PART III

WEST CAPE CIRCUIT: 1858 - 1862 REV. ROBERT WILSON REV. A. FLETCHER WELDON REV. RICHARD PRATT

“In 1858, Cornwall and Little York were united in one circuit, and placed under the charge of the Rev. Henry Pope, Jr. In this year the Rev. Richard Johnson was appointed to the Margate Circuit, Rev. George M. Barratt to Bedeque, the Rev. Alexander McLeod DesBrissay to Pownal, the Rev. William Ryan to King’s County, and the Rev. Robert Wilson to West Cape. In 1859, the Rev. John Prince was stationed at Bedeque, the Rev. W.W. Perkins at Morell, the Rev. Alexander S. Fulton at Kings County, and the Rev. A Fletcher Weldon at West Cape.

The Rev. Henry Daniel followed Rev. Sutcliffe as pastor of the Charlottetown Circuit in 1860. He had as an assistant the Rev. Richard Pratt. In the fall of 1861 Mr. Goreham, an American revivalist, held special services in the chapel in Charlot— tetown for several weeks. These services resulted in a large increase in the member- ship of the Society. The Rev. Dr. Daniel died in St. John in November 1896, in the ninetieth year of his age and the sixty—seventh year of his ministry.

In 1861, the Rev. Samuel Sprague was stationed at Bedeque, the Rev. Joseph Coffin at Margate, the Rev. Robert Wilson at Murray Harbour, and the Rev. Robert Duncan at Pownal.

The Rev. John Brewster was appointed to Charlottetown in 1862. The follow- ing year the Rev. J.V. Jost was sent to Cornwall, the Rev. Edwin Evans to Mount Stewart, the Rev. Howard Sprague to Margate, the Rev. William Ryan to Pownal, and the Rev. Richard Pratt to West Cape.”2°

1. REPORTS OF PROGRESS

By 1825, the Nova Scotia District reported that the Rev. William Burt in Charlottetown had one hundred and eighteen members, one hundred and eighty children in the Sunday School, and had collected thirty-eight pounds sterling for missions ($142.50). The Rev. George Jackson in Tryon and Bedeque reported the ex- existence of two chapels, seventy-three members, twenty-five children in the Sunday School, and the collection of one-half pound sterling for missions ($1.87).

The Methodists had an urgency in their messages and a popular appeal to their many hymns of worship written by Charles Wesley. The more staid worship service

of the Scottish Church lacked the emotional stimulation which such hymns provid- ed, and the Church of England could not possibly be concerned with the cause and effect of such religious stimuli.

Methodists in Prince Edward Island seldom lacked a sermon at any of their

preaching places on the Sabbath because they had so many excellent local preachers. Walter Johnston stated in his book:

20 Ibid. p. 321A.

19