COURTHOUSE

In 1873 the Prince Edward Island Legislature passed "An Act to Establish County Courts of Judicature", the purpose of which was to decentralize the machinery of justice. No doubt the promise of federal support to pay the salaries of the judges may have had an influence! The act created County Courts, a level of justice between the Supreme Court and the Magistrates, which assumed the role of the Commissioners for the Recovery of Small Debts as well as trying some types of criminal offenses.

Between 1874 and 1877 six courthouses were built, all to very similar design and from a standard plan. They were all forty-five feet long and twenty-five wide with an interior which consisted of a large court room and smaller rooms for the judge and clerk at the rear (16). These courts were established to hear civil actions in both debts and contracts, wrongs and damages, where the debt of damages claimed, whether on balance of account or otherwise, did not exceed one hundred and fifty dollars, and on all claims on Bail Bonds, or on other Bonds given under the County Courts' Act (17). This would be similar to our small claims courts today.

Bonshaw was one of six circuits in Queens County and until a courthouse was built, the school house was rented for an annual fee of $48 (18). On April 2lst 1876 a contract was signed between Andrew White and the Department of Public Works for the construction of the Bonshaw courthouse next to the Presbyterian Church. The work was completed by October lst of the same year for a value of $1 872.20. Of note is that the land upon which the courthouse was built was sold for $100 to Queen Victoria (the Crown) on February 12th 1877 after the construction was finished ( 1 9,20) !

Bonshaw Courthouse circa 1940 courtesy of Eric Ferguson

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