PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.

Methodist minister, his duties as superin- tendent of the society’s interests throughout the Island required his attentions and minis— trations at all seasons, and the toils and hardships of pioneer missionary life of that period can be better imagined than described. In Charlottetown, the headquarters of the society, the preaching services were held in the court-house, on the western comer of Queen and King streets, given by Governor . Fanning for that purpose. At this period the total number of the Methodists through- out the entire colony did not exceed seventy- five persons. The Rev. James Bulpitt con- tinued to reside on the Island until his death, which occurred in December, 1849, at the age of eighty-two years. A mémorial win- dow in the First Methodist church, Char— lottetown, erected by his granddaughter, Mrs. Hannah Robertson, will perpetuate the memory of the first Methodist minister sta- tioned on Prince Edward Island.

On the 5th of October, 1810, one—half part of the town-lot No. 53, in the second hundred of town—lots, was granted to Jo- seph Robinson, Thomas Murphy, Thomas Debrisay, Jr., Joseph Avard and Paul Ma- bey, as trustees of the Wesleyan Methodist Society, for the purpose of erecting a preaching place in Charlottetown. This land is situated on the north side of Rich- mond street, between Queen and Pownal streets, and is now owned by Mr. Philip Coyle.

In August, 1815, the Rev. John Hick ar- rived on this Island, as the successor of Rev. James Bulpitt, who had retired from the ac- tive work of the Methodist ministry. Under the ministrations of Rev. Mr. Hick, Metho- dism made considerable progress. Regular preaching places were established by him at Bedeque and Tryon, in connection with the

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Charlottetown circuit. As societies had al- ready been established at Murray Harbor and Cherry Valley, the circuit was now nine- ty miles long and often at the solicitation of the early settlers it was found necessary for the preacher to go beyond these limits, as the gospel was precious in those days. The first Methodist chapel built on this Island was erected at Murray Harbour, and opened by the Rev. Mr. Hick Soon after his arrival. In 1816 Mr. Hick preached for the first time in an unfinished chapel erected in Char- lottetown on the land already mentioned as having been granted for that purpose. Dur- ing the summer of this year Mr. Hick was removed to Montreal, and the Rev. John Bass Strong was appointed in his place. At the close of Mr. Hick’s pastorate the mem- bership of the society was reported to be one hundred and twenty-five.

The Rev. J. B. Strong arrived in Char- lottetown in the autumn of 1816. He was a native of Nottinghamshire, and in 1813, upon his entering the ministry, was sent to Quebec as the first Wesleyan Methodist preacher in the Canada of that day. Mr. Strong was a man of more than ordinary ability, and during his long ministerial term of fifty—seven years he filled most of the im— portant circuits in the lower provinces. He died in 1870, in the eightieth year of his age. He was the father of Mr. Charles Strong, of Summerside. During Mr. Strong’s pastor- ate in Charlottetown he was assisted by the Rev. Samson Busby, who resided at Murray Harbour, which was then part of the Char- lottetown circuit.

The Rev. John Fishpool was appointed to Bedeque and Tryon in 1817, which then for the first time became a separate circuit. In Bedeque a small chapel had been erected the previous year, and a building, com-