THE HONOURABLE ROBERT POORE HAYTHORNE One of Marshfield 's most illustrious citizens was Senator Robert Poore Haythorne. He was born at Clifton, Bristol , England , in the year 1815. He was the son of John Haythorne , a wool merchant of Bristol , who was an alderman and four times mayor of that city. He was also a Justice of the Peace for Gloucestershire, in which his country residence named "Hill House " was located. Robert's grandfather was a banker and glass manufacturer in Bristol . His mother was Mary Curtis of "Mardyke House ", Hotwells, Bristol . The Senator was educated at private schools in England and later traveled extensively to Madeira , South of Spain, Portugal, , Switzerland and Italy. In 1841 he immigrated to Prince Edward Island to join his elder brother, Edward C. Haythorne , who had emigrated some years before and had acquired 10,000 acres on the Hillsborough , River in Marshfield . The land, which was in part occupied by squatters and partially leased to tenants for 999 years, was still substantially a wilderness but had excellent agricultural potential. Edward eventually became a nominated member of the Legislative Council in which he served for 10 years. He was also a magistrate for Queen's County for 18 years. Their estate in Marshfield consisted of 257 acres. Edward died in Marshfield on January 30, 1859 aged 45 years and is buried in the Cemetery ( Old Protestant Cemetery ) on University Ave. in Charlottetown . Robert revisited England in 1860 and returned to PEI the following year where he married Elizabeth Radcliffe Scott, daughter of Thomas Scott of Ireland, who owned the estate Falcon wood, presently part of Charlottetown . They had two sons, Edward Curtis born in 1862, and Thomas Joseph the following year. Courtesy of Public Archives The Honourable Robert Poore Haythorne. 1815-1891 Elizabeth died in September 1864 near Liverpool, England , while travelling to visit her family home in Belfast . Haythorne's two sons chose not to follow their father's interest in agriculture. Thomas emigrated to England , where he practised medicine; he died in 1920 and was buried beside his mother in Liverpool. Edward emigrated to New Zealand and never returned to the Island. One of his descendants, who married a sheep farmer in New Zealand , visited PEI around 1970. Robert's estate in Marshfield consisted of a splendid house, gardens and a game field. He had a full time resident gardener and other hired hands. It is told that he often worked with his hired hands in the field, never overworked them and was ever concerned over their welfare. The only reminder of this estate is now a row of stately linden trees which still overhang the road leading to the site of the now demolished house. He was well liked and respected in the community, so when the district school was erected, circa 1861, near the Haythorne farm, the ratepayers named the school Marshfield after his estate. In appreciation Robert erected and painted a splendid fence around the school property. In 1887, he sold his Marshfield Estate and bought the property at the corner of King and Hillsboro St. in Charlottetown . In 1867, Mr. Haythorne was invited by his former tenants to become a candidate for the second electoral district of Queen's County (Legislative Council), and won his seat by a respectable majority. Not many weeks later the government changed from Conservative to Liberal and Mr. Haythorne became a member of the Executive Council. While a member of this Council much progress was made, improvement of the highways -112-