R. W. B. COUPLAND W. E. INGRAHAM

In 1955 Mr. Ingraham married Dorothy Jean Murphy, R.N., a great-granddaughter of William Meek. The old parish has accord- ingly been well and appropriately launched on its second century of organized life.

Little attempt has been made to follow the larger story of the community as it was recorded in the newspapers in the last three- quarters of a century. Sailing ships folded their wings, and direct connection between the outside world and small ports like New London gradually ceased. Apart from the improved roads the railroad became the chief carrier of produce and passengers within the Island itself, and goods were shipped by steamer from larger ports such as Summerside, Charlottetown and Georgetown. A spur railroad line from Kensington to New London was once considered but the project failed and the north shore communities were bypassed until motor traffic became common. Fishing still remains a seasonal occupation for a number of parishioners, but boats are now propelled by the gasoline engine.

The early nineteenth century saw the rise of fox farming, an industry which for twenty-five years brought moderate wealth to some, loss and disappointment to others. The rich soil of the Island remains the only permanent source of a fair livelihood, and the farms around the parish yield good harvests of potatoes and other crops. A few of these farms continue to be tilled by descendants of those who first stumped and cleared the land long ago.

The blue waters of the gulf under bright sunlight, the tawny sand hills, the red soil, the vivid green of grass and‘ trees, and the quiet loveliness of the scenery all along the north shore but particularly around “Grenville Bay” still continue to inspire the youthful imagination. Lucy Maud Montgomery was born at Clifton and brought up at Cavendish and was a frequent visitor at the Montgomery and Campbell farms at Park Corner. The beauty of her childhood home is woven into her early poetry, and into the “Anne” books which have been read and loved all over the world.

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