The Founding of St. Peter 's Cathedral, In the years following the 1763 cession of He Saint Jean (renamed Prince Edward Island in 1802) to the Government of England , the Island experienced a gradual population increase due mainly to immigration to the Island. As the population expanded much of the growth naturally took place in the towns and villages. The Island, however, remained primarily dependent upon agriculture as the leading industry, both for self-sufficiency of food and for export purposes. Overseas trade enabled farmers to market their goods and to acquire the implements of their trade and the luxuries of life. The Island benefited from the combined advantages of a locally established shipping industry and the protection for commerce provided by the imperial fleet, both of which were cornerstones on which the British Empire was built and maintained. Many of the sons of prosperous families on the Island were fortunate enough to enjoy the privilege of either receiving their higher education at universities or to read law and article with Barristers in England . They travelled overseas aboard trading vessels, returning to the Island on the completion of their studies. While in England they were exposed to current trends, beliefs and practices in social, political and religious aspects of everyday English life. Major social, economic, political, religious or philosophical changes in the structure of British life and society produced immediate and long lasting repercussions in the colonies. These innovations were introduced into the colonial framework in a number of ways: they were brought back in the ideologies of returning students or businessmen; sometimes through shared experiences of immigrants; occasionally through the instructions of local governors (lieutenant-governors or other officials); certainly by missionary priests from the mother country; and sometimes through the influences exerted by charitable organizations such as the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel or the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge engaged in colonial activities. One of the religious influences which was felt in Charlottetown from the mid-nineteenth century onwards was the rediscovery of aspects of the catholic nature of the Church of England. The English movement which produced this rediscovery became known as the Oxford Movement due to a tractarian influence emanating from numerous clergy situated within the