The Story Behind “St. Elizabeth’s”

When Thomas Haslam emigrated to Canada in 1818 he probably did not anticipate that he would one day build a family church. Moreover, he probably did not imagine that such a church would be within sight of his homestead, that it would be managed by at least one of his descendants for generations to come, or that it would welcome worshippers from around the globe. Yet, the history of St. Elizabeth’s Church and Parish is a story of pioneer spirit, ancestral heritage, and religious outreach all of which were shaped by Christian principles.

Religion in the Old Country, Ireland

Thomas and Elizabeth Haslam were devout followers of the Church of Ireland attending the parish church at Rosenallis or nearby Clonaslee in Ireland. They emigrated in 1818, and attended St. John’s Anglican Church in St. Eleanors before settling in Springfield. Divine service was occasionally held in their new home, but it was at St.

Thomas’s Church in New London and St. John’s Church in St. Eleanors that the family worshipped until a local church was built.

Without people there is no need for a church building or a clergyman. According to the 1798 Census of PEI, not one person lived in Lot 67, which includes Springfield. The lot was inaccessible until 1826 when a new road was built from Charlottetown to Princetown (Malpeque).l Now known as the No. 2 Highway, it attracted settlers and travellers.

Thomas Haslam Settles in Springfield

The first settlers in Springfield were Thomas Haslam and his family. In 1818, they emigrated from Ireland to the St. Eleanors area where the family lived on Haslam’s Road for ten years. During those ten years they added five children to the already four children. The tenth was born after they moved to Springfield, but he was taken back to St. Eleanors for baptism in February, 1830. Before leaving St. Eleanors. Thomas and his older sons helped to shingle the roofofthe

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