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ants scattered throughout the country districts but his actual ministrations did not extend much beyond the limits of his parish. From the date of the Rev. James McGregor’s first missionary journey in 1791 the Presbyterians on the Island had been steadily striving to secure a resident clergyman. As early as 1794 the inhabitants of Princetown had erected a church and school-house on a plot of land granted to themIby the Crown and were looking for- ward with hope to the future. Which hope

was soon afterwards realized. The next year.

(1803) their numbers were to be largely added to by the coming of Earl Selkirk’s Highlanders, whom, to the number of 800, he settled on his lands at Belfast. In Char- lottetown the Wesleyan Methodists, headed by Benjamin Chappell, though they retained their connection with the Church of Eng- land, were meeting regularly each Sunday and on week-days and were gradually grow- ing into an organized body, while little so— cieties were similarly gathering in outlying sections, which, having no connection with the Church, were developing a still greater measure of independence.

Thus the legal recognition embodied in the foregoing statute did not involve any general acceptance of the church by the Protestants at large. On the contrary save in Charlottetown it had no practical bearing upon their religious development for the church, instead of seeking to extend to those living in the country the benefit of her min- istrations put forward no effort of any sort on their behalf and for twenty years to come they were offered no opportunity to become practically acquainted with her teachings but even those of her own fold were driven to seek ministrations elsewhere.

In Charlottetown—the first St. Paul's

PAST AND PRESENT OF

—was now an accomplished fact. It stood on the \Vestern portion of Queen Square near to or on the site of the present Dominion building. It had a a tower surmounted by a steeple and weath- ercock and was capable of holding a congre- gation of 300 or 400 persons. Inside a gal- lery ran across the west end, the middle of which was later occupied by an organ, and at each side were seats placed for the accom- modation of the garrison. In the middle of the church, at a short distance in front of the communion rail stood the reading desk and pulpit, and above the latter a sounding board was suspended from the ceiling by an iron rod.” (H. J C.’s report).

In the year 1805 General Fanning left Prince Edward Island and J. F. W. Des Barres succeeded him as Lieut.-Gover- nor and Commander-in-Chief. (June 30th). Charlottetown was growing in population and the church there gradually strengthen- ing, but little if any effort was put forth to extend her ministrations to the country districts.

In October, 1812, Governor DesBarres retired and was succeeded in July, 1813, by Charles Douglas Smith. During all these years, and indeed until the Rev. Theophilus DesBrisay's death, which took place in 1823, the history of the church on Prince Edward Island can be summed up in the gradual growth of St. Paul’s church, Charlottetown. As regards the Rector's life and labours there a contemporaneous writer sums them up as follows: “Among his flock he lived as a father among his children, no unpleas- ing formality, no ridiculous pedantry, no affected importance disgraced his profes- sional intercourse. Grave without auster- ity. good humoured without unbecoming fa- miliarity, the welfare of his parishioners was