Questionnaire (1876) Questionnaire circulated to the oldest inhabitants. P.E.I. PARO: Smith—Alley 
     
     collection: Acc. 2702, Ser. 20, 296-317. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     In the Smith—Alley Collection of the PARO is a file containing nineteen questionnaires sent to elderly residents 
     
     (all male) of Prince Edward Island, accompanied by a letter from a Mr. D. Currie dated June 7 876. The 
     
     questionnaires are printed on seven foolscap pages and contain 99 different questions. The letter explained 
     
     that the purpose of the questionnaire was to collect information on ”everything of historical value relating to 
     
     the early settlers of the Island”. It is not stated who the ’gent/emen’ were who compiled the questionnaire, but 
     
     its presence in the Smith—Alley collection suggests that it may have been George Alley himself. Alley (b. 7844, 
     
     d. 7899) was a judge of the Queens County Court, who had an interest in the history of the island, and who 
     
     with others was instrumental in setting up the short—lived Historical Society of Prince Edward Island in the 
     
     18803. /t is evident that careful thought went into the choice of questions so as to cover many different 
     
     aspects of pioneer experience on the island, including farming and crops, education and religion, local travel, 
     
     and even cultural aspects such as the speaking of Gaelic and Irish, and the pastimes of the pioneer settlers. 
     
     Although none of the questions were concerned with the composition of the island’s pre—sett/ement forests or 
     
     the size of its trees, ten questions have some relevance to the forests and have been extracted below: these 
     
     include questions about forest animals and game-birds, the feeding of pigs on beech mast, and the occurrence 
     
     and effects of forest fires. For these questions / have recorded only those responses that have a relevance to 
     
     the forests. The inclusion of any question in the original survey is an indication that the phenomenon that it 
     
     asks about was for most islanders becoming a thing of the past leg. the questions on bears, ’moose’ and wild 
     
     pigeons), and that the researchers were aiming to document these aspects of pioneer life before all memory of 
     
     them had passed away. As far as is known no comprehensive analysis of the questionnaires was ever carried 
     
     out. 
     
    
   
   
    
     REFERENCE: Introduction to the Smith—Alley Collection. P.E.l. PARO Acc. 2702. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Circular — Accompanying Questions for Information 
     
     about the Local History of the Island. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Charlottetown, 8th June 1876 
     
    
   
   
    
     Sir, 
     
     The These questions are sent you, with the respectful request that you will answer 
     
     covering as many as you can, and return the questions and answers to the undersigned. 
     
     letter. Stamps to pay postage are enclosed. It is not expected that any one will be 
     
    
   
   
    
     able to give information on all subjects covered by these questions. The object 
     
     is to collect everything of historical value relating to the early settlers of the 
     
     Colony, to be preserved and utilized hereafter. The gentlemen engaged in this 
     
     enquiry have no personal or pecuniary interest in the matter, further than 
     
     procuring of facts that may be useful for historical reference. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Yours truly 
     
     D. Currie 
     
    
   
   
    
     The respondents: 
     
    
   
   
    
     The respondents. ble 
     
    
   
   
    
     0 Hon Alexander Anderson of Bedeque (b. Rustico 1795, moved to 
     
     Bedeque [more specifically, what is now Fernwood] in 1797). 
     
    

    
     0 Charles Anderson of New London (b. 1802 ("aged 80”)). 
     
    

    
     Robert Anderson of New London (b. 1794 (”aged now 88”)). 
     
    

    
     0 George Brace of Charlottetown (b. St. Johns, Newfoundland in 1809, 
     
     emigrated to the island in 1832). 
     
    

    
     0 John Brooks of Murray Harbour South (b. England 1802, emigrated to 
     
     the island in 1822). 
     
    
   
   
    
     197