and operated a dry goods store on Queen Street, in the block opposite the market building on Queen Square. He began to write clerk’s notes in a more relaxed manner. We read for the ﬁrst time, of buying larger and more candles for sanctuary illumination and holding bazaars to raise funds. There was even a reference to a church soloist, when Pastor Scott acknowledged the singer stating, ”...We appreciate the gratuitous labouring of Mr. Harris in the singing he presented to the church, and for creating the ﬁrst Music Book exclusively for the use of the Baptist Churc ”. This was the ﬁrst reference to church music in 15 years, other than the common note that all meetings begin with singing and prayers. We do not know if there was a piano and pianist available during meetings, because it was never mentioned.

July of 1850 is another milestone date in the Baptist Church’s history. A general meeting of the church agreed that a Sabbath School be initiated and that it meet every Sabbath at half past 9 in the morning and again at 2 pm. This would be one hour before the regular afternoon preaching would begin in the sanctuary. Brother Thomas Broadwell would be the ﬁrst Sunday School Superintendent and Brother James DesBrisay, its ﬁrst Secretary Treasurer.

We think today of the Baptist Church location at Prince and Euston Streets (now called the YMCA corner) as being almost downtown, but in 1851 it was on the outer edge of town. They decided that they would suspend the Thursday prayer meeting for the winter months and hold the Tuesday meeting in a more central location. The new temporary prayer meeting location, a hall on Lower Queen Street, proved popular and motivated the thinking that it might be advantageous to move their chapel to a more convenient site. It was in October of this year that the infamous ”Yankee Gale” hit the north side of Prince Edward Island. Before it subsided, it devastated almost the entire New England ﬁshing ﬂeet, sinking over 130 vessels and washing over 250 bodies ashore on north shore beaches; the majority between Cavendish and Tracadie.

Rev. Benjamin Scott had been back in the Charlottetown pulpitforonlytwo years, but his restless nature again dictated a move and he returned to his former pastorate at Marshﬁeld. To help the church through the summer, former pastor Silas Rand, who was back on the Island doing mission work, preached weekly to his old congregation. The visiting mission preachers who spoke from time to time did so for a fee established by the Nova Scotia Mission Board. The rate was 6 shillings a day, or if they stayed over 21 days, £6/6.

A new minister was called, and Reverend William H. Hobbs arrived at the Charlottetown Baptist Church in mid October of 1852. Hobbs was a native Nova Scotian, who for many years had served in the mission ﬁelds and wished to return closer to his home. He was known for his enthusiasm and desire to expand. His arrival in Charlottetown would be timely, because the second winter of successful weekly prayer meetings at the hall on Queen Street convinced the trustees that the Baptist Church would grow and beneﬁt greatly by a move. Within a short period of time, a search committee found a vacant lot for sale on Lower Great George Street, that could be purchased from Charlottetown photographer William C. Hobs for £350. Hobs suggested the amount could be payable over 10 years with interest paid annually, but this did not appear to inﬂuence the decision to purchase. Mr. HObs’ name should not be confused with that of Rev. William Hobbs, because the only difference was a ”b” in the surname.