INDEPENDENT ORDER OF FORESTERS

This was a group active in the Freetown area around the turn of the century. This order was launched at Newark, New Jersey on 17 June 1874, and this is regarded as the birthday of the Independent Order of Foresters.

The Foresters major accomplishment was the development of insurance benefits for fellow members.

In the beginning, each member paid 10¢ upon the death of a fellow Forester. The total amount collected was paid to the beneficiary of the deceased. Life insurance was an outgrowth of the movement and the Foresters later controlled the Union Trust Company.

The Foresters were instituted on P.E.I. in 1892, when several courts were organized. Court Minnewawa, of Bedeque was active in 1893 with Thomas Moyse and Louis U. Fowler as the Chief Proponents. Land for a Foresters Hall in Freetown was purchased in 1898. It was erected there before 1900. Freetown members were: Everett Schurman, Aretus Burns, Frank Deacon, Robert B. Auld and others.

. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. (J.P.’s) The Justice of the Peace was an important ol‘t‘ic1al in the communities in the olden days. Important

documents related to the transfer ofproperties and other affidavits had to be sworn before a Justice of the Peace. He could also perform marriages, although most of them were performed by the Clergy ofthe various denominations. Those who were arrested for performing wrongful deeds often appeared before a local JP. The J.P. was looked to as the official to keep the peace in the community.

Justices of Peace in the Freetown area include:

William Schurman John B. Schurman George Crosby William Taylor Malchias Wall ' J. Henry Crossman Redmond Wall Robert C. Auld

Murdock Ross Wellington Warren Hon. J. Stewart Burns

Since 1970, there have been no Justices ofthe Peace named on P.E.I. Instead the government has named people as “Commissioners for taking affidavits in the Supreme Court” in the three counties.

DUNK RIVER FARMER’S INSTITUTE The Provincial Department ongriculture was formed in 1901 and one of its first assignments was the

organization of thirty—three farmer’s institutes on P.E.I. These institutes were originally to represent two townships each and if a district was successful in forming an institute it received a grant of $50.00. The institutes were created to promote the introduction of improved stock, to stimulate agricultural progress and to provide a forum to discuss new and better methods of farming. They later played a role of a farmer’s cooperative in supplying farm essentials like limestone, clover seed, timothy seed, twine, insecticides and fertilizer.

In 1901, the Dunk River Farmer’s Institute had eighty-four members from Lots 25 and 26. The president was James Carruthers of North Bedeque and the secretary, Henry L. Rogers of Freetown. In 1902, the Dunk

River Institute was very active and is said to have performed the most educational work of any such institute in the province. That year it had eight meetings with 31 addresses presented to a total attendence of 870.

The executive positions in the institute rotated among the districts represented during the next several years. Freetown residents serving on the executive between 1903 and 1919 were R.P. Burns and SR. Cairns. Membership ranged between forty-nine and eighty-four.

The Dunk River Institute underwent a reorganization in 1920. It became mainly a Freetown group with a few members from the adjacent districts. The president in 1920 was J.B. Gardiner and the secretary D.M. Bernard. J.B. Gardiner remained until 1925 and D.M. Bernard to 1924. They were replaced by R. Louis Cairns and RA. Profitt respectively. The membership increased from thirty in 1920 to fifty—eight in 1933. Charles D. Taylor became president in 1928 and was replaced by Eldon Drummond in 1930. The institute continued

until the mid 19505.

The minute book of the institute exists for the period 1932-1956. These are some ofthe highlights from their early meetings.

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