6 Early Settlers

While on a voyage to England in 1812, accompanied by one of his younger sons, the ship was captured by an American privateer, taken to Charleston, South Carolina, and there the passengers were imprisoned for some time. When their case came before the British authorities and their status as peaceable colonists was established, they were released.

In 1817 the family residence at Panmure Island was burned, with everything it contained. The loss of all documents with the property he had bought before coming out was one cause of Mr. Macdonald being involved in a Chancery suit, which continued for many years and resulted in the whole property being sold to pay the costs of the suit. As an instance of his enterprise, it is recorded that after the fire he went to Britain and in the following spring brought out a shipload of bricks with which he erected a new residence, with barn and stables all of brick, these being the first brick buildings on the Island.

A grandson of Mr. Macdonald was the Hon. Andrew Archibald Macdon- ald, who was lieutenant Governor of the Province from 1884 until September,

1889, when he was appointed to the Senate of Canada. Source: Article from newspaper, borrowed fiom Aloysius MacDonald, Panmure island, 1 977.

Some of Helen Macdonald’s memories

Andrew Macdonald, a merchant of Arisaig, married in 1772 Isabella Mac- Donald of the Island of Canna. They were a branch of Clan Ronald known as the MacIans of Ardnamurchan.

Andrew bought 10 thousand acres of land including Panmure, closed out his business and in 1805 and 1806 moved to Panmure. He erected a house, farm buildings and a store. He built ships and traded with Great Britain.

He started a business in New Brunswick, but everything was lost in the Mirimichi fire of 1825.

In 1817 the residence at Panmure was burned and the family barely escaped with their lives (My father Allister told me that it was a cold night and one of the family called “John” broke a window in the burning house to get his fiddle. He played all night in the barn while the family danced to keep warm.) In the fire, all papers pertaining to ownership of the many acres of land were lost.

The next year Andrew brought out bricks from Scotland and built a new residence, barn, and stables. These were the first brick buildings on P.E.I.

From information in Grandpa’s Diary it seems that when the family left in 1840 there were only two families on Panmure - Hugh’s and Archie’s.