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In 1871, five years before Mount Stewart became the centre of , a permanent Methodist circuit, the church building was moved into the

village. It had previously been located at Cranberry Point, and its re-

moval was a project to which large numbers, irrespective of religious affiliation, gave their support. It is believed that the building, the present St. David’s Presbyterian Church, was not at first situated on its present site but rather on a location nearer the St. Peter’s highway. A card, thanking all for their assistance, was inserted in the Islander for March 17, 1871. It was signed by Samuel B. Clark, John J. Fletcher, Albert Vickerson, Haviland Clark, James Glover, Alex Hayden, Sr., J. R. Bourke, Jr., William Vickerson, David Pigot and Benjamin Webster.

Even after 1876, the Mount Stewart circuit was not to be thought of in terms of a present—day Pastoral Charge. Thus, While one might hear

of the Marie-Mount Stewart-Black River circuit, he might actually learn, as was the case in mid-December of 1918, that services on the circuit were held at Dunstaffnage (Dec. 12), Marie (Dec. 13), Mount Stewart (Dec. 16), Fanning Brook (Dec. 17), Church Road (Dec. 18) and Black River (Dec. 19). The Methodists met where the spirit moved them, whether in a formal church building or in a school or community hall. “Vital Godliness,” they found, could be achieved without reference to any particular building or place.

It was Methodist practice to transfer their ministers approximately every two years; consequently a large number of clergymen were as- sociated with the half-century of that denomination’s witness in the vil— lage. A list of ministers with the approximate dates of their assignment to Mount Stewart follows:

1876-1877, Rev. John Goldsmith; 1877-1880, Rev. William Lawson; 1880-1884, Rev. Douglas H. Lodge; 1884—1885, Rev. Edward Bell; 1885-1887, Rev. John Goldsmith; 1887-1888, Rev. George C. P. Palmer; 1888-1892, Rev. E. Slackford; 1892-1893, Rev. J. B. Gough; 1893-1894, Rev. W. J. Howard; 1894-1897, Rev. A. D. MacLeod; 1897-1898, Rev. J. Heaney; 1898-1901, Rev. H. Pierce; 1901-1904, Rev. W. Wass; 1904-1906, Supply;

1906-1910, Rev. L. J. Wason; 1910-1912, Rev. E. S. Weeks; 1912-1914, Rev. J. L. Dawson; 1914-1916, Rev. F. W. Sawdon; 1916-1918, Rev. B. Carew; 1918-1919, Rev. K. Kingston; 1919-1920, Rev. R. M. Brodie; 1920-1921, Supply;

1921-1922, Rev. Chester Brown; 1922-1924, Rev. Thomas Palethorpe; 1924-1925, Rev. H. P. Tupper.

Judging from the tenor of the large number of news items which, over the. years, were inserted in the Wesleyan by Mount Stewart pastors and parishioners, it appears that relations between the two were always

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