i Edward Allen's Letter to Captain Mainwaring

This letter has been preserved for posterity because it was given by its recipient, Captain Edward Mainwaring, 1 to Edmund Fanning, Lt. Governor of Prince Edward island, who in turn sent it to the Colonial Office in London. That government department retained it in its files. it reappeared on the island in microfilm when the British archival authorities supplied the Prince Edward island Archives copies of its historical material relating to the island.

Particularly interesting to the Governor, apparently, and what he wanted the Under-Secretary for the Colonies to see was evidence of the damage being done by the Board of Resident Proprietors and Agents in holding a virtual monopoly of lands being sold or leased on the Island.2 The Board's terms were such that people already resident, such as the Acadians at Fortune3 and some of the disbanded Loyalist soldiers who needed legal title to the lands they occupied, were discouraged from settling. Fanning no doubt also wanted the Colonial office to know that the Board, set up in September l787, was a creature of his predecessor's interests on the island. John Patterson, agent for isaac Panchaud, proprietor of Lot 47 (where East Point was located) among others, and chief promotor of the Board, was none other than the discredited William Patterson's brother. Patterson had been recalled because of suspicion of corrupt practices.

Edward Allen did eventually lease land on East Point but i have not been able to discover the terms finally settled upon.

Greenwich4 20th October 1787 Dr Sir

This morning Johnathans passt this on his way to the East Point, but as i was not in the way, i heard nothing from you . i presume you have ere this

receiv'd a final answer from Jn. Patterson respecting the lands at the East Pt. i rather wonder at your silence on that matter as its high time you were at some certainty in the assurance of your Lands. i am fix't and determined, and so is every one that intended to have settled on Lott 47, and our resolution is not to accept of any lands on this island on any such