Millar Miller– Christopher and Sarah Allison and Packenham Genealogy

Photo–Adam Millar

MILLAR, Christopher and Sarah Allison

We first meet young Christopher Millar as a lad of 17 in his parent’s household in Pakenham, Lanark County. Both parents are listed as Ireland-born and all the 9 children were born in Upper Canada. Father Christopher Millar (1812-1877) was born 1812 in Limerick, Ireland; mother Elizabeth “Eliza” Comba ( 1814-1886), and both parents are buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Pakenham. For more click here- CLICK

Adam Millar-— Great to see this!!
Christopher Millar is my great great great Grandfather. On his tombstone in the Cedar Hill cemetery his name is spelled with an ‘er'(Miller). On the side where is lists his wife it reads Eliza Comba wife of Christopher Millar with the ‘ar’. My dad had mentioned that there was a family dispute at some point and some kids went with ‘Millar’ and some went with ‘Miller’ but I’m unsure of the true origin.

It is a highlight for me to I should mention that my 3x great grandfather Chris was Chris sr.  In fact I lived on the original farm on concession 3 in Pakenham until June 2015 when I tragically had to sell it. Still kills me a little but I still have the history and a dream to be able to buy it back someday.  As for the different spellings of Millar/Miller go here is my input.

 

The old census in the original article is so cool to see especially thinking the family were living in a new version of the old home I was living in so recently. I am a descendant of Adam C Millar the 10 year old boy in the census. I know that line and some of 8 year old Young Millers lineage. The original 200 acre farm was split into two 100 acre parcels and given to Adam and Young. The parcels still have an odd division line as Christopher Sr insisted that each boy have equal tillable land due to the swamps of the Precambrian shield that they were farming on. I’m not sure but I have a feeling that was symbolic in the Millar/Miller split as Youngs descendants still use Miller where Adams line use Millar. Apparently Chris jr used Millar too.

The tombstone is kinda neat as it is  solid documentation of the dual names. My dad always told me that Youngs name came about as he was the ‘young lad’ and had to put something down for a name so they went with Young. Maybe that census was the genesis! The farm was and still is in the middle of nowhere. I was the first generation to be born with electricity. The farm got hydro in 1959 and a private phone line in 1999. The old farmhouse is over 160 years old!

 

I have a photo that you would probably find interesting. I found it when cleaning out the old farm house. It is a group photo of all of Almonte High School 1933/34. Unfortunately it’s hard to get a good photo of but I’ll attach one. My grandfather Blake Millar is front row right above the ‘L’ of school and the ’19’ of 1933-34 on the stamp on the photo. That would have been his grade 9 year. Also neat to see the old houses and gym equipment in the background of the photo. I’m sure it was taken on the track outside the high school.
Anyways I appreciate your commitment and am always happy to see Millar’s pop up in your articles. Thanks! -Adam Wayne Andrew Millar

 

Thanks Adam for this. Because of your input we can solve a few more genealogy mysteries. Keep sending those notes in please!! Our history depends on you!

Hi Linda,

   Thanks for replying to my comments regarding Charles Millar and Elizabeth Comba (Millar). As I mentioned Thomas Hampton Comba was the brother of Elizabeth Comba(Millar) and is my 3 x great grandfather. He was one of the original settlers in Pakenham and was part of the Andrew Dickson settlement arriving in 1832.

   Thomas was married to Mary-Ann Millar the brother of Christopher Millar. So the Comba siblings (Thomas and Elizabeth), married the Millar siblings (Charles and Mary-Ann).

Thomas was born around 1798 in Limerick Ireland and died in 1884. Mary-Ann was born in 1806 in Ireland and died in 1897. They are burried in the old Methodist cemetery in Cedar Hill. I have attached pictures of Thomas Comba and Mary-Ann Millar as well as their headstones.

   Thomas was a stone mason by trade and it is rumoured that he worked on some of the buildings in Almonte. He settled permanently on Lot 8 Concession 9 (200 acres), and took up dairy farming, had a sawmill and sold potash. His home dating from around 1863 still exists and is located at the end of Comba Lane off Hwy 29 between Pakenham and Almonte. You can still see evidence  of the stone dam that he built on Glens Creek to drive the sawmill, as well as the sawmill which is attached to the house.

   As background, the Millars (Muellers), were not really Irish but Palatine refugees from Germany. They along with many other Palatine refugees were given land in Southern Ireland during the 1700s by the British crown partly  to increase the number of Protestants in Ireland.

Best Regards,

Jim   Irwin

Terence Miller

Hi Linda, Last year I sent a copy of our family history “From Little Towns” tp Almonte , Carleton Place, and Perth Libraries. Our Great Grandather came to Almonte late 1800

I was born in Carleton Place 1940. My brother and I are fans of your work and are grateful that you are dedicated to bring the past of Ottawa Valley back to life.

Thanks Terry

 

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun andScreamin’ Mamas (USA)

 

 

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