The Napoleonic wars were getting underway and by 1806, Napoleon was preventing continental Europe from trading with Britain. The British needed lumber and they turned to the colonies to get it. Cam- bridge took advantage of the market and he needed the help of his tenants to supply the raw material.

As the years passed Vere cleared more land, delivered more lum- ber to Cambridge, and expanded his farming operations. His family was growing and there were more mouths to feed. By 1821 there were seven children in the household and the little log cabin was over- flowing. In addition to Elizabeth Emma, Martha Lucy, and Mary Ann, John was born in 1815, followed by Caroline in 1817, Vere in 1819, and Samuel in 1821.

There was a need for a bigger house and one was built farther up the hill, and farther away from the water. This time it was built with lumber, rather than logs, and had a modern look to it. This would be a big relief for the growing family as they would have more space in which to spread out a little. So a new house, more cleared land for crops, and a credit balance with Cambridge. Things were looking up for the Beck family.

On the political front there were improvements too. Governor Smith’s term ended in 1825 and he was replaced by John Ready, a ca- reer soldier. Following on the heels of C. D. Smith, probably the most unpopular Governor in provincial history, he couldn't help but be a welcome change. Governor Ready proved himself to be a skillful and diplomatic administrator. He was an outgoing and charming man who took a keen interest in the daily lives of the Island population. He served until October, 1831.

While the political situation was better under Governor Ready, Vere continued to follow matters closely. He got his name in the paper due to an accident at a political rally in 1830. It's mentioned in a story in The Prince Edward Island Register of Tuesday, October 12"

The brief story states: “Hustings were erected for the King’s Coun- ty Elections in an unfinished house belonging to John Kearney. As one candidate was speaking the joists gave way and precipitated the whole assemblage into two feet of water. A person named Glover got

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