ireland in 1835, he died 4th Sept, 1887. He left Ireland when he was 19 years old and went first to the United States, he traveled from Pittsburgh to California with the gold rush and then to the gold rush in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, where he was one of the more successful prospectors. John and his partner James Lunney bought a schooner and wintered in and around the Gulf Islands. They settled in the Burgoyne Bay area around 1860 and established a cattle ranch, importing Texas Longhorns from Oregon. John Maxwell had a native wife, Mary and James Lunney remained a bachelor. John and Mary had seven children, John Jr., James, Samuel, Richard, David, Mary and Eliza. John’s wife Mary left the family home and went to live on the Cowichan Reserve. She died Jan 13, 1914 and is buried at the Duncan Native Cemetery. There are no known pictures of her.

Accession number: 1JohnMaxwell

John Maxwell Jr.

Accession number: 2SamuelMaxwell

Samuel Maxwell

Born 6 Nov, 1865, died 24 April, 1928. He lived at Burgoyne for awhile and was postmaster. He moved to San Francisco where he married and had five children.

Accession number: 2SamuelMaxwell

Richard Maxwell

Born 10 Oct, 1867 and died 1947. The only Maxwell to remain at Burgoyne for his entire life. He married Emily (Sparrow) Douglas.

Accession number: 3RichardMaxwell

David Maxwell

Born 11 May, 1873 and died 11th Oct, 1967. He married Clara Trage and they lived first at Beaver Point and then on Morningside Road, Fulford Harbour. They had seven children.

Accession number: 4DavidMaxwell

James Maxwell

Born 7 Aug, 1875. He went missing whilst visiting relatives in Ireland during his army time in World War I.

Accession number: 5JamesMaxwell

Mary Maxwell

Born 1877 and died ?. She moved to San Francisco and married Anton Lindberg. They had two daughters, Marie and Anna.

Accession number: 6MaryMaxwell

Eliza Maxwell

Born 1882 and died ?. She moved to San Francisco and married Mr. Vernon. They had one daughter, Victoria.

Accession number: 7Eliza Maxwell

Eliza Maxwell

Born 1882 and died ?. She moved to San Francisco and married Mr. Vernon. They had one daughter, Victoria.

Accession number: 8ElizaMaxwell

Theodore Frederick Trage

Born 11 Oct, 1835, died 7th Nov, 1902

Theodore left Germany when he was 19 years old, first going to New York where he worked as a cook. He traveled to California looking for gold and then on to British Columbia in the Fraser Valley. He established himself first at Fulford and then at Beaver Point with his partner, Henry Spikerman.

Theodore married Susannah George, a native Cowichan, They had the first orchard on Salt Spring island at Beaver Point, which is now the Manhennick, Bridgeman area. They had four children. Henrietta Susanna Emma, Clara Paulina Minnie, Adolphus William and Bertha Emma Susan.

Accession number: 9TheodoreTrage

Susannah (George) Trage

Born 4th Sept, 1844, died 1 March, 1932. She was a native lady from the Cowichan Reserve and married Theodore Trage. Susannah was living with her daughter and son-in-law, Clara and David Maxwell on Morningside Road until her death in 1932.

Accession number: SwanacTrage

Trage Family Photograph

L-R: Adolph, Bertha, Theodore (father), Clara
(missing: Susannah (George) Trage, and eldest daughter Henrietta) date c.1890

Henrietta Susanna Emma, born 24 May, 1866, died approximately 1934, married John Sheperd and then George Williams. They had 8 children, Susannah, Minnie, Lottie, Clara, Laura, Alice, Rudolph and Arthur.

Clara Paulina Minnie, born 3 April, 1879, died 3 April, 1967, married David Maxwell. They had 7 children, Lorna Clara, Elizabeth Geneva, Angus Clarence, Inez Lina, Frederick Cliford, Stephen Eugene (Tye) and Lewis Carl (Buzz).

Adolphus William, born 4th Jan, 1882, died 12th May, 1954, married Florence Conery. The had two children, Theodore (Scat) and Sylvia (Sally).

Bertha Emma Susan, born 4 April, 1884, died 17th April, 1960. She married Robey Strelly Daykin. They had 5 children, Alan, Helen, Cora, Cecil Herbert and Rexford Clyde.

Accession number: Trage