At a Conference in the spring of 1794, the number of members of the Methodist Society on the Island, was reported to be twenty. During that same summer, Mr. Joshua Newton , Collector of Customs in the town, met with a class of six or seven persons and frequently preached at Mr. Chappell 's house. In the obituary notice of Mr. Nathaniel Wright , published in the Wesleyan Magazine, it was recorded that " Mrs. Wright treasured Mr. Newton 's addresses and related them to her husband on her return home after the meetings". In those days of famine of the Word of God , "even second-hand sermons were precious to their souls". This lack of leadership and the fact that the people of the Island were entirely destitute of ministerial aid, resulted in Mr. Wright and one of his relatives going in a vessel to Nova Scotia to bring the Rev. Mr. Black to Bedeque . He baptized Mr. Wright and his children, formed a class of eight or ten into a Society and administer¬ ed the Lord's Supper. At Charlottetown , Mr. Black met with a pleasing reception. "I waited on the Governor, Col. Fanning, who expressed himself in terms of commendation respecting Mr. Wesley and his people and gave me the use of the church (St. Paul's Anglican). The Governor's Secretary and the Attorney-General attended the preaching service in the evening. "On Sunday, the 12th of October, I again preached twice in the church to a large congregation. At eleven o'clock, I had the pleasure of hearing the Rev. Mr. DesBrisay , the clergyman of the town ,and on the 13th I had a friendly visit from him. "It is my desire to cultivate a Christian friendship and all proper union with the ministers of the Church of England. I waited on His Excellency to present my acknowledgements for the use of the church. We conversed freely on the advantages of religion to individuals and to society in general. He was most friendly and offered to assist us if we will erect a chapel in the town". Mr. Newton , Collector of Customs, left the Island for Liverpool, Nova Scotia , in the Spring of 1795, but Mr. Chappell still held the little society together. He was most anxious to have the services of a regular Methodist minister and kept writing insistently to many to "send us a preacher". He even wrote to the Anglican Bishop Inglis of Nova Scotia on the same subject. In the meantime, he and his wife still continued to hold the cottage prayer meetings in their home and it was not until five years had passed that any relief came to their assistance. — 15