Another possibility for first British settler at Freetown is William Taylor. According to some sources, Taylor arrived at Bedeque from Newfoundland in 1807. He was a miller and is recorded as purchasing 320 acres of land in Lower Freetown (see code 46-49) on 23 February 1810. It is possible that he settled this property in 1810 with his wife and family. It is known he operated a mill at what later came to be known as Taylor’s Mills. He also leased three or five acres of land in the immediate vicinity of Taylor’s Mill in 1815.

Settlement progressed slowly from 1810 to 1820. In 1819 James Van Buskirk and Simon Reeves are reported to have arrived at Lower Freetown. Mr. Reeves apparently worked as a miller in Taylor’s Mills. James Van Buskirk settled in Lower Freetown (code 52) although there is no land record to verify this. Being a blacksmith he was a valuable resident. Settlement continued along the old Malpeque Road with the arrival

of Issac Bradshaw and John Tucker in 1821 and Redmond Wall in 1825. Another family to arrive prior to 1830 was that of Robert Baker.

Expansion from within the settlement was also occurring as sons and daughters married and established farms of their own. Some of these second generation settlers were Andrew Burns, William Burns and John Taylor.

The lack of roads impeded inland settlement into Upper and South Freetown. With opening of the Freetown Road in the 18305 settlers like William Cale Schurman, Francis McCarville, Stephen Strang and John Cale Schurman settled in Upper Freetown. During the 18405 more settlers moved into Upper Freetown and by 1843 George Wright had settled in South Freetown at the present site of Scales Pond and began a milling operation. Settlement in South Freetown began to flourish during the 18605.

Burns Settlement

With the influx of settlers into an undeveloped area comes the desire for a new community to have a diagnostic name. Up to the 18305 and even later the Freetown area was known as part of Bedeque. The first reference to a name for the new settlement is in the Journal of the House of Assembly for 1832. In this the term “Burns Settlement” is found. By 1832 there were probably about 100 persons residing in what is now known as Freetown. Burns Settlement probably refers mainly to what is now Lower Freetown and perhaps some of Upper and South Freetown.

Burns Settlement was derived from the Burns family who owned 1000 acres of land in the community beginning in 1810. The Burns family also operated at least two mills on their property in Lower Freetown. The 1841 census records two Burns families in Lot 25 and one in Lot 26 for a total of 28 persons bearing the Burns name, and the original road from North Bedeque to Freetown was known as Burns Settlement Road.

The 1841 census of Prince Edward Island was conducted by lots with no reference to the community name. However, by comparing the census records for Lots 25 and 26 with land records and family histories the following families were probably residing in Burns Settlement or Freetown in 1841: John Whalen, Patrick Murphy, William Whalen, Francis McCarville, Simon Reeves, Richard Maxfield, John Taylor, Isaac Bradshaw, Andrew Burns, James Van Buskirk, Jesse Strang, William Burns, James Laird, Joseph Strang, William Schurman, John Schurman, John Lewis, Timothy Maxfield, Edward Lidstone, Redmond Wall, Robert Baker, John Burns, Duncan Cameron, John Tucker, John Cook and Charlotte De Wall. The population of the settlement in 1841 is calculated from the census as 167 persons on some 680 acres of cleared land.

The majority of the residents in Burns Settlement in 1841 held clear deeds to their properties totalling 1680 acres. Another 600 acres was held by lease agreement. A total of 400 acres was held by verbal agreement and 150 acres were possessed by squatters.

Burns Settlement continued as the name of the community until the late 18405 when it was replaced by Freetown. Burns Settlement was used in government records unil 1849 but was probably still in use until the first generations residing in the area had passed on.

Irish Settlers Arrive

The first settlers in the Freetown area were mainly of Scotch, English and Loyalist descent. Up to 1839 Redmond Wall appears to be the only settler of Irish descent. Between 1839 and 1841 four families from County Monaghan, Ireland settled in Upper Freetown. Francis McCarville arrived and purchased 100 acres on the Freetown Road code 78 in July, 1839 from John McKie. Three more families from County Monaghan: John Whalen, Patrick Murphy and William Whalen arrived in 1840 and settled in Upper Freetown on the Freetown Road near the County Line. These four families possibly arrived on the Island in 1839 on board either the “Consbrook” or “Agitator” from the Port of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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