OTHER RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY The 1841 and 1861 census record that a number of Freetown residents were affiliated with the Baptist and Church of England beliefs. Both of these denominations had travelling ministers or missionaries in the early years. Charles Tupper was an early Baptist minister in the Bedeque area. Rev. W.B. Bradshaw, a Baptist clergyman, lived in Lower Freetown in 1881. Neither of these groups erected a church building in Freetown but the Baptists held meetings in the Lower Freetown Hall and the Birch Grove Hall over the years. Many Baptists from Freetown attended, and still attend, services in Central Bedeque.

People adhering to the Freetown Gospel Hall began to hold services in the Lower Freetown School in November 1957. They built a new hall on the site which was formerly occupied by the Lower Freetown Community Hall on the east side of the Old Malpeque Road in 1968.

Their elders are in charge of their services, and plans are in progress to expand the building in 1985.

Mr. Andrews Miles home (code 44) is the centre of a religious group. In addition to regular services, conventions for a large maritime following are held there annually in June. (See Miles history.)

C.G.I.T.

There was an active group of the Canadian Girls In Training at Freetown around 1930. Their leader was Mrs. Robert C. (Margaret) Auld. The number of girls in the group has not been found but it is known that Grace Deacon and Hazel Baker represented the Freetown C.G.I.T. at a province wide convention held in Summerside. They went on the train and were billetted at Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Jelly’s.

TUXIS GROUP

Tuxis was an interdenominational organization with Christian principles. Its members were boys age 15-18 years of age, and the meetings were comprised of devotions, discussions, Bible studies and games, under the direction of an adult leader. In the late 19205, such a group was formed in Freetown, under the leadership of R. Brewer Auld. Among those who attended were Fred Drummond, Wilbert Drummond, Albert Stetson, Allison Profitt, Preston Wadman and others. Ofthis group, Mr. Wadman is the only one still living. He recalls that he worked for Eldon Drummond at that time, and Mr. Drummond gave him a horse and wagon to go to the Tuxis Group meeting. When he came home he was putting the horse in the stable. The horse would not go in the normal way, and Preston found that the animal had to be backed in.

FREETOWN PEOPLES CEMETERY Prior to 1882 there was no cemetery in Freetown. Those who adhered to the Presbyterian faith were buried in the cemetery at North Bedeque. Those who adhered to the Baptist faith were buried in the cemetery at Central Bedeque and those who adhered to the Methodist faith were buried in Lower Bedeque. Around 1882, the Freetown Methodist Cemetery started under the jurisdiction of the Methodist Church. In 1984 this cemetery is filled except for perhaps a half dozen burial places.

In 1907, a meeting was held in the Forresters Hall to consider the advisability of purchasing a tract of land for a cemetery for the people of Freetown. It was agreed to purchase a piece of land just south of the Presbyterian Church. The cost was one hundred dollars.

Mr. William Burns was appointed chairman ofthe meeting and Mr. Frederick W. Picketts was selected

as secretary. The meeting agreed that each plot was to be ten by twenty feet and the price of a single grave be $2.00.

Later in 1907, it was reported that the land on the Auld property was found to be undesirable and the committee agreed to accept one acre of land offered by Charles Taylor at $150.00. At this meeting, Charles Taylor had succeeded Fred Picketts as Secretary—Treasurer. In 1908, the price of plots was raised to $5.00.

Mr. Auld succeeded Mr. Taylor as Secretary in 1918. In 1921, Mr. William MacCaull was given permission to use the hay off the south side of the cemetery for three years, in return for putting mussell mud on the whole area. In 1922, the committee decided to put posts three feet high in the centre of the gateway to prevent teams from entering the cemetery. Joseph Riley was employed to cut the grass during the summer, and also, when requested, to dig graves, fill them in, and take away surplus clay, all for $2.50 each. In 1925, Mr. Joseph Baker agreed to solicit subscriptions in order to meet the running expenses, as funds were in arrears. In 1927, it was agreed that two rows of new plots be laid off. In 1947, the directors agreed to apply limestone, fertilizer and grass seed to the cemetery as early as possible in the spring. It was also agreed to emplace fifteen new turned posts and purchase an eight foot gate for the driveway. In 1950, the fence along the road was moved in a few feet to allow for the widening of the highway. Approximately sixty plot holders were recorded at

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