PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.

session a lengthy discussion concerning the admission of women took place. The mo- tion to admit them was defeated by 81 to 34 votes.

During the spring of 1891 A. P. Sher- wood, a deputy high chief ranger from the High Court of .New Brunswick, visited the Island, and the five courts in the Province signed a petition asking to be attached to the High Court of New Brunswick. This was done, and when the High Court of New Brunswick met in Woodstock on the 5th of August of that year, two of the Island courts were represented, Court Chautauqua by Capt. Joseph 'Read and G. M. Reid, and Court Silvan by R. W. Sprague (now de- ceased), and J. H. McLean. Capt. Read was appointed to the office of high senior wood- ward and R. W. Sprague was elected as one of the six representatives to the Supreme Court. The five Island courts had then a total membership of 1 3 5. The name of the High Court of New Brunswick was changed to that of the High Court of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

The High Court sent A. P. Sherwood to

the Island in the winter of 1892. He in- stituted, on March 3d, Court Avon- dale, No. 1012, Charlottetown. Of the

first officers, seven are yet active members,

viz., John H. Bell, James R. McKie, C. B. Warren, George W. Worthy, Donald Fraser, Fred Damarell and Dr. Warburton; while D. K. Dobie, Nelson D. Armour and Charles McFarlane have passed beyond this life. Court Femdale, No. 1055, was organ- ized at Georgetown on May 3d by Deputy Sherwood. He was joined by Rev. S. C. Wells, and the following courts were organ- ized: Courts Murray Harbour, No. 1058, Murray Harbour South on Maygth; Albino, No. 1070, Eldon, on May 23d; Mazeppa,

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No. 1086, O’Leary, on June 8th; Prince Ed- ward, No. 1098, Kensington, on July Ist; Westmoreland, No. 1105, Crapaud, July 12th; Nonpariel, No. 1113, New Glasgow, 12th; Nonpareil, No. 11 13, New London, on on August Ist; New London, N0. 1158, Stanley Bridge, on October 1st; Abegweit, No. 1168, Pownal, on October 14th; Wilt- shire, No. 1189, Brookfield, on November 2nd; Northumberland, No. 1204, Cape Traverse, on December Ist; and Aberdeen, No. 1215, Malpeque, on December 13th. The charter lists of members in all these courts contain the names of the leading business and professional men in the different local- ities, besides well known farmers and trades- men, most of whom are still prominent mem- bers of the Order.

The eighteen Courts had on the 1st of January, 1893, 415 members. The High Court of New Brunswick and Prince Ed- ward Island had met in Summerside on Au- gust 23, 1892. At this meeting Daniel Stewart (since deceased) was elected high vice chief ranger, John Agnew, high senior woodward, and L. U. Fowler, high journal secretary.

The next meeting of this High Court was held at St. John, opening on Au- gust 8th. Only a small percentage of the Island high courts sent representatives. Among them were Rev. W. J. Kirby and Thomas Moyse from Court Minnewawa, Bedeque. At this meeting the Island dele- gates plainly saw that it would not be practi- cable to have the courts on the Island send delegates to New Brunswick. They there- fore asked the supreme chief ranger to grant the Island a High Court of its own. This he did, and accordingly Hon. Judge Wedder- burn, supreme vice chief ranger, was sent to institute the High Court of Prince Edward