THE DONALD FARM

This farm situated on the Malpeque Road and presently owned by Ralph Bryanton was originally owned by Mary Stewart of Malpeque in the days of

land grants on Prince Edward Island. On October 1, 1820, this farm of 200 acres was leased to Neil Ramsay for the rent of one shilling per acre, which

3was to be paid on the 1st day of October each year.

The boundaries of this farm were as follows: “All that tract piece or parcel of land lying and being part and parcel of Lot or Township Number Eighteen (18) and measuring and bounded (that is to say) commencing at the stake fixed on the west side of the Charlottetown Road (Old Town Road) from thence running due west seventy-three chains thence due south six chains twenty-five links thence south-east ten chains fourty—five links thence due east to the road sixty—six chains thence along the road fourteen chains, fifteen links to the beginning and including in the whole one hun-' dred arable acres of land more or less.” This agreement was signed by Doug

Stewart (for Mary Stewart) being witnessed by John Craig, Matthew Stewart and Hugh MacKendrick. -

On July 9th, 1872, this farm was sold by Arthur Richie Sr. (whose deceased wife Annabella Stewart was the owner of the farm at the time of

her death) to Robert Thomas Donald for the sum of sixty pounds sterling. The conveyance paper for this transaction was witnessed by William Henry

Butterfield and sworn to before the commissioner of Alberton at that time, John L. Woodman.

This farm was owned by the Donald Family until 1945 when it was sold to Earl Matthews, a veteran of World War II, who sold it to Neil MacLeod in the fall of 1951. The present owner Ralph Bryanton bought the farm in 1959 and with his wife Phyllis, he came to live here in 1961. Since moving in, he has completely renovated the house making it very modern inside and rather attractive outside, nestled among the trees which surround it.

Family of Robert Thomas Donald and his wife (Murray) were: Clayton - died in his early’ twenties; William - never married, resided in Malpeque; Russell - went to New Zealand; James - married Bessie Crozier; Albert - resided in Western Canada; Leslie '- was a tailor in Moncton, N.B.; Melville — farmed, and a fox rancher in Montrose, P.E.I. 1881-1970; Dr. Stanley -

was a dentist in Moncton, N.B.; Minnie - married Nelson Ramsay, Mon- trose, P.E.I.; Clara - Baltic, 1879-1959.

Also owners of the Donald homestead_.‘were Mr. and Mrs. James F. Donald. All of their children were students of Baltic School for different

years and attended Malpeque (Fanning) School for one year when fire destroyed their barn.

One rather distinguished member of this family was Robert Donald. Mr. Donald was described by one of his classmates as being a brilliant student,

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