Hi folks, I have in my possession a framed painting done by "C.F.Maylett 1917 France" The subject is a young woman looking very pensive, brunette, with blue eyes, alongside which is written a short poem which my late grandfather penned for some young soldier, or sailor as the troop ship carried them to/or from the Northern Hemisphere battlefronts. The poem is "Ma cherie, but I sit and "dreem".. Zee days zay pass and so it seem To ze sad heart of poor Jeanette Zat you forget, you forget." My mother told me that soldiers would be pining for a lost love and a couple of young entrepreneurs - my grandfather and his artist friend would oblige by joining forces to produce the artworks. My question is - are there any relatives or descendants of C.F.Maylett on the list as I'd like to make contact and send them a scan of the framed picture. Cheers Ainslie Pyne Adelaide, South Australia.

Hi again folks, Further to my email last night regarding a framed painting of a pensive brunette, clutching a rose painted by a C.F. Maylett in France in 1917 with a verse included in the composition written by my late grandfather, James Jesse Stroud My sister, in NZ. also has one of these 'portrait-verse combos by the same artist and poet and Maylett's signature is much clearer. The first initial is "G" not a "C" - <quote>G.E.Maylett 1917 France "One glimpse of Aidenne in thine eyes, Fair flower of France and I am wise, with cupids wealth of mystic love, A slave to love for evermore." So - if any lister has a G.F.Maylett in their family tree - we'd be happy to send a copy of these early 19th C collaborative pieces between JJ Stroud and G.F.Maylett. As I've found out that my Grandfather was seriously injured during a shell attack in the trenches when three of his close mates were killed in the blast he was extremely traumatised by the incident and he suffered severe shell-shock, hospitalised in France (and or England) for some months with severe neurosis in France before being repatriated back to NZ that same year. I'm wondering if these paintings may have been done in the hospital as some sort of occupational therapy. But I have a vague recollection that they were painted on the troop ship bring him back to NZ - in which case Maylett returned to NZ at the same time as Stroud and they had a tidy little business producing these for soldiers pining for sweethearts back in France, maybe?!! Cheers Ainslie.

Hi again folks, Well these lists are the most marvellous means of putting descendants of ancestors who were friends nearly a century ago!!!! I received a reply from Jeni - in NZ with the following message quote I have had a closer look at the Maylett family. They were first cousins of my great-grandfather. Archibald Maylett stuck in my memory as the name is distinctive. He traveled to NZ with my great-great-grandmother Eliza Mellar in 1901 when she emigrated. Archibald was known for a drawing that he did after WWI of a cenotaph. I have attached a small copy of the file. He had a brother George Edgar Maylett and I wonder if it was him who was friends with your grandfather. George served with the Wellington Infantry Battalion and went overseas in August 1915. He married some years after his return and I think he had two daughters but I am not in touch with any descendants though there probably are some. end quote I had a much closer look at my picture after emailing my sister in Nelson who has the other picture in her possession. It is definitely a G and an E - before the name Maylett. The stroke of the G looked as if it was a C with a short underscore mark - and what I thought was an F was an E again with a longer horizontal stroke. In my sister's painting the G and E are far better defined. Then thanks to Cara Links in Tasmania who looked up PapersPast - and came up with a 1917 issue of the Poverty Bay Herald Newspaper dated 24th July 1917 Honor Roll. and half way down the report, under "Hospital and Progress Report" up came the name G.E. Maylett. Now I am assuming that Maylett and my grandfather JJ Stroud were in the same hospital in France after being injured in battle - and as part of their rehabilitation they got together and created the paintings and verse. There are probably others out somewhere. I am also guessing that Maylett could well have joined up with Byrne Stroud Productions or Stroud and Newson to do the artwork on the covers of some of the music composed by my grandfather and others in his company. Anyone wanting more information can email me on or off list on this - Cheers Ainslie.

Being quite interested in WW1 art, I couldn't resist googling Mr Maylett. Didn't find any art, but did find the 1891 Warwickshire Ancestors Project - http://www.hunimex.net/warwick/freecens/2437.html - transcription of the 1891 census - free and easy to read! The Maylett family, including Archibald Henry and George Edgar, are listed. Cheers