262

DesBrisay's rectorship and continued for many years to extend its sphere of useful- ness.

On Mr. DesBrisay’s death the relatives and friends of the Rev. L. C. Jenkins sought to obtain for him the vacant rectorship and he, as soon as he could arrange to do so, left Quebec and came to Charlottetown. The right of appointment was, however, still ex- ercised by the Lieutenant Governor (Note 4), consequently when Mr. Jenkins arrived late in the fall of 1823, it was to find the Rev. Thomas Adin, who had reached Char- lottetown from England on September 27, duly installed.

‘ As it was confidentially expected that the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, urged thereto by the Bishop of Nova Scotia and the authorities both in the Colony and in England, would reconsider its decision and undertake to provide stipends for clergy— men to be stationed in the several parishes, Mr. Jenkins remained in the expectation of being appointed. His anticipation was justi~ fied for early in the spring of 1824 arrange- ments were completed for establishing the church at St. Eleanor’s and Mr. Jenkins was sent there as its first Rector.

There being no church building or par- sonage, divine service was held at the “Pa- vilion,” the residence of Colonel Compton, the proprietor of Lot 17, while the rector found temporary quarters at Mr. George Tanton’s.

The parishioners at once set to work to build a parsonage and exerted themselves

NOTE FOUR

48 Geo. III, Cap. 6, set forth that the Lieut. Gov- ernor shall induct such clergymen as may be pre- sented by the congregation, but as in the case of St. Paul’s, the British Government paid 100 pounds of the Rector’s stipend, the Society for the Propa- gation of the Gospe providing the balance,“ was not considered that the congregation was entitled to have more than a negative voice in the matter and the Governor still exercised the power of appointment.

PAST AND PRESENT OF

to such effect that in the fall of 1826, Mr. Jenkins was enabled to move in and take possession. In midsummer of that year the parish was visited by the Bishop (Inglis), who consecrated a site for the proposed church, including ground enough to meet the requirements of the parish graveyard. The plans adopted called for a building forty- eight by thirty with a chancel and a tower sixty feet high. As soon as the parsonage was completed work was commenced on the church which, though it was not finished un- til 1831, was then the first belonging exclus- ively to the Church of England in Prince Edward Island. It was later consecrated under the name of “St. John’s Church.”

This year (1826) the road to Prince- town was opened which, by rendering inter- course with Charlottetown more rapid and easy, tended to lessen the isolation and make life more tolerable in the western section of the Island. '

While Mr. Jenkins was thus laying the foundations of the future church at St. Eleanor's, Mr. Adin had entered upon his duties at St. Paul. Shortly after his appoint- ment he published a letter in the Prince Ed- ward Island Register addressed to his pa- rishioners, evidently desiring to reach those who did not attend service. In it he urgent- ly appeals to them to bring their children to be baptized, setting forth, as his main argument, the danger they would incur through not having the birth of their chil- dren properly registered. It is a rather odd coincidence that if any sought the rite for the above purpose only, they failed to secure this advantage, for the parish records during Mr. Adin’s incumbency have mysteriously disappeared and some years later (1832) it was found necessary to pass an act of the