has been lost so we have to turn to the 1881 census for information. That head count found 66 Becks and it was interesting to see their religious afhliations. More than half of them -- 42 - described them- selves as Bible Christians. Eleven of them were listed as Roman Cath- olic which I found surprising since the nearest church would have been in Sturgeon. Nine were listed as Methodist, and four as Chris- tian, i.e. Church of Christ.

That meant that most of the Becks at that time were Bible Chris- tians. It turns out this was a sect of the Methodists started in 1815 in North Cornwall, England. They began with about 20 members but spread rapidly as they sent out missionaries to all parts of England. By 1831 ministers had arrived in PEI and their message apparently was warmly received. In 1884 the Bible Christian Church amalgam- ated into the Methodist Church of Canada which later joined with the Presbyterians to become the United Church of Canada.

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