BIRCH

The name "Millwood" has a fascinating origin story dating back to 1880, when it emerged after the marriage of Thomas Cawood and Cornella Miller. Subsequently, the farm changed hands when it was purchased by Complin Seach Birch and his wife, Sarah Louisa Nash, residents of Jansenville, either in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Complin and Sarah, parents to nine children, including Alexander Carey Birch, affectionately known as Alec, became the new custodians of Millwood.

Alec, in turn, tied the knot with Emily Kelbrick, and they were blessed with two sons and two daughters. Notably, Alec's brother, Sidney Nash Birch, made his home at the adjacent Newlands farm. Over time, Alec decided to partition Millwood into two parcels for his two sons, Thomas Clyde and Dudley, ensuring they both enjoyed equitable water rights. This unique division accounts for the rather unusual boundary arrangement between the two farms.

Thomas Clyde and his wife, Marie, chose Millwood as their place of residence, while Dudley and his wife, Beatrice (fondly known as Beatty), constructed a dwelling on the other portion of the farm, naming it Mandalay. Alec remained at Millwood throughout his life, and as he aged, this cherished farmhouse became his bedroom. His journey came to a peaceful end on August 12, 1941, right in that very room.

In the year 2020, a heartwarming encounter took place when we had the privilege of meeting Lilian, Alec's youngest daughter. She returned to her childhood home, Millwood, marking her first stay since leaving the farm at the tender age of two, a poignant time when her father, Alec, bid farewell. During her youth, Lilian often visited her family at Mandalay, weaving treasured memories that now enrich Millwood's storied history.