More Georgetown Stories

1838-1899

Notices 3' 1838}

“The new Brigantine, William Rufus, 100 tons, will commence sailing as a Packet between Georgetown and St. John’s, Newfoundland, on the opening of the navigation this Spring and will continue on that line during the season.

“The well-known sailing schooner, Trial, will commence sailing at the same time as a packet between Georgetown and St. John, NB. for the season.

“Both these vessels are substantially and neatly fitted up for the convenience and comfort of passengers and commanded by able and experienced navigators. Applications for freight or passage may be made . . . to the owner, Messrs. William MacKay & Co., merchants...” (Mar. 24, 1838)

Med

“ A Schoolmaster of the Second (or highest) Class is wanted for Georgetown & Royalty. Any person applying must produce a Certificate of the Board of Education as to his qualifications, and it is needless to say, that all persons making application must be of the strictest moral principles and sober habits, of which they will be required to produce testimonials. Thirty pounds are allowed by Govcmment for the Master. Apply to William MacKay, Esq, Georgetown.” (Mar. 24, 1838)

Do Tax

“Those persons who have not paid the Dog Tax for the past year are hereby notified that unless the same shall be discharged on or before the First day of May next, they will be sued, without distinction of persons.

April, 20, 1838 Hugh Logan, collector.”

Georgetown Election

THE NOTICE: “Public Notice is hereby given to the Freeholders, Landholders and Resident Tenants, that agreeable to her Majesty’s Writ of Election to me directed, a Poll for the election of two members to represent the said Town and Royalty in a Lower House of Assembly of this Island will be open and held at the Court House, Georgetown, Monday, the Fifth day of November next, at the hour of Eleven o’clock forenoon of which all persons concerned will take notice and govern themselves accordingly.” (Sheriff ’5 Office, King’s County, 4, Mar., 1830.)

THE POLL: ”The Hustings was erected in an unfinished house belonging to Mr. John Kearney, where a great number of people had collected. As one of the candidates was addressing the electors the joists of the building gave way and precipitated the whole assemblage into the cellar underneath which contained two feet of water. Unfortunatelya person named Glover had his leg broken in the fall and another named Vere Beck was severely

injured”! The Royal Gazette, Charlottetown, Oct. 12, 1830)

[This was the day before political parties. Candidates were nominated by a meeting of qualified electors (adult male property owners) and the polling started immediately. Georgetown and Royalty could send two representatives to the House of Assembly and King’s County as a whole could send four. Ata meeting previous to the one described above, Georgetown and Royalty electors- 26 of them, mostly from the Royalty since Georgetown then had very few residents, had voted for Hugh MacDonald and Roderick MacNeill, defeating the only Georgetown resident nominated: Samuel H. Gilbert. MacDonald then lived at Brudenell Point, but moved to Georgetown shortly afterward. Among the nominators were Donald MacPhee, Michael Flanagan, Hugh MacAulay, and Alexander Morrison all of whom were then farmers in the Royalty.

The event described above was at the election for King’s County representatives. Polls were held at “hustings” set up at Georgetown and St. Peters. The final count elected Angus MacDonald, Brudenell Point; Thomas Owen, Cardigan; Joseph Wightman, St. Andrew’s Point, and Daniel Brenan, a government official from Charlottetown. This was quite possibly the first polling that actually occurred at Georgetown and for the first time included Catholics, hence the large crowd at Kearneys.

Macdonalds in Business

On Sept. 8, 1830 and following, a notice appeared in the Royal Gazette directed to emigrants advertising tracts of land “for lease or sale" on the Montague River, Three Rivers. Agents were A. & I-I. Macdonald, Brudenell Point. The ad mentioned woodland and a harbour around which were “a couple of farms with Houses and Improvements.”

Another ad from A. & H. Macdonald about the same time advertised “the Brig Stajfa, to sail from Three Rivers to Greenock about Nov. 10 [1830] has good acoomodations for passengers, if applied for before the State Rooms are taken down.”

Merchants at Sea

“The shallop Market House of Georgetown, P.E.I., George Aitken,. Jr. master, on her way to Pictou, having mistaken the land in clear weather, made Merigomish Bar on the 3th of October and after beating and striking heavily for some time until she sprang a leak, she was discovered by the Inhabitants and a boat put out for her relief. They assisted in getting her into harbour where she now lies stranded. There were several of the merchants of Georgetown on board who had to proceed to Pictou during the night under very exorbitant prices, their baggage being so heavy. They attributed their grievous expenses to the mismanagement of an unskillful seaman commanding the vessel without a compass.” (Guardian, Nov. 23, 1842, reprinting from The Nova Scotian)