Freetown, and have also spread to most parts of the world 4 to such an extent that if all should come home for a reunion it is doubtful if Lower l Freetown could accomodate them.

Simon Reeves had five sons. John. William. Thomas. David and (‘harlesOn pages 44 to 48 is a list of their male descendants who are more or less directly concerned with the history of Freetown up to the present time.

THE CAIRNS FAMILY

On December 21, 1843, Robert Cairns, Sr. of Lot 35 bought 282 acres of land in Lot 25 from the executors of the Estate of John Clark, merchant, late of Halifax, Nova Scotia. (L52 F 404, Charlottetown). On

August 5th, 1854, he sold 182 acres to his son Robert, Jr. (L70 F196, Charlottetown) for the sum of fifty—four pounds, lawful currency. This is the farm later owned by Robert Jr.’s son Alexander and sold in 1929 to Donald Bernard, who with his son, Wendell, still own and operate it in a very efficient manner. The remaining 100 acres was sold on the same day to William Cairns, a nephew of Robert, Sr. for the sum of sixty pounds. (L70 F451. Charlottetown). Also the same year, the above named William Cairns bought the Estate of Gilbert Henderson of Liverpool, England, 102 acres, which adjoined the first 100 acres, for the sum of eighty-six pounds ten shillings. (L70 F453, Charlottetown). This gave William Cairns 202 acres and comprises all the land now owned by Howard Cairns (including the Colin Reeves farm) and also a few acres now belonging to Scott Cairns, where his farm buildings are situated. William Caims Sr. died in 1856, leaving two sons, William Daniel and John. Sometime after their father’s death the farm was divided east and west, with John taking the north end and William Daniel the south end, where it was bounded by an “intended road”. now the North Freetown Road.

In August 1874, William Daniel mortgaged his 103 acres (L1 F351. Summerside) to James Beals for $600.00 at the rate of 27} interest. Then in January 1875 a new agreement was drawn up (L1 F488, Summerside) whereby the interest was increased to 15% from 2%. In fact, when the agreement was drawn up, the percentage was written in as 25% and the twenty-five was stroked out and fifteen written above it, with a notation made in the margin saying the alteration had been made before the document was signed. Faced now with a 15% mortgage, it was only a matter of a few years before foreclosure was inevitable. The story has it that Mrs. Cairns, in desperation at the threatened loss of her home, went to Mr. Charles Reeves for assistance to save her home, and he, in spite of the fact that Mr. Beals, the mortgagor, was his own brother-in-law, agreed to help her. Accordingly after night-fall he and some of his neighbors rallied and together they hauled the house off the mortgaged property, down near the Malpeque Road, on to a corner of land owned by Robert Cairns. A sentry was posted some distance up the road to fire a warning shot if Mr.

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