REV. ROBERT S. PATERSON 1833

The year, 1826, saw the beginning of one of the most unusual pastorates of the early pioneers in church work. A few months after Bedeque had been separated from Richmond Bay, a call was extended by the newly founded congregation to the Rev. Robert S. Paterson, who accepted the same and who continued his labors suc- cessfully, without interruption, until the year of his death, 1882, an unbroken

pastorate of fifty-six years.

The people of Bedeque had felt a missionary concern for the people who had settled in West Point, West Cape, and along the Western Shore in Lot 7. Many of these settlers have come from the Bedeque area seeking land available for farming. Names of the new settlers such as Rix, Strang, Crossman, Wright, Dawson, Clark, Muttart and Gamble were familiar to the visiting ministers from Bedeque.

The Wesleyan Methodist Missionary paid a missionary visit to the West Cape area and had baptised six children in the Pollard family. Another visitor from Bedeque to the West Point, West Cape, Campbellton sections of Lot 7 was the Rev. Robert S. Paterson during the winter of 1833 - 1834. No doubt he found much to do providing pastoral services.

REV. DR. W. FRASER 1834

In the summer of 1834, Rev. Dr. W. Fraser, Clerk of the General Assembly, made a missionary tour of this Province. He crossed from Pictou to Charlottetown, visited Bedeque and Malpeque, then came to the western part of the Island. It would appear that he stayed at the home of Charles Craswell and preached in the first little church in Cascumpec, although the building was not completed and only fit for summer use.

On Tuesday morning, he left Mr. Craswell’s at 4:00 am, walked two and a half miles up the shore to John Gordon’s where he got a horse and, accompanied by one of the Gordons and a Mr. Wells, rode to Hill’s River. At the river, they procured a small boat and rowed up the stream about fives miles. Then, on foot, they followed a line marked out for a road. There was a great deal of undergrowth and in places, there were swamps. It was a hot June day, and there was little circulation of air in the thick forest. About 1:00 pm, they reached the Western Shore, having walked about eight miles. Then, sometimes following along the shore and sometimes following paths through the woods, they walked another three miles to the home of Jeremiah Dalton.

On Thursday morning, Rev. Dr. W. Fraser preached at Mr. Dalton’s to what he calls, “a handful of people”, but adds that his audience comprised the greater part

of the scattered population along the Western Shore.

It must have been an early service, because he and Mr. Dalton set out at 11:00 am. and after a hard walk, arrived three and one half hours later at the home of

James Dumville, where he preached the next afternoon. This was only the second time that these settlers had seen a minister since they arrived.

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