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to begin life under most unfavourable cir- cumstances. However, he had the aid and encouragement of his wife, who was of a hopeful and ambitious temperament, and in time they became well-to—do, and were rec- ognized as among the leading families at Belfast. The husband died at the age of ninety-six years and the mother at that of seventy-five, her death occurring in about 1855. The subject’s mother was a daugh- ter of Capt. John and Mary (Saunders) Moore, the latter being a niece of Charles Saunders, of St. Peter’s, who was one of the most extensive land holders in that 10- cality. Capt. John Moore was a noted sea captain and it is said that in all his experi- ences he never lost a man from a vessel under his command. He came from Green- och, Scotland, and in boyhood shipped as a sailor from London, England. He eventu- ally at Pownall, in Lot 49, was engaged in shipbuilding and also sailed his own vessels in the foreign trade. Phillip and Margaret Smith had the following chil- dren: John Alexander, subject of this sketch; Moore, of Victoria West, Lot I 3, a farmer; Catherine, the wife of William Mc— Phail, who was for a number of years super- intendent of the asylum of Charlottetown; their children are Dr. John A. McPhail, of Montreal, Dr. Bell McPhail, and Mrs. Mary Ann Montgomery, widow of Donald Mont- gomery, formerly superintendent of educa- tion for Prince Edward Island; Dr. William McPhail, of Orwell, Prince Edward Island; James McPhail. C. E.; Miss Lettie Mc- Phail, of New York City; Susan, wife of Donald McEachem, of Mill View, Lot 50; Mary, wife of Peter Martin, a contractor of Cambridge, Massachusetts; Maggie, wife of Alex McEachem, of this province. In mat-
PAST AND PRESENT OF
ters political the subject gives his support to the Liberal party and is a forceful and effective speaker on public questions, his services being greatly in demand during election contests. His religious membership is in the Presbyterian church.
J. F. H. ARSENAULT, who during the past eight years has been engaged in the packing and shipping of lobsters, in which enterprise he has been fairly successful, was born in Lot I4, and is a son of Herbert and Sophia (Arsenault) Arsenault, the lat- ter a daughter of Joseph and Mary (Gal- lant) Arsenault. The paternal grandfather, Stephen Arsenault, was a son of Elaire Arsenault, who came from Malpeque and whose father removed to this Island from Nova Scotia. The paternal grandmother, Mary Arsenault, was a daughter of Placide Arsenault.
The subject was reared under parental care and instruction and is indebted to the public schools for his early education. Since engaging in his present line of effort he has enjoyed a satisfactory business and is num- bered among the successful business men of his community. He has taken an intelli- gent interest in local public affairs and in November, 1904, he was elected a member of the local House of Assembly. He is also a justice of the peace and a commissioner for the taking of affidavits. In matters po- litical he is affiliated with the Liberal party, and his religious membershipl is with St. James’ Roman Catholic church. Frater- nally he is a member of the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association, of which he is a past president and is now serving as chancellor.