In 1784 Colonel Thomas Dawson and Frances Elizabeth Tait, both of County Monoghan, Ireland, were married. In 1801 accompanied by their six children they arrived on the Island.

Shortly after their arrival their seventh child was born. On March 9, 1800 records show that colonel Thomas had

bought 500 acres of land in the Province costing him 135 pounds, 18 shillings and 4 pence. He later added 100 acres and named it Dawson’s Grove after the family estate, where he was

born in Ireland. The land he choose was well wooded and watered, with the

west side running along the edge of the river at the head of Hillsborough. He felt this would be a suitable place for his sons

to grow up and continue to farm the land. Finding spiritual destitution of the inhabitants when he arrived,

he became the first Methodist Minister on Prince Edward Island. This took him traveling on foot, with only the aid of a compass through virgin forests, wading streams and swimming rivers, to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His determination and faith succeeded in his establishing the first Wesleyn Methodist

Episcopal Church in the Province. Even though he was reported to have a strong constitution, he

caught a severe cold on his travels that turned to quinsy. Due to a lack of adequate medical aid and serious complications, Colonel Thomas passed away on March 4, 1804, just two years from the day of his arrival. Sixteen days after the Colonel's death,

his wife Francis gave birth to their eighth child. Richard Dawson was the only son of Colonel Thomas and Francis

Dawson who settled in the Western part of the Province.

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