and Vere probably walked it daily as he was preparing his new home
for occupation.

They would barely be settled in their new home before the arrival
of their third child. Mary Ann was born on July 7, 1813, the first
Prince Edward Islander in the Beck family. By this time the family
was settling into their new home and from now on all their efforts
would be aimed at eking out a living and making their home more
comfortable. Vere would be learning survival tips from his neigh-
bours, gathering wild berries, learning to fish, and learning how to
preserve any surplus food.

The Becks arrived in PEI. just
weeks before a new Lieutenant
Governor was installed in Char- 7
lottetown. Charles Douglas Smith |
took control of the government |
on July 24, 1813. He was de-
scribed as strong willed and des-
potic. Francis W. P. Bolger in his
book, “Canada’s Smallest Prov- |
ince” said Smith “governed - at
times misgoverned - the Island
sincerely convinced that at least
an all-knowing God was on his
and his families’ side”

The Governor and the House
of Assembly were at odds from
the very beginning and as a result he seldom called the House into
session during this period. This guaranteed that for the eleven years
of his tenure there would be ongoing political and social unrest in
the colony. It also ensured that Vere would take an early interest in
politics.

However, there were more immediate concerns to be dealt with.
The Becks arrived in PEI just in time to encounter a recurring plague
of field mice. It was the seventh such outbreak within a century. The
infestation of 1813 to 1815 was referred to as the year of the mouse.

 

Governor C.D. Smith

33