John and Margaret Maxwell
John Maxwell was born on the Orkney Island of Stronsay in 1838. On 19 June 1866 he married Margaret Cooper in the grounds of Housebay, Stronsay. Margaret, born May 1841, was the daughter of David and Barbara Cooper nee Miller. Barbara was the elder sister of Peter Miller who emigrated to South Australia in 1852 and is buried in the South Rhine cemetery. John was an agricultural labourer and Margaret a domestic servant, working at Housebay.
They were sponsored by Peter Miller to come to South Australia. They left Plymouth on 21 July 1866 on the ship Prince of Wales and arrived in South Australia on 18 October 1866. Ship records state that John was 28 years and Margaret was 25 years.
When they arrived in South Australia, John purchased a standing crop of wheat at Pooraka, with 20 of the 25 gold sovereigns he had carried with him from Stronsay in a leather belt around his waist. The crop was a complete failure, red rust ruining the whole paddock of crop. Subsequently, they moved to the South Rhine area, with John working as a farm labourer until they were able to lease and then buy their own land.
Both were very involved in the South Rhine church. There is a stained glass window in memory of John and Margaret Maxwell and their son David Cooper Maxwell in the South Rhine church.
Children of John and Margaret Maxwell: 
1. Barbara Maxwell born 2 July 1867, died 1 September 1951.
2. Twins born 11 July 1868, a boy and a girl, but the girl died on 13 July and the boy on 14 July. These are the Maxwell Infants buried in the South Rhine cemetery.
4. Peter Maxwell born 11 January 1870, died 30 December 1960.
5. Janet Maxwell born 4 May 1872, died 9 May 1954.
6. David Cooper Maxwell born 27 April 1874, died 14 December 1921.
7. John Maxwell Jnr born 23 November 1876, died 30 September 1956.
8. Margaret Ann Maxwell born 3 November 1883, died 13 December 1940.
In 1888 John began to clear land that he had leased at Sanderston. In the early 1890s he bought Mainhead Park, (Section 445, Hundred of South Rhine) from Nicolas Howard. This was adjacent to Cookes Hill road, now known as Angas Valley Road. John’s three sons (Peter, David & John Jr) would walk down to Sanderston on a Monday morning from South Rhine and work until Saturday afternoon clearing the land that he had leased. They also worked on the stone wall on Cookes Hill with a horse and tip dray collecting stone from the paddocks. Their wages were ₤1.0.0 a day to be divided between the three men.
John died on 19 October 1909 and Margaret on 20 May 1915. Both are buried in the South Rhine cemetery.
1.Barbara Maxwell married John McGorman on 28 April 1908 at the home of John Maxwell. John died 28 December 1921, Barbara died 1September 1951 and they are both buried in the Mt Pleasant Cemetery.
4. Peter Maxwell farmed at Pooraka where is now a road named after him. He married Ethel Franklin Holt on 21 June 1919 at the Methodist Manse at Salisbury and they had one daughter, Jean Evelyn Maxwell born 6 April 1920 at Pooraka. Peter died on 30 December 1960 at Prospect and Ethel on 27 July 1957 also at Prospect. They are both buried in the Enfield Cemetery.
5. Janet Maxwell together with her sister Barbara McGorman lived at Blakeney, 18 North St, Collinswood. Janet died 9 May 1954 and is buried in the South Rhine Cemetery
7. John Maxwell Jnr was engaged in farming and trained as a wool classer. He worked for many years as a wool classer, often in remote station country. As a single man he saved most of his wages until he had accumulated a considerable sum. At some time in his forties he was struck with an affliction that significantly reduced his ability to work. Following this event, John went to live with his sisters in Adelaide.
John Jnr bought and sold houses in Adelaide at one time owning 40 homes. It was while occupied this way that he met Agnes Watkins, daughter of William Watkins and Rebecca Watkins nee Sinclair. Agnes was born 9 January 1893 at Dawson. John and Agnes were married on the 20 April 1927 in the Presbyterian Church, Prospect. John was 49 years of age at the time while Agnes was aged 34. They had three children:
* Heather Maxwell born 1928,
* David Maxwell born 1931,
* John Harold Maxwell born 1933.
Agnes died 11 July 1938 and is buried in the South Rhine cemetery. Her youngest child was aged only five. Violet Lyddon, (Agnes cousin) was asked to come and help care for the children as they were so young. She married John Maxwell some months later. They lived at Hilton Heath Sanderston. John died 30 September 1956 at Mt Pleasant and is buried in the South Rhine cemetery.
8. Margaret Ann Maxwell married David Learmonth who was farming at Sanderston. They had one daughter Ann Maxwell Learmonth. Margaret died on 13 December 1940 and is buried in the South Rhine cemetery.
