PAGE TWENTY-EIGHT
Land Buestion Proved Incubus To Early P
Original Grantees And Owners A Century Later
Published below is a list of landed proprietors of Prince Edward Island at two interesting periods in the Island's history. The first names are those of the original grantees, to whom the Lots fell by bai- let in London on July 23, 1167. The second list is of the large land- owners between the passing of an early Lend Purchase Act, ldlsiunder which the Worreii and Selkirk estates were bought by the Island Gov- ernment and resold to settlers, and before proceedings were taken un- der the Act of 1874 to purchase all the remaininl Proprietary estates. Between the periods represented by these two lists, s century-long bat- tle over the land question was fought, and its repercussions extended well into the post-Confederation period within the memory of some
of our older citizens.
Original Grantees, 17d’! Lot 1 Philip Stevens, Secretary to the Admiralty
James and William Hunter. merchants.
Chauncey Townabend. I}. Hon. Augustus Koppel Edward Lewis, M. P. William Crowle.
James Montgomery, King's Advocate tor Scotland. Arnold Nisbett, MP. James Murray,
Governor of Quebec Simon Luitereli, MP,
Col. Hunt Walsh,
28th Foot.
Hutchinson Muir and Ro- bert Cathcart, merchants. John Pownall, Secretary Lords of Trade.
Capt. John Campbell, RN. Guy Carleton, Lieut. Governor of Quebec
John Tuttle and LiQutQ Forbes and Hayter. Bingham Durke and Theobald Burke.
Lt. Col. Robt. Stewart and Capt. William Allanby. Governor Patterson and John Patterson.
Theodore Holtain and Capt. Thos, Basset. Laughlin McLaine, Secre- tnry to Earl of Shelburne, and Lieut. H. McLnlne. John Gordon and
Capt. William Ridgg Allan and Lsuchlen McLaine.
Lt. Col. Charles LOO
and Francis McLaine. Archibald Kennedy enl James Campbell.
Lieut. J. Stewart and Major Peter Gordon. James Searle and John Rus- sel Spence, merchants. Capt. Samuel Holland, Surveyor of Lands.
Vice Admiral Sir Chariel Saunders, KB.
John Murray, of Philip- baugh.
Adam Drummond, MP. William Young, Commis- sioner of Lands, West In- dies.
Richard Worge, latn Colonel.
John Dickson, M}. Alex. Maitland.
George Spence and John Mill, merchants.
Capts_ William Spry end James Barker.
Col, Simon Fraser.
Lot 39 Col. James Abcrcrombie. Lot 40 Geo. Spence and John Mill.
Lots 41 and 42 Maj. John Camp- bell and Capt. McDonnell. for themselves and rest of the officers of the 78th Regiment.
Sir George Rodney.
Lot!
Lot
8 9
Lot l0 Lot 11
Lot 12 Lot l3
Lot 14 Lot 15
Lot 15 Lot 17 Lat 1B Lot 19 Lot 20 Lot I.
Lot 22 Lot 23 Lot M Int S Lot Id lat?! Lot 2S Let 2e Lot D0
Lot 31 Lot 82
I-ntl!
Lot 34 Lot 35 Lot 36
Lot 87
Lot 38
Lot 43 Lot 44 William Fltzherbert, M. l, and Robert Campbell, mer- chant.
William Burt, M. P., and J. Callanderi
Alex. Fordyce. banker, and . Robert Gordon.
Lot 47—Lt. Col. Gordon Graham and Robert Porter.
Lot 48 Samuel Touchet, M. P.. and Lt. Col. James Cun- nlngham.
I Let 49 u. Col. Gabriel Christie and Capt. James Stephen-
_» son.
Lot M Lt. Col. I-Ienry Gladwin and Capt. Peter Innis.
‘ Lot S1 John Prlngie.
l. Lot as Lt. Co]. Stuart Douglas and
I Capts. W. and S. Douglas.
' Lot $3 Dr. Huck, M.D., John Wil- liams, merchant, and Lieut. G. Campbell.
Let lid Robert Adair, Surgeon te _ the King.
5 lot B Francis McKay, Surveyor of Woods, Samuel llcltay. Mdntreal, and H. Finlay, postmaster at Quebec.
- Int Id ' Lord Townshend.
. Lot d1 Samuel Smith, merchant. and Capt. James Smith,l.N.
V, he I Joshua llaugre
t Int H J. I. Mure, merchant. Rebt. Cethcart, merchant, and
1 Capt. David flillins.
Ies n John Wrill late su- Jer, and Daniel aw, late .. ‘ Capt. in (Ind foot. I Richard Cumberland, ‘ Int I Richard SWI-
. Int I Iillb Pelliser. fill ll Ce. Richard Iaitleed.
Lot d5
-* Lot 4s
Mr. Wright and Capt. Cuinber» - lend.
Proprietors Anno. lddl Messrs. Palmer and Edward Cunard.
Sir Samuel Cunard. W. Iewriag. lion. James Yeo.
ldward Cunard.
Robert lruce Stewart. Hon. J. Yea and others,
L. Sullivan Robert Bruce Stcwarfl
Government. Robert Bruce Stewart.
Hon. James Yea. Sir Samuel Cunard,
Government.
L Sullivan.
l-lelrs cf Col. Compton. Misses Stewart and others. A. T. Todd.
Sir Samuel Cunard and Heirs of Penelope Cundsll.
Sir Samuel Cunard,
L. Sullivan.
D. Hedgeoa and D. l. hennie. - J. H. Winsioe
Small Freeholder!-
Measrs. Thompson and others.
J, C. Pole, It. B. Stewart and
Sir Samuel Cunard. Heirs of George Irving and others Viscount Melville and Lady Georgina Pane.
Robert Bruce Stewart,
William Douse.
Sir Samuel Cunard,
J. 1!. Winsioe. Messrs. Montgomery and ofliers.
Heirs of Capt. John MacDonald.
J. B. Bourke and others.
Government
Hon. T. H. l-Iavliand, G. Town- sbend and Government.
Sir Samuel Cunard and others.
Robert lruce Stewart.
Theophilus Desbrlsay, Capl Byrne and others.
l. C. llsythorne and Sir Samuel kill.
Lady Wood, Miss fanning. Montgomery and otherl
James Puke and others.
Government, Lady G. Fahd and Viscount Melville-
Covernment and other;
Government. lien. ‘f’. I. Ifaviland.
GOVOIMBII\ Government, and Iontgemery es- teih '
tlcvwement. Llnlitvsn.
lirlaninelcoiierd.
Government. ‘ Weed.
THE GUARDIAN.
CIIARLOTTETOWN
AUGUST 13, 1949
regress
m‘
Early Settlers iiad Hard Battle
Np historical sketch of Prince Edward Island would be complete without reference to what is known as "The Land Question". When, in I767, the whole Province, with the exception of three town- ships and some small reservations. was alienated in one day by the Crown. there was fastened upon the country an incubus which it took over a century to get rid of. Under the survey begun by Cap- tain Holland in 1764 and completed in I766, the Island was divided in- to sixty-seven lots or townships of about 20.000 acres each. The gran- tees were to encourage the fisher- iol. Ply from 2s to 6s per hundred acres as quit rents, reserved for the salaries of those officers ne- cessary for the administration of colonial affairs. and to settle the land within ten years with foreign Protestants in the proportion of at least one person to every two hundred acres.
In 1768 the proprietors petition- ed the Home Government for the erection of the Island lnto a sep- arate Buvernment, promising to defray by their quit rents the cost of such administration. This prayer was granted and in 1770 the ls- land was separated from Nova Scotls and a local government was formed. But the results of this arrangement were very unsatisfac- tory.
Proprietors Negligent
The landlords failed to pay the civil list, and the conditions of settlement were almost wholly dis- regarded. Very few of the original grantees carried out the terms, their Only Oblflt being to convert the grants into cash as speedily as possible; and many of them sold their estates to parties in England. The inhabitants were subjected to the trentest inconvenience, the ab- sentee proprietors neither improv- ing the land themselves nor allow- in! others to do so.
Even after an extension of the time of settlement, and the intro- duction of British subjects instead of foreigners, not n single township contained the requisite number of settlers.
The Island Legislature persist- ently directed the attention of the Home Government to the non-ful- filment by the landlords of the conditions of their grants, and urg- ed forfeiture of the same. For many decades, people, parliament and governors endeavoured to de- vise a remedy; but all their efforts. owin! to the influence of the ab- sentee landlords, were in vain. Acts for the revestlng in the Crown of the granted lands were passed by the Colonial Legislature and forwarded to England for the Royal assent, but were disallowed or never again heard of. Delega- tions sent to the Cid Country were not given a hearing; and proceed- ings for the forfeiture of scvsral estates under a Court of Eschcat. which was established in 1818, were stopped by order of the Crown, and all claim to forfeiture relinquished.
Quit; Rosita Abated
At every general election the settlement of the question was made a live issue, only to sink lnto oblivion when the contest was over. The British Government did, indeed, about 1840, assume pay- ment of the civil list, and ordered that the quit rents be enforced. But the payments were never made. The proprietors riot only secured the disallowance of every act passed by the Island Legisla- ture to remedy the grievance, but procured as well an abatement in quit rents due the Crown.
The latter action, however, prov- ed beneficial, as it enabled some of the estates against which were heavy charges, to be sold to parties who endeavoured to bring in settlers-w notable instance being the Selkirk estate.
In 1860 a mission invested with powers to settle ail matters in dispute between landlord and tenant was appointed, sat, and made an award; but upon a techni- cality raised by the proprietors re- garding the mnnner in which es- tates should be valued, the awnrd was laid aside.
Bitter Rqscrcussfons Then began again the contest between the people and landlord- ism. The failure of the commission almost drove the colonists into o state of rebellion. The “Tenant League" was formed, meetings were” held, and the yeomanry oi‘ Queen's County, better known as the "Posse Comitatus", were called out to suppress the demonstrations.
Affairs remained in this condi- tion until after the union of the Island with Canada, when a sum of 8870.000 (under the terms of un- ion) was placed at the service of the Island government for the pur- chase of the proprietors’ estates. After the appointment of a com- mission under the Land Purchase Act, 1875, for the purpose of mak- ing the awards, the difficulty was finally disposed of.
‘The issue is now enciehi. hiei» glory, absentee proprieiocehtp iuvinc beui so completely abol- iliied in Prince Edward Island that even the term has become meeninglem to the present genu- ation.
Highlights In Military (Continued-Ft i»... an)
lend militia became subject to the Militia Act of the Federal Parliament.
The subsequent history of our militia forces is well known. They have achieved distinction in num-' erous rifle and artillery competi- tiona, and have taken a glorious pert in defence of King and conn- try in two world wars as well as in the preceding South African War. War memorials in Charlotte- town. Summerside and many other centres throughout the Province bear testimony to the sacrifices which this entailed in all bran-
' did of the acrylic,
Prince Edward Islanders have achieved distinction in many fields but the story of Rev. Father Bel- court, parish priest at Rustico, P. E. 1., from 1859 to i869, is per- haps the most surprising of all. He is credited on good authority with having built and demonstrat- cd (he world's first automobile. Father Beicourt amazed 900 guests at a tea party in Rustico when his invention was demon- strated. The date of this histor- ical event was June 24, 1868.
"In the afternoon," reports a Charlottetown newspaper of the period. "a steam carriage was put in motion and with great wonder and delight was observed steera- ing away for half a mile on the road and back again."
The vehicle travelled at “a rapid speed." according to the ac- count, dated July 5, 1868. Another Charlottetown paper published n report. stating that "n single seated steam wagon passed through the city this week on its way to the owner, the Rev. Fath- er Belcourt of Rustico. When we saw the wagon, it was drawn by horses, but it is furnished with a steam engine, ct cetera, and can be propelled with steam. It is the first vehicle of its kind introduced into the Island."
The owner of the vehicle was also it; maker, although these news items failed to mention the fact.
The Rev. George A. Belcourt. beloved parish priest, was amech- anical genius, whose life was a series of adventures as he moved from parish to parish. . Before transferring to Prince Edward Island, he was stationed in the Canadian West. There he baptized Louis Reil, leader of the half-breeds in the subsequent Reil Rebellion, who was executed for his part in the uprising.
Well Authenticated The story of the first automobile
in Prince Edward Island is well authenticated. On Aug. 31. i940.
The following list of archaeolog- ical discoveries in Prince Edward Island is published from records kept. at the National Museum, 0t- iawa:
Prince County
Malpeque Bay. Extensive nud- deris (Baxter, Carler, 1906 p. 99). Mimlnegssh. Tow points chipped from stone, adle 0f atone.
Near head of Kiidase River. Ar- rowheads, spear points. axes made of stone.
Billhook (Fish) Island. Mnipeque Bay. Points chipped from stone. Summerside. Two edzes made of stone.
George (Hog) Island, Mslpeque Grover (Ram) Island. Malpeque Bay. Adze made of stone.
West. end of Oourtin Island. Mal- peque Bay. Points chipped from stone for arrows.
North shore Beech Point, Iiest Shore Malpequc Bay. ‘fwo scrapers chipped from quartz, fragment. adze made of stone.
DE. Mahar farm near Prince- iown (Malpeque). Points chipped from stone for arrows, "grooved “e3.
Herbert Ramsay farm, Prince- town (Malpeque). Small lodge sites shells, adze made of stone.
Shores of Darnley River. Shell heaps (probably same as some of following.)
Cove end of Darnley bridge, Skeletons. (Probably same as some of following).
William Boaristo farm, at the bend of Darnley basin. Shell-heap points chipped from stone for ar- rows, spears, axes made of stone, human skdlewns (possibly some as some of following.)
West Bank Darnley basin. near the Darnley bridge. Shell heaps, adze made of stone.
Darnlcy Point, Damley basin. Points chipped from stone for ar- rows, ndzes made of sumo, humell bones, washed out of banks, shell heap. human skull and bones. Shore, north side Darnicy Point. Darnley basin, a mile end s. quar- ter east of Princetown (Malpeque), Adze made of stone.
Mackenzie farm, Darnley Point. Darnloy basin, Double-bitted adne of stone.
Second pond on east side cf
man aisull.
I-rugh McDonald farm. out shore Damley basin. Points chipped from stone for snows, adzec made of stone.
1 Queen's Comfy
Send beach near Cape ‘rryon (Sims Head.) Points chipped from stone for arrows.
Clifton, New London, points chip- pedfrommneforsrroweanadse made of stone.
0n shore near linetico harbor about half a mile east of North Rustioo. Adse made of stone.
On aide 6f reed between North Rustico and liustiooviiie. Adse made of stasis. -
On the shore north of South ilustioe. Fragment "of adae made of stone. .
Walter Buntain, farm. point 4 north of Rustioo. ‘rhree shell heaps two sdees made of stone.
South hnstioo. Points chipped from sbcne for arrows.
sndinmnny perleeftheworl
V Rssstico (Robinson's) Island. his
P.E.I. Archaeological Sites
Dnrnley basin below bridge. IIu- Two
Jeremiah Peters of Howlan. P.E.I.. who as s child actually saiw Palli- er Beicourfs vehicle in operation. signed an affidavit which is on record as follows:
"l, Jeremiah Peters of llowlan. Prince County. make oath and say that l was born in hustled. Queens County, Prince Edward island, on the 18th day of April i865. as I am advised and verily believe.
"That I quite distinctly remem- ber Father George A. Belcourt. parish priest of Rustlco from I650 ‘.0 i869.
"That I remember seeing the steam carriage operated by Father Belcourt This would be about the year 1866. This carriage ap- peared to be an ordinary driving carriage propelled or powered with a small steam engine as e source of motive power.
"Sworn by me at O'Lcary in Prince County, Prince Edward Island, this 81st day of August. 1940."
The testimonial was signed "Jeremiah Peters" before Arthur J. Matheson. Justice of the Peace for the County of Prince.
HntInTbeIIeIsI
An American commentator, sev- eral years ago, stated that the first automobile was built in In- diana, and a Boston newspaper published a story on March l7, 1940, that George A. Long made an automobile in 1875 and ran it on the streets of NorthfieldJidasa. at one o'clock in the morning be- fore an audience of 500 people.
(A year later Mr. Long receiv- ed notice from the Selectman of his town stating that he could run his "public nuisance" no more.)
Although the title of inventor is claimed by the Northilcid. Mass. resident, the document signed by Mr. Peters proves that the first automobile was built and operated here by Father Belcourt almost l0 years before the vehicle was introduced in the United States.
Island Retains linexcailed ilharm 0f Centuries Ago
By Hon. W. I‘. L. Stewart Minister o! Agriculture
The first authoritative account of Prime Edward Island we have was written by Jacques when hesailodkomthesnport St. Main inthaenriyqringo! the year 153i, and noocd that the land was “the fairest that it may be possible to sec. full of goodly trees and mos-down." At this time the Island, which was called Abcgweit, was very sparsely ll- habited 'by a few roving bands of Indians belonging to the Midland tribe, who suhelstcd chiefly by hunting and fishing. They may have cultivated some corn and maise. as Cartier noted.
The first European people to st- tempt any , rmanent settlement on the Island were probably French fishermen who had landed to dry their fish or refill their water
adze made of stone.
Rustlco (Robinson's) Island. Shell heap. charred ihpnanta of wood, ashes, bones of large anim- als, chips of quarts, one» diip oi chalcedony, one fregsnent of a point chipped from quartz for an arrow, one hatpoon point made of ivory. two colts made of dicrite. one sdre crudely made of sums, two unfinished, one rubbing atone. one bead made of copper. one una finished pipe made of stone.
West shore Whentlcy River, be- low bridge near Oyster Bed Bridge. shell heap, one adse mode of stone. one fragment of an implemmt mule of bone. ,
Near Rustioo end of Oyetc "Bey" Bridge. Probably Oyster led Bridge. Possibly same site ea viously mentioned. Large 23p, human skull and "large"
ca. Near Breeidey beach. Adana made of stone. l John Maolllllesa farm. Ilnoldii- lnn (Slack) Point, Oovebead lay. shell heaps, sdssa nah of ' King's Oelnty South side Savage Harbour. War- human
like instruments, “Savage Island." ebeietone.
cash. Ind finding moderate and the acii bro ht their families with them ea t eir nest were out.
Willi 8 percent of which are born.
To visitors coming here for the first this. the sad colour cf our soil is the most striking char- acteristic. This soil is a warm sandy loam. seeily ouiuvated. civ- eu an amass rainfall, it produces wonderful crops of grain. hey. rootl. and a pasture sod comparable onb with that of Old Ireland.
‘They generally remark on the swoetlits and coolness oi’ the wat- er in our many clear Illlrlliifll wells. streams and brooks. and the rich green of our fields is restful to city eyes.
More than four centuries have linseed since that fair day in June when the first tourist visited the shores of this Island. which h“ in turn been called Abesweit. Isle St. Jean. New Ireland. and today i8 celled Prince Edward Island. We still have a eiisnate which for five months of the 718i‘ ls not csoelled in any part. of the world. We still have some reainsnis of the awed-iv forests which Cartier viewed with such pleasure. We still have run- ning springs l-nd brooks of the purclt water on earth; and we
the climate fertile.
Time's Ohsnges 0n Thcliiilsbero
fragments to the distant sec.
prattled on. for the land “BI rill afford to dig deeper. It was joined by the Elliot
was ten fathom: deep.
dark and sullen. Away back wher
what the all boys call the e quahaugh loves to dwell.
still bid e welcome to any stealer who may chance to visit our shores.
P.E.I. Silver Fox Farming Famous
For many years Indian trappers and hunters in Prince Edward Is- land trapped an occasional black fox which brought an excellent price. In the 1880‘: it occurred to Charles Dalton. of Tigniah. W310 was quite a hunter end who had sold some silver black foxes, that it. would be s great ides to breed them in captivity. Mr. Dalton con- sulted his triend, Robert Oulton of Alberton. and when shortly afterwards they heard of an In- dian who had dug out four silver black pups. they got busy and bought.
Their early efforts to raise pups were not too successful. Quite often some escaped but they found that there was a firm in England that would make a satisfactory wire which the fox could not break or get through. Tiny order- ed the wlre and Ouiton designed the pens that spelled success for the new industry. They had a fair turnout of pups the first year and from those they selected the clearest blacks and those with the brightest silver.
Being men of more than ordin- ary intelligence and persevorence they studied the laws of breeding and through trial and error grad- ueiiyimproved their stock, mean-
while keeping their operations as secret as possible. However, there
Ev
Phone 120264
were others such as the Rsyners. the Tuplins and the Gordons who tried their hands at this fascin- ating game and they too were successful; but it was not until 1910 that the public really found out what e gold mine the fox industry was.
In April of that Year forty- three pelts were sold for Dalton and Oulton by C. M. Lampaon and Company, London, England. for an average price of over one thousand dollars. One fetched a world record figure of five hun- dred nnd forty pounds sterling. equal to over 825.000 net. Tho reason why these pelts were so much sought after was because the Russian nobility lined their winter coats with them and titled ladies wore them for collars and neck pieces. It was truly the ern of the black fox.
Prices continued to soar until the outbreak of war in 1914, which put an almost ,‘ .c stop to the spread of silver fox farming. However, the industry rallied after the war. and demand became keen in the United States and London for fox pelts, though not at the prewar fabulous prices. Later the demand for breeding stock brought considerable rcv- enue to Island ranchers. By 1939 the world's production of silvers
—!'rom an article by John T- Edwsrd Island Magazine, January. 1905-
"!“ the very dim past our bcauteous Hilisboro River was a brook that babbled over its pebbles in a manner that would suit Tennyson, Like any other stream, as the ages rolled away, it gradually ground the old Triassic sandstone and carried its In doing so it deepened its bed until its banks, from which the rushes once kissed the waters, now towered perhaps a hundred feet above its surface; but it
ng above the ocean. and it could
and York Rivers at a point we
call the Three Tides. and thence it flowed in a tortuous course through what is now the harbours mouth, and on to the south until it joined a stream that had its source near Cape Traverse.
Then came a period when the land ceased to rise. and grad. ually began to sink. Countless ages passed and brought other changes. Tidal water began to mingle with the fresh water. and when the tide was high the river's song was mute. It felt no longer the pulse of the hills; it became a slave of the ocean and its sluggish current changed with the tides. Its banks sank level with the sea and where once the sun played on the shallows it
The land sank still lower and with each recurring tide the river broke over its banks. Silt and debris were washed back, and gradually the pebbles, on which the river sang in the days of its
dom, were buried deep in mud.
The banks sank still lower until they lost their character as boundaries to the stream, except when at low tide it flowed
e the giants of the forest waved
their tops t e river had made new banks. and The 01d ones are
dgcs of the channel —- where
Ciel-kin, B.A., in the Prince
Charlottetown Looted
(Continued from Page 2i)
sociates, then engaged in the siege of Fort Cumberland, a reinforce. ment o! men.
“Just at this period the Hunter arrived, and on her way to Chan lotteiown having mtaken a sloop which had become one of their prises at Pictou, she wee immedi- ately fitted out by captain Boyle, and sent after the ship under the command of Lieutenant, now Ad- miral George Koppel, who coming up with the ship next day 1n the Bay of Vcrte. found that in con- sequcnce of the defeat of the ra- bels at Fbrt Cumberland by the arrival of reinforcements from Halifax. she has been given up to the Mate; the rebels making their escape on shoro.
"She was brought into Charlotte town by Mir. Koppel, and given up to her commander, who not think- ing it safe in the then state of that part of Nova scotis. to retnm to Piotou. she remained the winter with us."
had climbed close to the million mark.
Prince Edward Island, in which the industry originated, still lomii in quality production, and zin- name of its principal founder, iize lnte Lieutenant Governor Dnlion. will always be remembered in this connection.
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