home became a place of worship. A society was organized and Mr. and Mrs. Wright were left in charge of the work.”2

Rev. Grandin served as an itinerant preacher from 1786 to 1799. Of all the American Preachers, he stayed the longest and probably travelled the most miles on foot. He also served circuits in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and took Methodism to many fresh communities. Rev. William Grandin, a tireless preacher, sailed back to his American home in 1799.

5. THE REV. JOSHUA NEWTON

Again, the Methodists were left temporarily without a preacher until the arrival of Rev. Joshua Newton, who had been converted in Halifax through Bishop Black’s preaching. He was heartily welcomed by Mr. Chappell and his little congregation. Rev. Joshua Newton, one of the early collectors of customs for Prince Edward Island, rendered important assistance to the cause of Methodism during his official residence in the colony. As a local preacher, he frequently held services in Charlot- tetown, and his sermons were greatly appreciated in those days, when the preaching of the gospel was rarely heard. From Charlottetown he removed to Nova Scotia, where for upwards of forty years he served his generation by the will of God.

6. SECOND VISIT OF BISHOP WILLIAM BLACK TO PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Upon the invitation of Nathaniel Wright of the Bedeque and Tryon area, Bishop William Black agreed to a second visit to Saint John’s in 1794. He attended a Methodist class in the home of Benjamin Chappell in Charlottetown, preached to large congreations, and organized a Methodist Society of twenty members.

“When Black visited the Island again, in 1794, he saw some of the results of Grandin’s and Newton’s work, for he found Methodism established in Charlot- tetown.” Black writes in his diary: “I waited on the Governor, Colonel Fanning,

who received me kindly, expressed himself in terms of commendation respecting Mr. Wesley and his people, and gave me the use of the church. The Governor’s secretary

and the Attorney-General attended preaching in the evening. Sunday, the 12th of October, I again preached twice in the church to a large congregation. At 11 o’clock I had the pleasure of hearing the Rev. Theophilus DesBrisay, the Anglican clergyman of the town and the only Protestant minister in Saint John’s Island at the time. He delivered a plain, honest discourse, but did not appear to me to have a clear conception of the nature of regeneration. On the 13th I had a friendly visit from Rev. DesBrisay. 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. I spent nearly an hour with him very agreeably; we conversed freely on the advantages of religion to individuals,

2 Mrs. Frederick C. Stephenson, One Hundred Years of Canadian Missions, 1824-1924 (Toronto, Ryerson Press, 1925), Volume I, p.25.