born in 1817, and they arrived from Ireland with two young children, 
     
     Mary, who was born in 1832 and Patrick (Kathleen’s grandfather), who 
     
     was born the following year. After settling in Prince Edward Island, John 
     
     and Margaret would have seven more children: Ellen, Richard (who died 
     
     in infancy), Mary, Michael, John (who also died in infancy), Charles and 
     
     Anne. The O’Keefes (the name was later shortened to Keefe) became part 
     
     of a lively and growing community 
     
    
   
   
    
     Settlers in Prince Edward Island experienced especially difficult 
     
     circumstances relating to the ownership of the land on which they settled. 
     
     Unlike most settlers in other British North American colonies, the vast 
     
     majority of those who settled in Prince Edward Island were unable to 
     
     acquire land ownership. That was because of one of the most unusual 
     
     arrangements which led to the creation of the colony. In 1769, after 
     
    

    
     the Island was surveyed and made a separate colony, all of its 67 lots, 
     
     consisting of approximately 20,000 acres each, were awarded to well— 
     
     connected officials and others in England on the condition they settle 
     
     the land with Protestants and pay quit rents (a form of taxation) to help 
     
     defray the administrative expenses of the colony. Most never fulfilled the 
     
     conditions, and thus began an issue that would predominate the life of 
     
     the colony for more than 100 years. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Tenants were required to pay rent, but many had no security of tenure, 
     
     leading to ongoing disputes between the tenants who occupied the land 
     
     and the absentee proprietors and their local agents. The “Land Question,” 
     
     as it came to be known, stifled development in the colony and was the 
     
     subject of constant political struggle. Roman Catholic men, who were 
     
     mostly tenants, were allowed to vote after 1830, and they added their 
     
     political voice to the struggle. 
     
    
   
   
    
     After Prince Edward Island achieved responsible government in 1851, 
     
     it passed a Land Purchase Act whereby the government would purchase 
     
     the remaining lands and transfer ownership to the tenants. It lacked 
     
     the financial resources to effect the transactions, however, and little was 
     
     accomplished. The “Land Question” was not resolved until after Prince 
     
     Edward Island joined Confederation, when the Canadian government 
     
     provided enough funding to purchase the lands of the remaining 
     
    
   
   
    
     18 KATHLEEN MURPHY, MAITRIARC