DesBRISAY Theophilus DesBrisay and family lived in Stanhope from about 1780 until 1801. He was born at Thurles, County Tipperary , Ireland, on October 9, 1754, of Huguenot stock, the son of Colonel Thomas DesBrisay , who was Lieutenant - Governor of St. John's Island in the 1770s. Theophilus was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and in September, 1774, as a young man of nearly 20, was appointed by Royal Warrant as the first Rector of the newly founded (1769) Anglican church of St. Paul's in Charlotte Town . The first rector was actually the Rev. John Caulfield , who, though he held office for four years, did not leave England . Thomas DesBrisay procured his resignation, and recommended that his son Theophilus be appointed instead. On his way to take over his charge, the new rector was taken prisoner at Canso, N.S. on November 23, 1775 by the same American privateers who had plundered Charlotte Town on November 17. When released, he reached the capital to find no church, and no housing or food. Therefore he took duty as chaplain on board H.M.S. Renown for two years, visiting his charge when he could. (See the Bovyer family history for an anecdote concerning Stephen Bovyer and DesBrisay.) The first parish records for St. Paul's were made by Theophilus DesBrisay in 1777, and services were held in private houses or at the Cross Keys Inn, until St. Paul's was built in 1800. In 1779 when he was 25, Theophilus married Margaret, daughter of Chief Justice Peter Stewart; they lived in Charlotte Town for a while, but felt it was not a fit place in which to bring up their children; as a seaport and garrison town, Charlotte Town was considered to be a very wicked spot. Therefore the DesBrisays moved out to the North Shore and rented 200 acres of land for ??5 per annum from Sir James Montgomery on a creek running into , as it was called then; the site of their home gave its name to Parson's Creek. Their 200 acres were previously leased by Neil MacCallum (from a rent roll of 1790 ... Neil MacCallum , now Revd. T. DesBrisay , 200 acres.) In the 1798 census the household consisted of one male aged 16-60 and five under 16, and four females aged 16-60 and two under 16. Theophilus and Margaret eventually had thirteen children, as follows: ??? Children of Theophilus and Margaret (Stewart) DesBrisay 1. Helen, b. 28 Nov., 1779 2. Margaret, b. 27 July, 1781 3. Thomas, b. 24 Aug., 1783. Founded Apothecaries' Hall in 1810. 4. Magdalen, b. 5 July, 1785 5. Peter, b. 31 Aug., 1787 6. Theophilus, b. 12 Aug., 1789 308