011 Prince Edward Island

present church. About this time a call from New— port, Nova Scotia, which Mr. MacLeod accepted, left the congregation of Richmond Bay vacant. Dur- ing this vacancy, extending from June, 1859, to August, 1862, the congregation was divided into two charges, and on the last named date Rev. William R. France was ordained and inducted over Lot I6 and Summerside. The West Side of Richmond Bay remained vacant until February, 1865, when Rev. J. D. Murray became the pastor. After the lapse of two years Mr. Murray’s resignation was accepted, and Rev. Robert Cumming was settled in this field and continued to labor there with great acceptance and success until January, 1872, when he accepted a call to Knox church, New Glasgow, N. S.

During Mr. France’s pastorate in Summerside the new church was finished and filled, and the congre- gation in a healthy and prosperous condition, but Mr. France having accepted a call to another charge, Summerside became vacant. Presbyterianism from the first took the lead in Summerside and the blue banner still holds the foremost place. This may be accounted for partly by the fact that the surround- ing country of which Summerside is largely made up is mostly composed of Scotch Presbyterians; and partly by the able, faithful and judicious minis- trations of Revs. W. R. France and Neil McKay, who labored, the former about ten, and the latter about thirteen, years in that congregation. So rap- idly did the cause in Summerside advance that at the time of Mr. France’s translation to Mount Stew—

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