It is a reasonably safe guess that the English Oaks, and probably some of the bushes planted by the "Master of the House", William MacPhail, were projeny of those on John Norton's farm in Brudenell.

John Norton (1759 - 1830) bought the farm in 1821, and built a new house in 1825 (now the headquartes for the Brudenell Provincial Park). John had been a nurseyman in Scotland, and had changed his name from MacNaughton when he went to work for the English king, George III, on an enlargement of the Kew Gardens.

On his migration to P.E.I., brought to the Island the English Oak, a tree not native to the Island, and other trees, shrubs, and flower seeds. He landscaped the five acres around the house in a similar fashion to the grounds of the old MacNaughton stronghold, Dundarave Castle on Loch Fyne, lost after Culloden in 1745.

It is an educated surmise that projeny of John Norton's shrubbery, as well as certain design features, were employed by those who created the landscaping for W.H. Pope, one of the Fathers of COnfederation. Perhaps the bush under which the missing Sir John A. MacDonald was found in sleeping bliss following the soiree at Ardgowan in Charlottetown in 1864 was the "child" of one of the bushes brought to the Island in 1821.

Since William MacPhail travelled several times to fetch Dr. Kaye of Georgetown - driving right past the Norton home in Brudenell - and since both families employed the services of the same doctor, it seems likely that he at some time did "stop in" because of his interest in Horticulture. Especially since many people did visit the farm to view the gardens, and many were given seeds and slips.

The English Oak on the back line of Bill and Marjorie Hunter's home at Brush Wharf is a seedling whose ancestry may be traced through "The Master's" English Oaks to John Norton's, overlooking the Brudenell River. Just before the chainsaws and bulldozers cleared the staked out roadways for the short lived Provincial Campsites adjacent to the MacPhail house grounds, this "heritage" oak was saved by Marjorie, John Nortons great-great-granddaughter. This valiant tree has survived many disturbances, and splitting due to late spring freezes, always springing back with the spirit of our early ancestors!