Urquhart settled in Malpeque and ministered to all people from Rich- mond Bay to Cavendish. Rev. John Keir served the same area from 1810 - 1826. In 1816 he had a small log church built near the south—west corner of the Yankee Hill cemetery. Richmond Bay and Malpeque were separated from New London and Cavendish in 1826 and a Presby- terian minister named Rev. Hugh Dunbar served the area until 1835.

In 1836 the church known today as the Geddie Memorial was built and Rev. John Geddie was minister from 1838 - 1845. He became the first Protestant minister from a colony to go to a foreign country, as a

missionary.

The first person buried in the Geddie Memorial Cemetery was Eliza MacEwen, April 2, 1840, age 15 years.

James Clark of Campbellton was the contractor who built the church and he had two carpenters; George MacLeod of Irishtown and a Mr. MacPhee. William Mann, a cabinet maker, made the pulpit and sounding board. Wm. was a Lowland Scot, just out from Edinburgh.

The late Wm. Bernard of French River used to tell how he, at the age of five, helped his mother and the women gather and burn oyster shells at Coles’ Shore to make lime for plaster for the church.

An amusing story is told of the first attempt at preaching in this now historic church. When the work on the church was completed, Wm. Mann gathered up his tools and departed. A little later, MacLeod and MacPhee also left the church and went to Anderson’s where they had been boarding and spent some time, in true tradesmen’s style, sharpen- ing up their tools in readiness for their next job. Having completed this task they decided to stroll back to the church to have a last look at their handiwork. On nearing the church they were amazed to hear a loud voice from within — as though someone was preaching a sermon. Cautiously they approached the building and silently entered the vestibule. Now it seems, that Wm. Mann when he left the church, had decided that the completion of such a fine place of worship was some- thing which should be fittingly celebrated; so hiding his bag of tools behind a bush, he proceed-ed over the hill to Adam’s Mill Where there was also a still. After a good drink of Adam’s brew he returned to pick up his tools, but before leaving he decided to enter the church once more for a final look at his work. With a critical eye and justifiable pride he scanned the pulpit and sounding board, then he began to wonder if this thing dangling from the ceiling would really work. Would it really re-echo the minister’s voice so that everyone in the church or even in the church yard would hear? Well, there was just one way to find out. Wm. was well versed in the scripture, so as there was no one around to hear him, he moved in the pulpit and began speaking in a firm, solemn tone. He was somewhat startled at first by the echoes of his voice in the empty church, but he soon warmed up to his task and with hair stand- ing on end and long, hairy arms flailing the air, he was calling on all of New London’s miserable sinners to turn from their evil ways.

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