Community Organizations 7

‘ EARLY TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES The main object of the temperance societies was to make public the effort to reduce or eliminate the

consumption of alcoholic beverages. Their first attempts were in lobbying for the creation of liquor laws or licenses to restrict public liquor consumption.

One ofthe earliest recorded temperance or total abstinence meetings on the Island was at Bedeque in 1820. The early organizers were Rev. Robert Sim Patterson, Presbyterian minister at North Bedeque; Rev. Mr. Snowball, the area’s Methodist minister; and Mr. Jacob Gould, granduncle of Jacob Gould Schurman, the famous Freetown resident. These three were later assisted by Rev. C. Tupper a Baptist Minister in Bedeque. All three clergymen would have had influence on any Freetown resident who attended their churches, and this gave the temperance movement an early beginning in the Freetown area.

The earliest recorded temperance society in Freetown was a British Templar Lodge. It was mentioned in an 1872 P.E.l. Calendar as Lodge #97, Rose of the Valley, Provincial Department, and was led by Daniel Auld of Upper Freetown. They met every Monday evening.

The Sons ofTemperance order began in New York in 1842 and came to RBI. in 1848. This was a general movement that spread throughout North America. One of their greatest battles was against the importation of illegal rum by the rum runners. This they believed was a cause of crime, poverty, disease and death. They made the issue a public one and in 1852, introduced into the Provincial Legislature an act which was defeated in the upper house by one vote.

The first mention ofthe Sons ofTemperance being organized at Freetown is recorded in Chappel’s 1884 Almanac. Subordinate divisions, Lorne at Freetown, and Rising Sun at South Freetown met weekly on Saturdays and Tuesdays respectively. It is evident however that the Temperance movement was active at Freetown prior to 1884. According to Chappel’s Almanac for 1883, David Rogers of South Freetown was Vice President ofthe Dominion Alliance ofthe Sons ofTemperance on P.E.l. In the Grand Division of the Sons of Temperance, Annie Schurman of Freetown was Grand Conductor, David Rogers was also the Deputy for Prince County and in 1887 was appointed P.E.I. representative to the National Division meeting in Florida. Jesse S. Burns of Lower Freetown was Grand Scribe for P.E.l. from 1883 to 1891 and again from 1894 to 1896. David Arbing of Freetown was appointed Grand Worthy Patriarch for P.E.I. in 1891. David Rogers and David Arbing were also appointed as representatives to the National Division in 1899.

George Matthews was the Deputy for the Rising Star (Sun) Division at Freetown in 1890. Stewart Cairns was the Deputy for the Lorne Division in the same year. By 1896 there was only one Division the Maple Leaf active in Freetown.The Maple Leaf branch was progressing rapidly by 1896 and according to The Patron of Industry, this was credited largely to the efforts of John Frizzell “a young man of good moral habits?’

The Sons of Temperance movement declined in the early 19005 in the Freetown area. The movement is still active to the present day in the Province. By the end of the 1800s The Temperance Societies had succeeded in prompting the passage ofa Prohibition Law eliminating licensed taverns in the province. The efforts of many Freetown residents helped in achieving this goal.

KEEPING HIS PLEDGE A certain Freetown resident, long since gone to his Reward, was, in his wife’s opinion, imbibeing too much of the demon rum. She was so concerned that upon the arrival of the Parish Priest on one of his regular pastoral visits, she prevailed upon the good man of the cloth to get her husband to “take the pledge”.

The good Father, before he left the farm, cornered this man of Irish descent, and very witty, prevailed upon him to stop drinking and take a pledge. The priest was not as successful as he had hoped. The husband advancing the argument that he was getting along in years and could not do without spirits for health reasons. The priest was obliged, after lengthly discussion, to extract a promise from the husband not to drink unless he was on his own property. The man’s farm faced on both the North Freetown Road and the Freetown Road.

Several weeks passed and our friend was living up to his vows until a parish party was held on the North Road. This homestead was across the road and some fifteen chains to the rear of our friend’s farm. The neighbours and parishoners knowing of the man’s pledge, were more than kind in offering a drink from

their own bottle. Our friend after declining many times, could stand temptation no longer and said “ifyou give me that bottle for fifteen mintues, I’ll have a wee sup?’ He took offdown the road and across the fence into his own field where he did just that.

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