They built the grist and saw mills so essential to pioneer communities trying to get established. William Schurman was a small-scale Loyalist shipbuilder who manufactured at least three ships in Central Bedeque

between 1801 and 1806.

There was an aspect to the Loyalist influx even more important than the prosperity of the communities they established. In total, they received close to 3000 acres of freehold land in the region and even though many did not settle their Freetown lands, the fact the land was freehold was of prime importance to the early development of the community. Freehold land was a rarity on Prince Edward Island in the early 1800s. The Loyalist land would prove valuable in enticing settlers to the area. It would also give the community its name.

JOHN CLARK’S LAND

The non Loyalist land on the south half of Lot 25 presents a problem to the land record searcher between 1810 - 1860. Attempts to establish a chain of title for individual parcels of land run into dead ends because there is no record of title passing to several individuals. The problem unravels when one traces John Clark

and his family.

On 25 October 1809, John Clark purchased one half of Lot 25 at a public auction held in Charlottetown. As mentioned in a previous section Governor Patterson had purchased one half of Lot 25. After his death, his estate was not settled for many years. The land record referred to above states that Mr. Clark had made a claim against Patterson’s estate to the amount of 201 pounds, 6 shillings and 2 pence. The Court made a judgment and commanded the Sheriff, Cornelius Higgins to sell Patterson’s land on Lot 25 to allow payment of the debt. Clark purchased the land himself at the public auction for the sum of 175 pounds.

There is no exact description of this land given in the deed of transaction. The deed does mention the land “is delineated on a certain map or plan of the said Island with the divisions thereof into lots or townships made and now kept in the Plantation Office, Whitehall and which moiety or half part of the said lot or township of land contains by estimation 10,000 acres of land be the same little more or less formerly belonging to the said Walter Patterson.”

John Clark was born around 1751 and according to MacNutt, was a “Loyalist Immigrant? usually described as “a house-carpenter. ” John Clark appears to have been a friend of Governor Patterson and was elected to the Legislature as a Patterson supporter in July 1779. Clark was re—elected to office in March, 1785 when Patterson was desperately grasping to hold onto his position. Since Clark was also a carpenter and cabinet-maker, he may have made furniture for Patterson and perhaps this is how the debt was incurred. After Patterson was forced out of office, Clark continued to fight for his friend during the regime of Governor

Fanning.

John Clark had land in Saw Mill Village (lot 57), Charlottetown and at Rocky Point. He had obtained - the Warren or Fort Farm at Rocky Point during Fannings regime. It had been seized from Patterson by the Crown and was granted to Clark by Governor Fanning.

JOHN ctnx‘s lAND

Map - John Clark’s distribution of land.

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