and society in general. He expressed much friendship, and offered to assist us if we will erect a chapel in Charlottetown.”3

7. SACRIFICES OF THE PIONEER MINISTERS

The economic privation of the early ministers is well-known. Typical of this situation was the Methodist preacher, the Rev. John Regan, an American, who after serving in Halifax for seven years, was presented with a good suit of broadcloth together with three cheeses and $3.50 in cash.

“When, in 1799, the last of the ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States left the Maritime Provinces, there were only six ordained preachers, a membership of about 800, and the estimated number of adherents about 3,000. William Grandin, who had given so much self-sacrificing service, was one of the men driven to leave the work by the utterly insufficient provision for the support of themselves and their families. Not many men were free from financial struggle. How could they be, with the princely salary of $64 a year!”‘

T. Watson Smith comments as follows about the status of religion in 1799 in Charlottetown: “No preacher (Methodist) has yet been found to stay in Prince Edward Island. At Tryone and Bedeque, a small group led by Nathanial Wright lived in hope. In Charlottetown homes, Chappell was still doing his best to keep services going. He wrote letters to many, including James McGregor and Charles Inglis in quest of a minister. Lay preachers for this period included Thomas Dawson, Philip Marchinton, Thomas Cowdell, John Black, and Joseph Avard. ”5

8. THE REV. THOMAS DAWSON

John Black, who was superintendent of the work in the Island, could find no preacher to supply its need, but, in 1801, the small group of Methodists were cheered by the arrival of thirty-nine year old Thomas Dawson, an Irishman, who when a young man, had fought under Cornwallis in the American Revolution. He was a native of Coote Hill, Ireland, and an officer in the Royal Irish Artillery. Rev. Dawson settled with his family at the head of the Hillsborough River on a tract of land later known as “Dawson Grove”. He was so distressed at the religious destitu- tion of the people, that he planned preaching tours which included all of the Island. Roads were rough and bridges few, but Rev. Dawson walked the roughest roads and swam the rivers when there were no bridges. He wore himself out in the service and died in March, 1805. His early death at the age of forty-two was a severe blow to the

Methodist Society.

John Cambridge wrote in 1805 about religious conditions in Prince Edward Island in his well-known book: “There are a few persons who attend the established

church once a week. The far greater part are dissenters of one description or another. But as they have few religious meetings and not any ministers, their

3 Ibid., p. 25

4 lbid., p. 25

5 T. Watson Smith, History of the Methodist Church of Eastern British America (Halifax, NS. Methodist Book Room, 1877), p. 332