About this site

Heather Maxwell and Mick Reed's Genealogy Pages are dedicated to the histories of our respective families. We want to share information with family members known and - as yet - unknown. Heather's ancestors came from various parts of the British Isles before arriving in Australia, in chains or as free settlers, beginning with First Fleet convicts, Ann Forbes and James Peaulet, in 1788. Mick's ancestors came from different places in England, although one branch is known to have originated in Germany. The small photo above is of Thomas Johnson, Mick's maternal grandfather, who died on 11 November 1914 near Ypres in Belgium. in the service of his country. He has no known grave and he is commemorated by name on the Menin Gate at Ypres (now Ieper). The larger photo shows Bertha Maxwell, née Ellem, with attendants. She was chosen Queen of the Day during World War I as part of fundraising for Australian troops. Descended from convict Richard Ellem, she lived near Grafton NSW, and was Heather's paternal grandmother.