Community 105

The services continued for almost twenty years. This church was on the east side of Church Avenue next to the present residence of Melvin and

Catherine McQuaid. In 1911 it was sold and for many years was known as St. Mary’s Parish Hall.“5

Souris Presbyterian and Methodist Churches

Among the pioneers brought out in 1824 to the Cambridge shipyards on Souris River, were the first Protestants. They included the Perkins and Gregory families. Those who came to the area a few years later included the Leslies, Macgowans and John Knight, who settled at Souris West, Souris River and Souris.

At this time the Rev. Robert Douglas was ministering to the Bay Fortune congregation where a Presbyterian church had been established in 1806. The Rev. Peter Gordon was the regular minister until 1809. His parish extended from Covehead to North Lake. No doubt the few Presbyterian families in Souris were considered to be part of the Bay Fortune con- gregation."7

The first visit of a Wesleyan Methodist minister came as the result of the determination and faith of an unknown shipyard worker who had come from England with other Methodist families. He walked the fifty miles to Charlottetown to appeal for a Methodist minister to visit Souris. The Rev. William Burt came in the winter of 1824 and spent two weeks working with the few Protestants in the settlement.

In 1852 the Souris Presbyterians participated in the call of the Rev. Henry Crawford to the Bay Fortune and St. Peter’s congregations.

In 1858 the Souris Methodists were a part of the King’s County Mission served by the Rev. William Ryan. No church building existed but services were usually held in John Knight’s schoolroom or in William Macgowan’s carpenter shop. There, too, the first Sunday School was started.

But the people wanted a church. Under the leadership of Mr. Crawford, plans were made for a church in either Souris, or Souris West, for the use of all Protestants. It was agreed that the subscription lists should decide the issue. The river was the dividing line, and the greatest amount of money raised on the east or west side would place the church there. Souris West won by getting some large subscrip- tions from Charlottetown.“3 Land was purchased and the church was erected on the site of the present Union cemetery. This Union church, while mainly subscribed to by Presbyterians and Methodists, was open to all denomina- tions and all shared in its building. Anglicans, Baptists and Quakers lent a

Photo by C8. Tagger! 8: Son, Ottawa. Courtesy Mn. GA. lgsrd.

Reverend Henry Crawford Presbyterian minister.