intROduceion

The name Doyle is at numerous one in Ireland. It is derived from the Irish O'Dubhghaill, literally meaning 'descendant of the dark stranger". According to Hilary Murphy, a local authority on the subject. it is probable that the Doyles of Wexford were descended from Norsemen who were living in Wexford at the time of the invasion by the Nonmns, and were called ‘dubhghall' ie. 'dark strangers' or 'foreigners' by the native Irish.

On Prince Edward Island, Doyles were among the early immigrants ollowing the French defmt at [Duisburg in July of 1758. Port Ia Joie, the rench Garrison near Fort Amherst in Rocky Point, fell to the British in August f that year. Most of the Island French were expelled by Colonel lord Rollo 'th aid from five hundred British troops. Those remaining, principally a olony of three hundred at Malpeque which was too distant to bother with, rmed the nucleus from which the Island's present day Acadian population escended. The 'Island of St. John' formally became a British possession in 763 following a formal peace treaty between England and France. There are 0 Doyles present in the British Census of 1798 but a few were here by 1816. yles settled in various parts of the Ishnd. A number of Doyles and Iaceys em to have come to the Seven Mile Bay area about 1815-1817. Others came the extreme western part ofthe Island and settled nmr'ngnish or Miminegash. ne settledat Little Sands nearWood Islands and several made their first homes the Charlottetown area. The majority came from County Wexford although ere were others from Kilkenny, Waterford, Cork, Monaghan, and Dublin. No oubt some came from Newfoundland. Did the good Father J.-L-J. Calonne

The greater number of the Irish we have here bring with them nothing butvices, because theyare the very dregsof Ireland and Newfoundland. They came [sic] to this place not because they emigrate, but because they have been expelled from their own country. (MacDonald 2)

They were fishermen, farmers. blacksmiths, laborers, carpenters, serv- ts, and housermids. Some had a little money but the most valuable commod- ty brought by those that prospered was a willingness to work hard to better emselves.

Mermaid is a small community situated in Lot 48, five miles southeast of harlottetown, the capital city of Prince Edward island, Canada. it was in this rca that James Doyle settled in 1836. Doyles Point, as the farm came to be