CHAPTER 1

A New Settlement

The present village of Kinkora in Prince County, Prince Edward Island, had its origins in 1833. This essay is a look into the significant events and persons that shaped the past of Kinkora; it is an attempt to analyze the socio- economic conditions in which the pioneers of Kinkora lived, from their arrival to the beginning of the twentieth

century.

In 1763 Great Britain took possession of Prince Edward Island; at that time it was known as the Island of St. John. The next year it was surveyed and divided into sixty—seven townships or lots of approximatley 20,000 acres each. Kinkora is situated in the northern half of Lot 27;(see Figureslhnuial The first owner of the northern half of Lot 27 was an English merchant, James Searle. (1) There is no evidence that he brought out any settlers. By 1825 his daughter, Isabella, had inherited her father's estate. She was married to Horatio Mann, and the estate became known as the Mann

estate. (2)

According to a plan of the northern half of Lot 27 in 1825 the Mann estate had nine settlers: Ledstone; McCormick; NcIsaac; NcMullin; Soby; John Pearson; John Wright; Nathaniel Wright, Jr.; and Stephen Wright, Sr. (3) The plan indicates that these people were settled along the shore line of Seven

Mile Bay and inland to a road crossing Lot 27, and connecting