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From the library of Donna Collings - [email protected]. Published 1864, Charlottetown, P.E.I. Thank you Donna for the use of your wonderful resources.

Hutchinson�s Prince Edward Island Directory

for

1864:

Containing:

An Alphabetical Directory of the Citizens;

Also:

A Classified Business Index;

And an

Appendix,

Containing Much More Useful Information.

A Brief Summary

of the

History of Prince Edward Island.

( In accordance with a generally expressed desire, the Publisher herewith appends a �Brief History of Prince Edward Island�, from its foundation till the present time. It will be readily understood that in this he lays claim to no originality, the intention being to place the history in such a position as will be reached by all, and this object could not be more surely obtained than by giving it a place in the accompanying Directory.

The Publisher would tender his grateful thanks to Rev. Mr. Sutherland, to whom he is indebted, not only for some very invaluable suggestions, but also for the license allowed him in compiling from his Geography many valuable facts and statistics which he could not otherwise have procured. )

The History of Prince Edward Island embraces two great periods: First, from the discovery of the Island by the Europeans, till its cessation to Great Britain by the French in 1763; the second, from its cessation from Great Britain till the present time.

The exact date and circumstances in which it was first seen by Europeans, are involved in some obscurity. John Cabot, a native of Venice, was employed by Henry VII to explore the New World, who gave him and his three sons a patent for this purpose. Sebastian, one of the sons, was born in England, and from his remarkable nautical skill and indomitable enterprise, ranked second only to Columbus as a navigator and explorer. In May, 1497, a vessel, the �Matthew,� set sail from Bristol, and on the 24^th June they sighted the coast of North America.

Unfortunately, no details of Cabot�s voyage have been preserved, and an uncertainty prevails as to whether the land first seen was the coast of Labrador or Newfoundland.

After spending some time on the shore of Newfoundland, Cabot returned home, but in the following year a new expedition was fitted out, in which Sebastian seems to have had command. Two years later, Cortereal, a Portugese navigator, found his way across the North Atlantic, and explored portions of Newfoundland. While Sebastian Cabot was still exploring north and south, Verrazanni, a Florentine, employed by France, in 1524 visited and examined a large portion of the Atlantic coast of North America; and in accordance with his instructions, claimed it for the King of France. Ten years later, in 1534, Cartier, a Frenchman, found his way into the Gulf, visited and names the Baie des Chaleurs, and several portions of Lower Canada.

Roused by the example of England, France determined to have possessions in the Western World, and from 1603 to 1610, parts of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada were explored, and settlements begun. This vast territory, thus first settled by the French, was called by them New France. One of the ablest explorers engaged in founding these settlements was Champlain, who founded Quebec in 1608. It was he who gave the name St. John to this Island, which it bore until the year 1800. Meantime, while so many large countries lay unoccupied, this Island was considered of too little importance to merit a settlement.

In 1663, a Captain Doublet applied to the Government of Canada for a grant of the Islands in the Gulf, for the establishment of a grand fishery. His application was granted, and this Island. The Magdalen Islands, and the rocky islets to the north of them remained in his possession, and that of his company, till the close of the century..

Doublet and his associates had no intention of settling the lands; they merely erected stages or huts for the prosecution of the fishery in the most convenient harbors, and near the best fishing grounds of these islands. They came in the spring, and left in the fall; and after the fishermen had gone, the dreary monotony of the long winter was broken only by the bustle of the Indian encampment, or the shout of the Abenaki and Micmac hunters.

Thus, for two long centuries after its discovery, from 1479 to 1700, Prince Edward Island lay untenanted except by the Aboriginal Indians, and a stray European who may have acquired their language, and cultivated their friendship. But, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Canada, were now acquiring too much importance to leave this fertile island much longer unoccupied.

In the beginning of the year 1713, France, after ten years war with Britain, laid claim to the whole extent of territory now known as British America. She was in undisputed possession of Canada, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton; she had wrenched the chief harbors and settlements out of the hands of the British; but her forts in Nova Scotia had been seized by the New Englanders. By a treaty, signed April 11, 1713, at Utrecht, France, ceded to Britain, Newfoundland and Acadia. France still retained Cape Breton and this Island; and now special attention was devoted to their occupation, as much from their connection with Canada, as guarding the main highway to it, as from their own intrinsic value. About the year 1715 the permanent settlements began. A few solitary families from Acadia, and an occasional emigrant family from Cape Breton, selected some sheltered nook or cove, and there built a log hut, or rudely constructed dwellings of poles and bark, and prepared by fishing, and the cultivation of a small patch of ground around their dwellings to eke out an existence. Their visitors in summer were the fishing boat and the Indian canoe. In winter, they dwelt alone, except an occasional visit from an Indian hunter or his family. Alost every summer, as the fertility of the land became known, some additions were made to the population. Still, the progress was slow, for in 1728, or thirteen years after the settlement began, there ere only sixty families, it is said, on the Island. And it is probable, that in the beginning of 1745, they did not exceed one hundred and fifty families.

In 1752, the whole population of the Island was estimated at 1,354. The sections of the Island most thickly settled, were the lands on both sides of Point Prim, the lands about St. Peter�s Bay, Savage Harbor, Charlottetown Harbor, and Hillsborough Bay.

The expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia, was the means of more than doubling the population of the Island. When it became a British possession, in 1758, the inhabitants numbered 4,100. By the treaty of Fountainebleu, in 1763, this island was finally ceded to Great Britain. It was then placed under the government of Nova Scotia. In 1764, in common with other British American territories, the British government ordered the survey of the Island. This survey was begun in the spring of 1764, and completed in 1766. After the completion of the survey, no doubt remained as to the superior quality of the land of this Island for agricultural purposes. Various plans for its settlement were proposed. Lord Egmont proposed that it should be settled on a feudal plan; that he himself should preside as lord paramount, and that a number of baronies should be held from him - each baron to erect a stronghold, and with their under-tenants and man-at-arms to perform suit and service, after the customs of the ancient feudal tenures of Europe. This plan was rejected as impracticable. The plan adopted was far from satisfactory in its results.

It was to the following effect:- The Island was divided into a given number of townships, or lots - sixty seven.. These townships, or lots, or parts of them, with certain reservations, were to be granted to parties having claims upon the government upon certain conditions of settlement, and the payment of quit-rents. Lot sixty-six, about 6,000 acres, was reserved for the crown. Lots forty and fifty-nine had already been promised to parties who had made improvements upon them. Sixty-four townships, or lots, remained to be disposed of. There were more applicants than lots. They were disposed of by means of the ballot-box. When an individual was to receive a whole lot, his name alone appeared on the slip of paper; in other cases two, and sometimes three names were inscribed on one paper, as sharers in one lot. Upwards of one hundred individuals participated in these grants.

The following is a list of proprietors of the Island at the present time [1864]:

[If one compares this listing with the one linked at the top of the listing, you will not the increase of lands which have become �Public Lands�, since the earlier Proprietor�s Listing.]

Parishes of Prince Edward Island

Prince County

Queen�s County

King�s County

A town-lot and royalty were reserved in each county; while each township was to furnish a glebe-lot of one hundred acres for a minister of the Gospel, and a lot of thirty acres for a school master. The quite rents were three rates, six shillings, four shillings, and two shillings, annually, per hundred acres.

The grantees were to settle on each lot one settler for every 200 acres, within ten years of the grant. The settlers were to be Protestants, from the parts of Europe not belonging to Great Britain , or persons that had resided in America for two years prior to the date of the grant. Emigration from the mother country was then discouraged, from the prevailing notion that it would depopulate the country.

At the request of the majority of grantees, the island was separated from the province of Nova Scotia, and obtained a separate government, 1770. Its first governor as a separate colony was Walter Patterson, Esq.

When ten years had elapsed, there was but very little done towards fulfilling the conditions on which the land was granted to the several proprietors. No attempt had been made to settle forty-eight of the sixty-seven lots, or townships, into which the Island was divided. The proprietors of only ten lots had shown any conscientious zeal in fulfilling the conditions of their grants. Sir James Montgomery deserves to be named among those who had done their duty in this matter. The grand object of the majority of the proprietors was, how to make the greatest gain with the least trouble and expense.

This land question has been the outstanding grievance of the Island for these last ninety years.

In 1781, nine whole and half townships were sold for the payment of quit-rents. In 1797, it was found by investigation, under direction of the provincial government, that twenty-three lots, embracing 458,480 acres, had not a single family settled upon them; twelve other lots, containing 243,000 acres, had only thirty-six families; six other lots, containing 120,000 acres, had only forty-eight families. The knowledge of these facts led to an agitation for the escheat of the lands of those proprietors who had made no effort to fulfil the conditions of their grants.

In the year 1798, a bill passed the provincial legislature, changing the name of the Island from St. John to Prince Edward. Inconvenience has arisen from the island having the same name with the capitols of two neighboring provinces. The people of the Island were anxious to mark their gratitude to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the father of her majesty Queen Victoria, for kindness extended to them, they therefore resolved to call their country by his name, the change to take effect from the commencement of 1800. At this period, the population of the Island was not over 5,000. At the taking of the census in 1833, it appeared that the population of the Island numbered 32,292, while the number of acres occupied and improved amounted to 94,931.

At the beginning of the present century, the arrears of quit-rent amounted to 59,162 pounds Sterling. A very liberal arrangement was made by the government for the payment of these arrears. The lots were divided into five classes. The first, tose which had the full number of settlers, were to pay only four years� quit-rent, for the amount of arrears from 1769 to 1801. The second class, those having only half the required number of settlers, were required to pay five years� quit-rent. The third class, those having less than a half, and more than a fourth of the required population, were to pay nine years� quit-rent. The fourth class, those who had less than a fourth of the required number of settlers were to pay twelve years� quit-rent. The fifth class embraced those lots that were wholly unsettled; fifteen years� quit-rent was required in their case in lieu of arrears. This was less than half the amount owed by this class. This arrangement had a very beneficial effect on the prosperity of the island. Rapid progress in population and social comfort followed.

There were some proprietors who did not avail themselves of this commutation; it became necessary, therefore, to proceed against them for the recovery of quit-rents due from them. In 1804, judgements were obtained against ten townships, five half-townships, and one third of a township. It seems, however, that the non-paying proprietors had enough influence with the Home Government to prevent the Act under which the lands were seized from receiving Royal Assent. Under the administration of Governor Smith, lots 15 and 55 were escheated. He was prevented from further progress with that work by orders from the King.

The old conditions for settling the Island having been cancelled, as far as they required the immigrants to be Protestants from the parts of Europe, not belonging to Great Britain, and the quit-rents having been made lighter, a very healthy impetus was given to the prosperity of the Island.

In 1803, the Earl of Selkirk settled 800 Highlanders on his lands, who soon, by dint of industry became comfortable and prosperous farmers. In subsequent years, immigrants continued to arrive from Scotland, Ireland, and England; so that in the year 1832, the population increased to 32,292. From that time onwards, the history of this little colony has been that of true progress, an all that tends to make a country great.

Situation - Prince Edward Island is situated in that large recess in the Gulf of St. Lawrence which washes the shores of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. It is between 45 degrees, 57 and 47 minutes 7 seconds north latitude, and between 62 and 64 degrees, 26 seconds west longitude. its distance from New Brunswick at the nearest point is nine miles; from Nova Scotia, fifteen miles; from Cape Breton, thirty miles.

On the east, north, and west, it is bounded by the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and on the south by the Northumberland Strait.

Extent -Its extreme length is 130 miles; its greatest breadth, thirty-four miles. Its area is 2,131 square miles, or 1,365,400 acres.

General Features - In form, the Island somewhat resembles a crescent, the concave side being toward the gulf. In general appearance it is flat, and gently undulating. There are no mountains, and the several ranges of hills which lie across the country, nowhere rise to any considerable height.

The nort-eastern and southern shores of the Island are much indented by bays, harbors, and inlets; on the west there is an almost unbroken shore without bay or harbor.

The principal bays are Holland, Grenville, Harris, Covehead, Bedford, and St. Peters on the north; Egmont, Bedeque, Hillsborough, Pownal, and Orwell, on the south; and Cardigan, Boughton, Howe, Rollo, and Colville on the east.

The chief harbours are Charlottetown, Georgetown, Bedeque, Cascumpec, Porthill, New London, and Murray harbors.

The lakes are small and few. The ponds or lagoons are numerous.

The principal rivers are the East, West, and North Rivers, meeting in the harbor of Charlottetown; the Ellis, opening on Richmond Bay; the Morell, flowing onto St. Peter�s Bay; and the Cardigan, Brudenell, and the Montague, flowing into Cardigan Bay.

The principal capes are North Point, Kildare Cape, Cape Tryon, Cape Turner, East Point, Colville Point, Terras Point, Cape Bear, Point Prim, Cape Traverse, Indian Point, Cape Egmont, and West Point.

In Richmond Bay, there are two islands, Lennox and Bunbury; in Cardigan Bay are Panmure and Boughton; in Hillsborough Bay are St. Peters and Governor�s Islands.

Climate - This Island, being situated in the center of the temperate zone, has a climate that is neither extremely cold or hot. The variations from the coldest day in winter to the hottest day in summer are however very considerable. On rare occasions, under a keen northwest wind, the mercury will be found falling as low as 23 degrees below zero [Fahrenheit], and on a calm day in July or August, it may rise as high as 90 degrees in the shade. In some sections of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia it rises higher in summer, and lower in winter than it ever does in this Island. The mean temperature of the year is 40 degrees. The number of days of falling weather in a year ranges from 120 to 140 days. The climate of this island is conductive to health and longevity in a high degree. The atmosphere is pure, and remarkably free from fogs. The water is good, and very abundant. Many of the prevailing fevers and diseases of the North American continent are almost unknown in this Island. Healthy and vigorous old age is rather the rule than the exception here.

The Soil - There is no portion of the Lower Provinces where agriculture can be prosecuted with better prospects of a good return than in this Island. The soil is strong and rich to an uncommonly uniform level. Even the swamps, with which we meet occasionally, are hardly an exception to this statement, for when drained and lined, they make good hay land. The peat bogs, which, according to Dr. Gesner, are of excellent quality, will one day afford good fuel. They afford also good material for composted manure. The most extensive of these is on the south side of Cascumpec Harbor. Such is the excellence of the soil, that good crops are produced immediately on its being redeemed from the forest, and for a long time the yield is good, though it remains entirely un-manured, if any attention is given to rotation of the crops. The soil seems equally adapted to the growth of wheat, oats, and potatoes. The facilities for making manure are very great. The bogs, to which reference has already been made, supply one source. The rivers - rather, arms of the sea - creeks, and inlets, which almost everywhere indent the land, have deposited vast stores of sea manure, [Mussel Mud] which, when spread over the exhausted soil, has the most beneficial effect in fertilizing it.

The Forest - The whole island was at one time covered with a magnificent growth of forest trees; birch, beech, maple, elm, ash, pine, spruce, hemlock, fir, juniper, cedar, willow and poplar are the chief varieties. There are hardly any barns in this island; even where destructive fires, or the constant encroachments of lumbermen, destroyed the original forest, the new growth of trees spring up with wonderful rapidity, and become fit for fuel or fence poles. At one time a very extensive lumber trade was carried on in several districts of the Island. Ship building is still carried on to a considerable extent.

The Sea - It is enough to say of the waters of Prince Edward Island, that they are not one whit behind those of Nova Scotia in the abundance and the excellence of their fish. The rivers abound with excellent trout, eels, flounders, mackerel, oysters, lobsters, and salmon; the coast with cod and herring. The oysters of this island are very superior, and large quantities of them are exported annually. The halibut and sturgeons that are caught on the coast, are usually very large. In former times, the walrus was wont to frequent the shores in large numbers, and it was a source of considerable profit. The harbor seals and harp seals float on the ice towards the north shore in large numbers. Wild geese, wild pigeons, wild ducks, and Brant are also very plentiful in their seasons.

Agricultural - Agriculture overshadows every other department of industry in this island. When in the possession of the French, large quantities of grain were supplied from this island for their fortresses in Louisburg and Quebec. They called it the granary of North America. Individual farmers then were wont to export 1,200 bushels of grain annually. The soil and the climate are equally favorable to the pursuit of agriculture. Wheat, oats, barley, and rye, of excellent quality, and at a highly remunerative rate per acre, are raised. The potatoes of Prince Edward Island are famous for their excellence, not only in the British Provinces, but also in the United States; beans and peas, and all sorts of esculents and culinary vegetables grow to perfection, and yield large returns. Apples, plums, cherries, currants, &c, grow well, and with due attention yield ample returns. Excellent specimens of live-stock are to be met with in every section of the island. Some of the hardiest, and swiftest horses in the lower provinces are raised in Prince Edward Island. The following figures well indicate the progress made in this department of Industry during the last three quarters of a century.

In 1825 there were raised 766 bushels of wheat; 10,717 bush. oats; and 47,220 bush. Potatoes. In 1841 there were of wheat, 160,028 bush.; of barley, 83,299; of oats, 611, 824; of potatoes, 2,250,114 bush. Number of horses, 9,861; on neat cattle, 41,915; sheep, 73,650; hogs, 35,521. In 1860 (as shown by the census of 1861) there were raised of wheat, 346,125 bush.;of barley, 223,195 bush.;oats, 2,218,578 bush.; buckwheat, 50,127; potatoes, 2,972,235; turnips, 348,784; hay, 31,000 tons; horses 18,765; neat cattle, 60,015; sheep, 107,242; hogs, 71,535.

In 1841, there were 141,560 acres of land under cultivation. In 1848 there were 215,389 acres cultivated. The number has largely increased since that date.

The Fishery - The fishing industry of this island is not what it might have been, if the skill, energy, and enterprise of the inhabitants had been a little more directed into that channel. There is, however, a decided progress, as shewn [sic] by recent statistics. The late census (1861) gives as the product of the fisheries during the preceding year: herrings and gaspereaux, 22, 146 barrels; mackerel, 7,163 barrels; codfish, 39,776 quintals; fish oil, 17,608 gallons. There were 89 fishing establishments, 1,239 boats, and 2,318 persons employed in the fishery.

Ship Building is nor carried on to the same extent that it was some years ago; still, a good many vessels are built annually, in proportion to the population. In 1846, 82 vessels were built, whose tonnage was 12,012; estimated value $330.000. In 1847, 96 vessels were built; tonnage 18,445, value $553,350. In 1860, 66 vessels were built, value $309,225.

Commercial - The commerce of Prince Edward Island is mainly with the British provinces, the United States of America, and Great Britain.

The total value of the imports of Prince Edward Island for 1847 was $718,270; total value of exports for the same year was $356,130. Of the imports, $286,065 were from Great Britain; $395,505 were from British provinces, and $36,325 from foreign countries. Of the exports, Great Britain received $16,098, the British provinces, $190,315; West Indies, $1,245; foreign countries, $4,105. In 1850, the whole value of imports to the island was $630,475; of exports, &325,990. The value of the exports for 1860 was &1,015,970, exclusive of sixty-six new vessels which were built that year. The trade of the Island with the United States has largely increased of late years. The value of exports from Prince Edward Island to that country during 1860, was $390,028; being almost as much as the exports to all the lower provinces together.

Population - In 1752, the whole population of the island was but 1,354 souls. In 1758, when it became a British possession, the inhabitants numbered only 4,100.

In 1833, the population had increased to 24,600; in 1833, it was 32,292; in 1841, it was 47,034; in 1851, 55,000; and by the census of 1861, it was 80,522; as shown in the following table:-

Population of Prince Edward Island, According to Census of 1861.

Please note: This History is part of the 1864 Hutchinson�s Directory of Prince Edward Island. The directory is now completely entered and proofread twice. Do not think that every odd spelling is in error, this directory is riddled with odd spellings, and the spellings will be presented as in the original.

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