Properties and People

as sharing machinery and labour with Wally’s father Almon. The first few years the Woods operated as a mixed livestock operation with some potatoes, however, they quite rapidly moved to specialize in dairying with Ayrshire cows. The herd was expanded about every ten years from the original 19 cows to 28 then 45 and to 60 head in 1990.

During the thirty-four years at Saint Cuthberts, Wally and Doris raised a family of six children: Marilyn, Gordon, Nancy, Carol, Janice and Bruce. From 1974, until moving across the highway in 1990, Doris opened up the big heritage home to tourists, as Mill Creek Bed and Breakfast. Wally in partnership, first with his father, then brother David as well as his own family, established an Ayrshire herd of some renown; breeding a cow East River Daisy is Last who was Grand or Reserve Champion; at both the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto and the US. National Dairy Show in Madison, WI for five consecutive years. She was the only Ayrshire cow ever to have done so.

In 1984, showing the herd at the Royal Winter Fair for the first and only time, East River Farms earned the banner for Premier Ayrshire Breeder. The Ayrshire herd was dispersed, through a private sale in Quebec in 1990. The Ayrshires being

replaced with Holsteins on the farm. It is worthy of note that East River Farms were tied for runner-up for Premier Holstein Breeder at the 2000 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

Bruce, Wally and Doris’ younger son and his bride of the same year (1990) Katherine Court, purchased his father’s interest and formed a partnership with his uncle David. So the 20th century closed with the Saint Cuthberts as part of East River Farms under the ownership of Bruce and David Wood. East River Farms now specializes in registered Holsteins with the herd further expanded to 90 cows. Bruce and Katherine are looking to the continuation of the Wood name at Saint Cuthberts, with their three young sons - Harrison, Callum and Truman.

Also owning property located within the historic boundaries of this farm, along the Lower Marshfield Road are the following: Reuben Gunn, Jennifer O’Halloran, Erroll & Ann Affleck and Jane MacCallum & Vernon Peters. Thane MacEachem and family live along the northern boundary adjacent to the St. Peters Road.

Submitted by Wally Wood

GOOSE POND FARM & HAYTHORNE ESTATE PLUS OTHERS (SS, S9 & 810)

This chapter addresses that parcel of land bordered on the south by the Hillsborough River, on the west by Marshfield Creek and the property of East River Farms, on the north by the St. Peters Road and on the east by the Jenkins Road.

On the 1811 map of Lot 341 this parcel plus acreage to the northwest is divided into three properties: two hundred in the name of James Haydon (Hayden); one hundred in the name of James Lewis Haydon (Hayden); and an unnamed parcel of approximately 68 acres bordering St. Peters Rd. which was later known as Goose Pond Farm, a name that was also used to refer to this part of the community until the name Marshfield was adopted.

Later, from the 300 acres, the part closest to Goff ’s Creek (now Marshfield Creek) was acquired by the Hon. William McIntosh; the northwestern portion became part of Saint Cuthbert’s Farm (see property S7); and Malcolm Forbes held the remaining portion to the east and northeast.

Robert Haythome and his brother Edward traded property they owned on the Pisquid Road with Malcolm Forbes for his property in Marshfield. At about the same time they acquired the property of William McIntosh. They held title to 257 acres with the remaining 68 acres being held under lease by Alexander Robertson.2 The Haythomes were well regarded in the community (see chapters The

Honourable Robert Poore Haythome and Marshfield School).

Alexander Robertson was married to Margaret Ferguson of Craggan Farm. They had two sons, Charles E. who became a merchant in Charlottetown and Peter McN air Robertson who eventually held his father’s land3 and in 1887 purchased the Robert Haythome property.

The Alexander Robertson portion was a block of 68 acres bordered on the north by St. Peters Rd. and is described as: