England bound for Miramichi, New Brunswick with William Ellis on board in quest of timber for their shipyard. A fierce storm in the Gulf of St. Lawrence forced them to seek shelter in (). They sailed up one of the wide rivers emptying into the bay and dropped anchor. While waiting for the storm to abate, William Ellis explored the area that was later called New Bideford , and found an immense forest of timber suitable for shipbuilding. Imports of timber into Britain from British went up dra¬ matically between 1809 and 1811. The first ship to arrive in England with a cargo of lumber from Prince Edward Island was the Four Friends with Captain William Ramsay , Owner and Shipmaster. The ship's arrival was registered at Custom House, , England on October 31,1812 and was possibly consigned to Thomas Burnard . Richard Chapman 's health had begun to fail after 1811. In 1813 Richard Chapman and William Ellis built a new ship for Thomas Burnard . It was called the Bellona. Of the last two ships built in 1818 for Thomas Burnard at the Chapman & Ellis shipyard, the builder's certificate for one of the ships was signed by both men. On July 4, 1818, William Ellis alone was recorded as the builder of the second, the Susan. The shipyard was then sold. On September 13,1818, arrival of the Peter & Sarah was entered at the Charlottetown Custom House. The Shipmaster was John Eastridge . It is believed that William Ellis , with two apprentices, Edward Williams and John England , and some of William Ellis 's sons were passengers together with a crew and equipment for a shipyard. Thomas Burnard and his nephew, Thomas Burnard Chanter had formed the Chanter & Burnard Shipbuilding Company in Bideford , England . When William Ellis came to Prince Edward Island , he was under contract to build ships for them. Thomas Chanter joined Ellis, and they established shipyards in Lot 12 at New Bideford , in Lot 13 at and in Lot 14 at Ellis River (now known as Grand River ). They built ships, loaded them with timber and sailed them to England to the Chanter & Burnard Shipbuilding Company. A few ships were retained for the purpose of trading, carrying squared timber to England and bringing back supplies for the shipyard and for the settlers. A large house was built in Lot 12 at New Bideford : part of it for a ware¬ house, part for a store and office, and part for a dwelling. In this house Chapter Two ~ Early Settlers