PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. 299 stituency in that rapidly growing neighbor¬ hood. At East Point the church has moved steadily forward in its appropriate work, having a large number of worthy members, among whom Alexander Scott , licentiate, has long been one of the foremost in consecrated activity. The Baptists of this community gave to Harvard University one of its most successful professors, the eminent Silas McVane . The Baptist interest at Charlottetown had its inception in the year 1827, when Thomas DesBrisay , one of the most intelligent and honored of its citizens, was led to announce publicly his conversion to Baptist sentiment. He became forthwith a very active and zeal¬ ous worker in the newly chosen sphere of effort. His example awakened a spirit of earnest inquiry throughout the city respect¬ ing the question of Christian baptism and scriptural church membership. A little band of kindred workers began to meet regularly for worship in a room especially chosen for this purjjose. In the year 1836 this band, consisting of nine persons, was organized into a church by Rev. George McDonald , who was at that time engaged in missionary work in the province. Many serious diffi¬ culties beset the little church, but it bravely surmounted them all, and it has grown to be one of the strongest and most influential churches in the maritime provinces. Its neat and commodious place of worship and its comfortable parsonage are creditable to the perseverance of its dauntless members. It has had a long list of excellent pastors among whom were Rev. B. Scott ,, Rev. S. T. Rand , Rev. John Davis , Rev. D. G. McDonald , Rev. J. A. Gordon and Rev. G. R. White , its present esteemed bishop. In the fertile and picturesque regions of Uigg and Belfast the Scotch Baptists had at an early date made some considerable prog¬ ress under the wise leadership of John Fra- zer and John McDonald . Valuable acces¬ sions to their number came from Scotland in 1829. Among these was Samuel McLeod , an industrious, genial and devout man. He re¬ sided for some time at Belfast and gave his attention to teaching school and preaching the doctrines of salvation. Removing subse¬ quently to Uigg, he supported his family by farming, but continued in evangelistic work. At the earnest solicitation of his brethren, he was ordained as a gospel minister in the year 1838, and the locality in which he re¬ sided, together with Belfast , became the field of his pastorial labors. The people were ac¬ customed to assemble at private houses or in the open air for worship until the year 1853, when a suitable meeting house was erected. Many excellent men have gone forth from this part of the Island to fill useful positions in various parts of the world. Rev. J. A. Gordon , D. D ., of Montreal, and Rev. D. G. McDonald , of the Canadian Northwest, • went out from this church to their broader spheres of activity. For many years the church in this section of the Island was united in pastoral support with Alexandra. A number of faithful men labored in this region and large accessions were made from time to time to the membership of the differ¬ ent branches. Rev. F. A. Kidson , who was ordained as a missionary in 1867, did useful work not only in this field, but in many other sections of the province. It was his privilege to welcome a very large number of converts into the family of believers, among whom was J. B. McDonald . M. D. , who afterward became a zealous preacher of the everlasting gospel. Toward the close of 1841 Alexander Mc ¬ Donald, a young man of much promise, vis-