3923.

another pilgrimage to try to get the coins changed, and when he returned with the full amount in indisputable money Abel was sitting on the wood pile with a constable (John O’Donnell) beside him holding the horse by the bridle. Pierce offered Abel the money and repeatedly urged him to give up the horse, and on his persistent refusal to do so went into his house and brought out an old Queen Anne musket with a bayonet attached and stabbed Abel first in the arm then in the groin. Abel managed to crawl to the next house, occupied by Valentine Needham, another of the emigrants, from whencehe was taken to his own house, where he died after lingering for a week. Pat Pierce kept out of the way until after Abel’s death and then made his escape to one of the adjoining provinces. But little effort was made to arrest him, although a reward of twenty pounds was offered by the gov- ernment for his apprehension as appears in a copy of the Royal Gazette, published in 1816 and now in possession of Senator Mc- Donald. None of the farms settled by Lord Townsend at the time of his visit here are now occupied by any descendant of the emi— grants, their only descendant known to be in

PAST AND PRESENT OF

the province now being Edward Needham, a well known citizen of Charlottetown, who was about a year old at the time of Abel’s death and is still smart and active. Abel was succeeded in the agency of Lot 56 by Capt. William Cooper, who although looked upon as a harsh and exacting land agent while in office, after his dismissal became the uncompromising enemy of the prOpri- etors, and was the originator and leader of an agitation for the escheat of all the pro- prietary lands on the ground of nonfulfill- ment of the terms of the original grants. But although Mr. Cooper had a large fol- lowing in the Legislature and during the term of one Parliament filled the position of Speaker of the House and leader of his party at the same time, Sir Samuel Cunnard had sufficient influence with the Home Gov— ernment to nullify every act passed by the Island Legislature in the interest of the ten- antry, yet although Mr. Cooper’s agitation was unproductive of any direct benefit to the tenants, while it was in progress there is little doubt that it helped materially to pave the way for the settlement obtained under the more constitutional advocacy of Coles and Whelan some years later.

THE MCLELLAN FAMILY.

The following is the history of the Mc- Lellan family, who emigrated from South Uist, Scotland, in 1848 and settled at St. George’s, Lot 54. where a number of their descendants still reside. Roderick McLel- Ian was born in South Uist, Scotland. in 1786. He was the youngest of a family of ten and son of John and Margaret (John- stone) McLellan. In 1812 he married Flora McMillan, daughter of Donald and Chris-

tina (Wilson) McMillan, natives of the same place. This union was blessed with the following issue: Christina, who mar- ried in South Uist, Allan Black, Hugh, Margaret, Mary and Donald. LRoderick McLellan and wife and also the last four named of their children emigrated to St. George’s, Lot 54. Kings county. Prince Ed- ward Island, in 1848. The ship on which they sailed from Scotland was the barque