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from Great Britain to his lands in the Is- _ land of St. John.*

Keeping thus in close touch with the other proprietors, he was undoubtedlyaparty to the

petition presented to His Majesty’s ministers.

asking that some measures be taken to se- cure to the inhabitants of the Island of St. ‘ John the services of a clergyman, and hav- ing been informed of the action taken thereon, he evidently lost no time in seeing Mr. Caulfield, obtaining from him his resig- nation, forwarding it to Lord Dartmouth on May II, 1774, and soliciting the appoint- ment for his son.

Whatever had been the relations which existed between Governor Patterson and Lieutenant-Govemor DesBrisay, it is cer— tain that from this time forward they be- came more and more strained. We know that soon afterward the Governor sought to have

PAST AND PRESENT OF

him deprived of the offices he held under govemment and that Colonel DesBrisay felt so strongly upon the subject that he asked to be transferred.

These facts are pertinent to our enquiry because the history of the Church of Eng- land in Prince Edward Island centered for many years around the personality of its first rector, the Rev. Theophilus DesBrisay, and as then the whole powers of government were practically wielded by the governor, the absence of cordial co-operation between His Excellency and the rector would necessarily restrict the latter’s influence.

How seriously the church suffered in this instance it is impossible now to estimate.

'(C)Mr. DesBrisay's ancestor had come over with William of Orange as an ofllcer in the Huguenot regiment that landed with him at Torbay. He had served in Ireland and after the fall of Limerick the family had settled in Thurles. Tipperary county. consequently he had strong claims upon the King in a staunch supporter of the Protestant Suecesion.

THE FIRST ESTABLISHMENT.

The Rev. Theophilus DesBrisay was, as before noted, appointed minister of the parish of Charlotte, by Royal warrant dated September 21, I774. It was not, however, until the succeeding autumn that he set out to enter upon his charge. This delay, taken in connection with the fact that he was then only twenty years of age, suggests the possi- bility of his having had to remain to finish his college course at Trinity College, Dublin.

On November 23, I775, he was in the Gut of Canso, a passenger on a vessel that was conveying John Russell Spence, a mem- ber of the Council for the Island of St. John, to Charlottetown. The wind that held them at anchor brought down before it the two privateers which had just plundered that place and were carrying the administrator of

the govemment, Phillips Callbeck. and the surveyor general. Thomas \V right. as pris- oners to General \Vashington. who had his headquarters at that time on Cambridge Heights. Welcoming the chance this afford- ed of securing another prize, they seized Mr. Spence's vessel and made the party pris- oners. However, after holding them some few hours, they released Mr. Spence, the members of his family and Mr. DesBrisay, but carried off the vessel and all their effects. Mr. Spence managed to obtain a small schooner to convey his party to Charlotte-

No'rl: A.—Part of their booty consisted of the church furniture. as there was no church it seems sin ular that such should be mentioned as amon the articles to en, in the dis patch forwarded by Thomas right to Lord Dartmouth De- cember 15. 1775. It was. however. customa in those days to furnish each Govemorin-Chiei’ on his appo ntment with cer tain plate. So on Jul 18. 1769. the Lord Chamberlain was directed to provide sue for Governor Patterson and possibly (tegmmuiigihon vessels and other articles may have been included

, erew .