Cambridge, Mary (1811) Letter to John Cambridge, 15 June 181 1. Letterbook of Mary Cambridge 187 1— 7872. [P.E.|. PARO 3659/1: pp. 17-114.]

This brief reference to forest fires on the outskirts of Charlottetown is found in the letterbook of Mary Cambridge (b. c. 1755, d. 7832) and is a copy of a letter that she sent to her husband John Cambridge who was in England on business at the time (see Cambridge 1793 and 1796/. Mary (Winchesterl Cambridge had emigrated to the island with her husband in 1784 and thereafter took an active part in the running of the family business operations especially during the periods when her husband was absent in England. By 781 7 in association with their son—in—Iaw George Wright, they had established a successful mill operation at Bird Island Creek (now Wrights Creek) on the outskirts of Charlottetown and in that year they were also attempting to set up a brewing business at the site. John Cambridge returned to England for the last time in 7814, but Mary stayed on in the colon y, helping her sons with the management of the family’s timber and shipbuilding business. The fires mentioned in the letter (note the use of the plural) seem to have come very close to the mill site at Wrights Creek, but otherwise we are given no indication of the size of the area affected.

REFERENCES:

Holman, H. T. (1987) Cambridge, John. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, VI: 107—10.

Holman, H. T. (1989) The Island’s First Brewery. The Island Magazine, 25: 10-14.

Bradley, J. (1994) Shipshape Cambridge Fashion, or John Cambridge of Prince Edward Island, Bristol and Wotton Under Edge. Hurst Village Publishing, Basingstoke Press Ltd, England.

Bradley, J. (1996) Letter-Books of John and Mary Cambridge of Prince Edward Island 7792- 187 2. The Stationery Cupboard, Devizes, England.

Letter to John Cambridge, 15 June 1811

Forest fires near There has been very Great fires in the Wood near C. Town whieh—hee—been There has

Cha’lmmtown- been great danger of the buildings at Bird Island Creek but they were with dificulty saved but it has been a great hinderance to the planting potatoes &c. there.

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