Glimpses of Sunday labours and the hospitality of the parson- age may be seen in extracts from Henry Cundall’s diary printed in the appendix. Cundall, who collected the rents on his family estate, and G. W. Deblois, who performed a similar duty for the estate of Sir Samuel Cunard, visited New London regularly each year from 1854 to 1860, and never failed to go to church if their visit fell on a Sunday.

An invitation, the second of its kind, came to Mr. Meek to take charge of the congregation at Sydney Mines, N.S., in 1861. Finally he accepted, and he spent the rest of his life on the third of the islands where his ministry was passed, first Newfoundland, then Prince Edward Island, and finally Cape Breton.

Among the residents of Charlottetown, 1841-1864, was a group of men connected with the Hydrographic Survey who were zealous in every good work including that of the Church. Writing to Lieutenant Hancock, R.N., one of the Survey members, December 9, 1861, William Meek said: “I left New London, I thank God (after every drawback) as I did not find it. There are seven congrega- tions instead of one, and eighty-five Church families instead of fifty.” Shortly after, Hancock expressed to the C. & C.C.S. (the Colonial and Continental Church Society) his admiration for the New London Missionary, and remarked how refreshing it was to meet such a man “in these self-indulgent days of Christianity.”

Meanwhile changes were taking place in the mother parish of St. Eleanors. After the departure of Dr. Wiggins for New Bruns- wick in 1851 the Reverend J. Herbert Read, who had served at Murray Harbour and Crapaud, was appointed to St. John’s Church. He remained there from 1851 to 1864. In his incumbency new work was undertaken at Green’s Shore and Barrett’s Cross, later Summerside and Kensington.

As early as 1835 Thomas Barrett and his wife Margaret kept an inn at the crossroads in Lot 19 which afterwards bore their name. This corner slowly became the focus of a small community. A school had been built there by 1849 as it was officially examined in that year, its master being J. McLauchlan. Thomas Sims, who had lived many years in Charlottetown, had established another inn there by 1850.

The first reference to the little settlement in DOS. reports occurs in 1854 when it was stated that

Mr. Read of St. Eleanors holds alternate services at

Green’s Shore and Barrett’s and hopes ere long to erect

at both places a suitable building to the solemn worship

of God.

Again, in 1857, Mr. Read reported favourably of his Cross Roads services, which according to tradition were held in the house of William Glover. In 1860 the church at the Cross Roads, aided by grants from the DOS. and the Bishop, was said to be progress— ing slowly, and that it would soon be fit for permanent use. In 1861 Bishop Binney, accompanied by Wllllam Meek, held a service in the little church on their way to St. Eleanors after the consecra- tion of St. Stephen’s, Irishtown. The text of Mr. Meek’s sermon

was, “Lovest thou me?” 25