/^jO y the winter of 1830; Alexander the colonial elite in an era of conflict ants" to draw up a greeting to the C^AL) Campbell of Park Corner and and scandal, James Campbell's life new Lieutenant Governor. He also Bedeque, merchant, trader, ship- was seemingly without controversy. was nominated to present the greet- builder and Treasurer of the Colony Such would not be the case with ings to the Lieutenant Governor, out- of Prince Edward Island, had become his son Alexander. lining the hope that Ready would embroiled in a political scandal, and Literate and well-spoken, he seems support agricultural and commercial was as desolate as the keening of the to have been a self-starter and, in interests and the general welfare of wind through his abandoned ship- his teens, was already a carpenter the Island. yards. It was a scandal that would and a fledgling shipbuilder. Before Campbell had done well in his have long-term financial and politi- 1800 he is credited with build- choice of a wife. In 1805 he had mar- cal ramifications for his family and ing two vessels at Park Corner. He ried Sarah Urquhart whose father, friends, diminish the importance of moved to Bedeque, at a spot near the the Reverend John, had started the Bedeque as a shipbuilding centre, mouth of the Wilmot River, and his first Presbyterian Church on Prince and reform the way the colony man- brother James later became the ship- Edward Island in 1800 at Prince aged its Treasury. builder in Park Corner. In Bedeque, Town. The Urquharts moved to It is a tragic story: one of human Alexander established two ship- Miramichi in 1802, leaving behind frailty, betrayal and deception, and yards, a store and a trading business. at least three of their daughters mar- the end of a political career. His first vessel, an 80-ton schooner, ried to Islanders. Alexander and the Eliza, probably named after his Sarah had ten children, and could mother, rolled off the stocks in 1803. boast of having the largest and fin- Family Background Before his shipbuilding career ended est home in the colony outside of he had built 17 vessels at Bedeque Charlottetown: beautiful "Bedeque Alexander was the second-eldest son and neighbouring New Workington. House," situated on 500 acres of land of James Campbell and Elizabeth In 1824, he was elected to the on the Wilmot River. Alexander fre- Townshend of Park Corner. Born House of Assembly in a June elec- quently entertained there, serving in 1778 to a prominent first fam- tion called by the new Lieutenant- up very tall drinks from very large ily, he had a privileged start to life. Governor, Colonel John Ready. One kegs on which he had neglected to Elizabeth's parents had a grant of newspaper referred to it as "a warm pay the licensing fee. land in Lot 21, which they named election" - warm in that tempers Park Corner after their home were manifested in fisticuffs with in Berkshire. James was one of resultant cuts and bruises. Campbell "I Have the Honor to be Your Governor Walter Patterson's most emerged over the other three can- Excellencys Most Obedient prominent officials, and thanks in didates with a large majority. As 77 part to large land grants from the col- testament to his status in the com- Humble Servant ony and his father-in-law of almost munity, he was chosen to chair a 2000 acres, he managed to weather public meeting at the Wellington Alexander Campbell was a politi- the political storms that accompa- Hotel in Prince Town in the fall of cal force to be reckoned with, and nied Patterson's fall from power. 1824 of a committee of "merchants, from the time he was elected to Indeed, though he was a member of magistrates, and principal inhabit- the House of Assembly in 1824, he
29 Treasurer's post, Campbell had almost £6000 plus costs in court judgments against him. By 1830 this amount would rise to almost £8000. Where was this debt to lead? Surely not, his critics must have argued, to control of the Colonial Treasury. Campbell had been asked to post an £8000 bond or "surety" to secure the Colonial Government from any misdeeds while he served. The post- ing of a bond was standard pro- cedure for colonial officials who handled money due to the Colony. However, someone must have done •%£tk- a credit check on Campbell and raised alarm bells with Ready about In the fall of 1824, freshly-elected to the House of Assembly, Campbell chaired Campbell's debt. Ready dispatched the meeting at the Wellington Hotel where the community of Prince Town a personal and confidential letter drafted its official greeting to the new Lt. Governor. This is how the building to him, by-passing the usual chan- appeared a century and a half later. nel of his office and the Colonial Secretary, dated 15 February 1828. It raised the spectre of Campbell's flourished in that arena. Moreover, to wonder why he was accumulating debt and requested another £6000 he caught the eye, and had the ear so much debt over this period of time. in sureties. It should be noted that in of Lieutenant Governor John Ready. Was it because this increase in produc- 1828, a surety did not have to secure For his able performance, Ready tivity was at a time when shipbuild- his bond. This would prove to be a rewarded him with the positions of ing and timber profits were in sharp major problem as this story unfolds. Commissioner of Roads for Lots 18, decline, or was it some other reason? The following day, Campbell, 19, 25, 26, 27, 28 and Prince Town, His financial problems became more writing from the Wellington Hotel and Justice of the Peace for Prince acute in 1827 when County in 1825. Then, in 1827, he the Cunard family was appointed High Sheriff of Prince of Halifax secured a Edward Island, a more lucrative and judgment for the prestigious position. In the House of recovery of £2400, Assembly, Campbell often chaired and the seizure of the committees, led the debate, and proceeds of the sale more often than not was chosen by of his latest vessel, the his peers to present their position to Alchymist still in the the Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council. stocks at Crossman's By early 1828, it appears that Ready Point in Lot 17. In was anxious to elevate Campbell to order to assure that the position of Treasurer. they would be first in At this point Campbell's crit- line in Supreme Court ics seem to have warned Ready judgments against that, though apparently success- Campbell, they also ful, Campbell's business career paid off a £600 debt was not without difficulty. From that Campbell owed to 1808 until 1818 he had a partner, the Colonial Treasury. Samuel Welsford, who looked after The nature of this the accounts and legal affairs of the debt is unknown. business. Welsford also seemed to Another major credi- have been a moderating influence, tor was Thomas for after he departed, lawsuits for Chanter of Bideford, recovery of debts began to accumu- who was owed over late. Despite the fact that markets £3100. Chanter also in Britain were flat, Campbell began put a lien of £1200 building bigger vessels at a faster on the Alchymist not- rate. From 1824 to 1828, he launched ing that the barque seven barques, brigs and schooners, was "slender and three of which were commissioned scant security" for the by specific clients. There is no evi- Lt. Governor John Ready. Campbell quickly emerged as debt. When Governor one of Ready's brightest political stars. dence that he was not paid. One has Ready offered him the
30 moderation in the matter and work in Charlottetown; reassured Ready. to the Lieutenant Governor when "Yes the reports which have reached asked "from time to time." Yearly, with what he had. your Excellency on the state of my in March, the Lieutenant Governor A good option for Ready, it commercial affairs is so far true that would ask for the accounts to be pre- seemed, was to bring Alexander there are Large sums due by me and sented to the Council and the House Campbell and Robert Hodgson, may be, to the extent mentioned in of Assembly. Both bodies would described by Ready as "the most Your Excellency's letter of yesterday77 then set up committees to study the able men in the Assembly," into the However, he also offered this reas- report. As well, his actions were gov- Council to break the impasse. With surance: "there are also large sums erned by the Treasury Note Act and this in mind, he penned a lengthy of money due me and valuable prop- by orders-in-council. and compelling argument to the erty sufficient in my opinion to meet Campbell's appointment as Colonial Office proposing Campbell the demands against me." He has- Treasurer was at a time when rela- and Hodgson be appointed as "at- tened to add that "if His Excellency tions between the Council and pleasure," not life appointments thinks it necessary to take sureties House of Assembly were particu- to Council. In a return dispatch, to a larger amount... I feel confi- larly fractious. At stake was who Secretary Hay of the Colonial Office dent that I shall have no difficulty controlled the bulk of the colonial seemed receptive to the idea and to procure such as may be required/7 revenue. Both stakeholders were informed the Lieutenant Governor Signed: Alexander Campbell, Your at an impasse. Council would not that the two names had been pre- Excellencys Most Obedient Humble have been happy that Campbell sented to the King. In February 1829, Servant. was appointed from the House of Ready again responded to Hay, say- Assembly at a time when there ing that he was delaying the appoint- Campbell was right. He had no ments until after the sitting of the trouble rounding up 13 relatives, was so much acrimony over appro- priations. Ready, looking for a way Assembly. With the ink barely dry on friends, business associates, and Ready's last dispatch to the Colonial two fellow members of the House around this issue, prorogued the House in May of 1828. He was sym- Office, he penned another. It was of Assembly to back the additional just a brief dispatch saying he had bond. The sureties were mostly from pathetic to the Assembly's position, having "a lower opinion of the abil- changed his mind and had decided the New London-Princetown-Bedeque to leave Campbell and Hodgson in districts: William Dockendorff of ity and integrity of the Council." His dispatches to the Colonial Office in the Lower House as "they would be Eliot River; George Bearisto of Prince more useful to him there." Town; William Wallace of Richmond London suggested that he wanted Mills; John Townshend of Traveller's to disband his troublesome Council. In August of 1829, five months Rest; William Clark, Major Hooper The Colonial Office was quick to after Ready told the Colonial Office and Daniel Green of Bedeque; point out that he could not discharge to forget Campbell's and Hodgson's James Cousins, James Campbell, the Council members as the King appointments, Ready received John Cousins and James Pidgeon had appointed them for life. They a dispatch from a very effusive of New London and Thomas Sims further cautioned that he should use Secretary Murray. Murray was and Richard Yates of Charlottetown. pleased to report: "we are well satis- Interesting to note, the document fied of the loyalty, integrity of well listed four more names: Alexander beloved Alexander Campbell Esq. Anderson of Bedeque, Paul Mabey of Charlottetown, William Clark of Darnley and Thomas Owen, but these were crossed off before the seals were attached. It is also inter- esting to note that Dockendorff, Bearisto, Owen and Mabey were fel- low-members of the Assembly With £14,000 in guarantees in place, the final impediment to Campbell's appointment was removed. On the same day, 19 March 1828, he was "duly appointed77 Treasurer of the Colony of Prince Edward Island. The Treasury in Campbell's day was not a bank account governed by a bevy of civil servants, as it is today. Far from it. Campbell's Treasury was very much hands on, and, as it turned out, very hands in! He personally received all monies, This 1808 survey map shows Campbells property in Bedeque. His two ship- was not required to keep books in yards were located on the east and west side of the peninsula that comprised any particular fashion, and only had his property. to report the state of the Treasury
3 i and have felt fit to signify our plea- months, to repay the £433 "inadmis- consequence of the irregularity." sure that forthwith ... you admit the sable" commission. Though remind- When Campbell was asked for an said Alexander Campbell to be of ed three times to repay, he did not. explanation he replied: "I must have the Council.77 That did not happen. Aside from this disagreement, misconstructed the Treasury Note Instead the well-beloved Alexander Campbell's first year as Treasurer Act." In fact, he had not issued the Campbell was showing signs that passed quietly. But in November of new note with a warrant in accor- his integrity might not have been 1829, Governor Ready grew uneasy dance with clause five of the Act entirely satisfactory. that all might not be right in his - a departure from what he had been Treasury. Was there a "whistle blow- previously doing. Despite Campbell's er?" Many years later, when the bland assurance that he had simply "A Serious Misdemeanor" story was told in the Summerside overlooked a minor technicality, the Journal, it was suggested Campbell size of the note, coupled with his As recompense for his duties, the had a falling out with Richard Yates, sudden departure from procedure, previous treasurer Robert Gray had a business associate, who then alert- seemed to rouse further alarm. On charged a five percent commission ed the Governor that the Treasurer 18 December Ready sent Ambrose on the revenues processed through was abusing his position. Even if Lane and Thomas Haviland, two of his office. In Campbell's first year as this was not the case, it would have his most experienced Councillors, to Treasurer, this would have amounted been impossible for Campbell to investigate further. They reported to £231. As there was no precedent keep his personal finances entirely back on 11 January 1830 with an to guide Campbell in receiving the hidden. His two biggest creditors, urgent and ominous message: "There Treasury funds from Gray's estate, he Thomas Chanter and the Cunard are substantial funds missing." thought he was justified in charging family, had business contacts at the That very day, Lieutenant a five percent commission on those highest levels of the colonial gov- Governor Ready sent his Treasurer monies as well. However, Council ernment. Any sudden, unexplained a missive. One can only imag- swiftly rejected Campbell's request of payment to either of them would ine the thoughts running through an additional £433. This would have have become quickly become Campbell's mind as he sat in his lux- meant that Campbell's claim for the known. Roused by either a specific urious "Bedeque House" reading the year included his regular commission charge or a general suspicion, on 30 letter from Ready. The message, cold of £231 plus £433, a figure almost November Ready asked Campbell and biting like the swirling winds rivaling the Lieutenant Governor's for an accounting and despatched a off Bedeque Bay, must have chilled salary. When the issue was debated committee to study his figures. The him to the core. in the House of Assembly, members committee reported Campbell had thought Campbell should be reim- issued a Treasury Note for £1140 His Excellency with the advice bursed for additional work related without a Lieutenant Governor's of His Majesty's Council was to receiving the funds and suggested Warrant, but concluded "they did this day pleased, to suspend you £150. Campbell never claimed this not apprehend that any inconve- from the office of Treasurer, and amount, and it remained as an out- nience would arise to government in to order you to forthwith pay over standing warrant until he was dis- to the Honourable A. Lane and the Honourable T.H. Haviland, all missed as Treasurer. Ready gave him „..-'-T until 31 October 1829, a period of six Monies due to his Majesty and to hand over all Bonds and Securities, which may now be in your posses- : sion, and also to render an Account K'^i®m>f^A of all Monies received and expend- ed by you in your said Office of Treasurer. Signed: J.C. Collins, Colonial Secretary Two days after Campbell was sus- pended, his sureties, the men who two years before had backed his Treasurer's Bond, sensing an immi- nent shipwreck, and wanting to be in control of salvage operations, paid Campbell a visit. A committee of two, Thomas Sims and William Clark, met with Sarah and Alexander Campbell to formalize an indenture in which they "transferred and assigned all his property, real and person- Most of Campbell's sureties lived, or at least owned property in the New London al... and transferred all his debts... area. The James Campbell property was where Alexander grew up. together with all books of accounts,
32 for receiving the Treasury from appropriating to his own use, a large the estate of Robert Gray, the total sum of Public money," and voted he ttiimj?wim »M«O m» i " ^ » v * i amount owing was £1347. It did not be expelled. Alexander Campbell, take the sureties long to figure out Lieutenant Governor Ready's once- Sim.*Wlltf** CI*** «hd <"*#« ^ ^ J ^ r a ^ t | that Campbell's debt outstripped his bright light, began his journey into andri*^^ political oblivion. otiiaiandinc dtf^SNm^.!^,*-)** . assets. Now on the hook for a large •o«vtf, tocher **
33 but would they be as sympathetic as last session of the Assembly has left «_'•* LVABLtE FARM FOR SMB.— A^ That well kno.wn "Property situated in the House? you under represented." The result, ^'ew London, and adjoining Park Corner own- The request, when it arrived, he asserted, was that there were no ed and occupied.by Mr, James Campbell, coa- taimng 200 acres of excellent Land, the one was flatly refused. While it would road or bridge appropriations in the halt of which is a Freehold property, the otb^f have enabled the sureties to evade budget for the Country Instead, he half subject to a rent of 51. per year. One b*wj* paying Campbell's debt to the died acres of the above Farm is in a high statp claimed, their taxes were going to of cultivation, and the whole possessing; many Colonial Treasury, the others who construct buildings in Charlottetown valuable advantages; is well watered In every had prior judgments against him and to support the gentlemen of the part, bounded on'one side* with, a large,pond containing fish in great variety and .aon'rid- would have had no hope of recov- Charlottetown Agricultural Society ance,*—on the North by the sea, presenting ering any money since Campbell's whose experiments would make rvcrv advantage for the establishment of the Cod fishery u.potion extensive scale. For fot- assets would have been tied up for them rich at their expense. Without thfiV partic«larj8J^pfl^ "td the undersigned oft many years. An important factor in mentioning any names, he suggested the .premise**- JAMES CAMPBELL* Council's decision may have been that they, the electors, should vote for the eloquent petition submitted by a person with more ability than he, Possibly to satisfy his obligations, the mighty Cunards when they got and with the same anxious desire to Alexander's brother James had to wind of what the Assembly and promote the interests of the Country. offer the family farm their father had Campbell's sureties were requesting. When the dust settled on election built. Despite this, the family man- Writing in a rather threatening tone, day, Joseph Pope, Campbell's son- aged to retain ownership. Joseph, Edward and William Cunard in-law, had been elected. Previously, explained why the Writ of Extent Pope had received Campbell's concluded: "Whatever temporary should not be allowed. They pointed offices of Justice of the Peace and inconvenience the public service out that in October 1827, when they Commissioner of Roads. may experience by so large a defal- secured a £1200 judgment against cation, there will eventually be no Campbell, they had paid off his £600 public loss sustained, ample security debt to the Colonial Treasury, thus "In the Presence of the having been requested and entered securing first place in a line of judg- into." However, debt recovery would ments. Not so subtly, they suggested Sheriff" not be as simple as first thought. that when Campbell was appoint- ed Treasurer in 1828, his "financial In the end, the Colonial Government There were four principal stakehold- was persistent in the recovery of its ers in the drama that unfolded: the embarrassments" were well-known to many. The sureties knew what they money, but remarkably lenient with Colonial Government, Alexander the recovery time. They were dealing Campbell, his 13 sureties, and the were signing; the Treasurer's Bond they signed was intended to protect with their friends - fellow members creditors who had pre-existing court of the elite - and so were cutting judgments against Campbell. the Government against such a "defal- cation," and that allowing their peti- them some slack. The sureties used From the outset, the Colonial all of the stalling and legal wrangling Government made it clear that tion "would be an act of great injus- its claim took precedence over all tice to the said Messers Cunards." other judgments. Once the sureties The result would be a protracted were aware of this, they began to lawsuit, the outcome of which was look for a legal way to protect their doubtful, generating large legal fees interests. With vigour, the members for the sureties, and that the Colony of the House - which included could not sustain the loss of money sureties Sims and Dockendorff - for an "indefinite time." Lastly, it was took up their cause, presenting the their considered opinion that "any sureties' situation as "one of difficul- attempt by the Crown to prejudice ty and hardship." They had, "encour- the claim of Messers Cunards would aged by the confidence reposed by operate most seriously to the injury the Government in the Treasurer/7 of the general interests of the Colony by their own high opinion of him, by destroying all confidence in mer- and by his possessing real estate, cantile transactions." "cheerfully joined in the required While Campbell had to sit on Bond,"only to find that they were the sidelines watching his credi- precluded from realizing any ben- tors wrangling over, and dividing efit from Mr. Campbell's assets. They up his property, he was anything asked the Governor to grant a Writ but chastened. Ready called a by- of Extent. In effect, they request- election for Campbell's seat in ed the judgment against them be June 1830. Unchastened, Campbell set aside. Instead, Campbell's assets took out a large advertisement in could be rented out and the resulting the PEI Register captioned "To the Justice Edward Jarvis. When the sure- income applied against the debt until Electors of Prince County." Defiant ties appeared in his court in the sum- it was paid off. The House set up a and unrepentant, he charged that "a mer of 1830, Jarvis threatened to send committee to prepare an address to hasty, unwarrantable, and, I believe, them to jail as defaulting debtors. the Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council, unprecedented proceeding in the
34 procedures at their disposal. The gov- Like a cruel prelude to the harsh- ness of winter, Sheriff Thomas SHERIFF'S SME. ernment endured these tactics for a N Tuesday, the 3d day of July next, at the while, but finally took action. On 17 Sims, himself one of the sureties, O*Cour t House, Charlotte-ToWp, at One o'clock, announced on 16 November 1834: will be Sold at Public Auction,jail the BIGHT, August 1830 the sureties were in the TITLE, and INTEREST of Alexander Camp- court of Edward Jarvis, the recently- "the equity of redemption by law, bell, Esqi in and to that valuables Freehold Proper- now being expired, these properties ty called BEDEQUE HOUSE,J situate near WiU appointed Chief Justice. Applying mot Creek Bridge, on 1M or Township Number the appropriate provisions of the will be auctioned off to satisfy the Twenty Five (25), in Prince County, consisting Debtors Act, Jarvis ordered them 1830 judgment." The properties were of 400 acres, more or less, together with the Dwel- ling House, Barn, and Out Buildings—the same to pay up or go to jail. They paid to be sold in early January 1835, but having been taken Jin Exeeutibn at the suit of some, and Jarvis gave them to the there were two further postpone- Samuel Canard and Co., against j the said Alexan- der Campbell, and the eqaiiy of redemption as by end of October to pay the remain- ments. One was occasioned by "want law established having expired. I der. They did not. In October, they of bidders" on Pidgeon's property, SAMUEL SMITH HJLfc, Ute Sheriff. were in court again on a judgment the other by the death of William Cbariotte-Town, July 49th, fSSSU Wallace. Ironically, in the same issue of £518/55/2- The Cunard family began the round Ignoring the October judgement, of the Royal Gazette as the Wallace postponement, Sarah Wallace, wife of sheriff's sales when they put 11 of the sureties used their posi- Bedeque House on the auction block. tion to lobby Governor Ready. In of William Wallace and executrix for February 1831 they asked that he his estate, was calling for the final drop the judgment and instead allow accounts on his estate. he appointed him Treasurer in the them to give personal security for The communities of Prince Town face of his large debt, and the coun- half the loan. This would guaran- and New London had many accounts sel of those around him to be wary? tee the government half what was to settle that winter of 1835. Of the He wrote frequent dispatches to the owed it, but might set up a condition 13 sureties, at least 11 had their roots Colonial Office in London, but on the where it would never recover the in or were connected to those two issue of Campbell's "defalcation" and balance. Ready was too wise to fall communities. Three were Alexander dismissal he was, strangely, silent. for this He said no, but gave them Campbell's cousins, two were broth- Ready had been dismissed from a another year to pay* They now had ers-in-law, one was a nephew, and previous office, and by the summer until March 1832. Having exhausted then there was his brother James. of 1830 there were recall rumours. their legal tricks, the sureties had Not only did the scandal erode the He would not have wanted to jeop- no other option but to let the legal economic fabric of the communities ardize his hope of a future appoint- process play out. And play out it did. but the hurt - as pervasive as the ment or of a pension. Furthermore, When the March deadline passed plague - must have permeated the with £366 still outstanding, the heart and soul of every individual. government began the process of And that is the great untold story. appraising properties in preparation After the Sheriff's sales of 1835, for the Sheriff's sales. the Colonial Treasury received £85 December 1832 saw notices for from Campbell's sureties. Treasurer four Sheriff's sales: "...in township T.H. Haviland acknowledged that the 21, 50 acres of land and buildings 1830 judgment against Alexander of James Pidgeon; in township 21, Campbell and the sureties was sat- 100 acres of land and buildings of isfied. The tragedy of these sales John Cousins; in township 17, two was that, in order to raise the £85 parcels of property of Daniel Green; pounds, they had to sell property and in township 18, 200 acres of with an assessed value of almost land with grist Mill, Saw Mill and £800. various other buildings, the prop- In summary, there were ten judg- erty of William Wallace." The actual ments against Campbell from 1827 sale date in these cases was, rather to 1832, all competing for scarce unusually, in two year's time. For monies. The Colony recovered all two years, Green, Wallace, Pidgeon of its money from the sureties, and and Cousins lived with the realiza- the Cunards recovered theirs from tion that if they did not raise their the seizure of Campbell's barque share of Campbell's debt, they would Alchymist and his house. Chanter lose their properties. But even anoth- would have got at least the £1200 that he had secured by the Alchymist, er two year's grace was not enough. The winner of the byelection called but most likely the other seven peo- to fill Campbells vacant seat was ple with judgments lost out as well Joseph Pope, who was also Campbells as the sureties. By this time one of the sureties, Richard Yates, had new son-in-law. Pope would prosper in left the Island, and possibly John Cousins could There is another tragic figure in politics, serving in both Assembly and not come up with half what was owing to post this scandal: Lieutenant Governor Council. In the 1870s he capped his the personal security. He made his own request Ready. Did he allow his apprecia- to Ready: "I do not have the cash - can I have career with a long stint as Colonial, another six weeks." tion for Campbell's abilities to over then Provincial Treasurer! shadow his good judgment when
35 SHERIFF'S SJiLES. were also now to be considered the Y virtue of a Writ of Statute Execution to me di- B rected, issued out of His Majesty's Supreme Court Y virtue of a Writ of Statute Execution to me direct- property of the Government, to be of Judicature, at the suit of Our Sovereign Lord the B ed, issued out of His Majesty's Supreme Court of King, against Alexander Campbell, Daniel Grems and Judicature, at the suit of Our Sovereign Lord the X£$ug» handed over upon a Treasurer's 01 hers, I have taken and seized, as the property of against Alexander Campbell, James Fid*eon, and other*, departure from office. If the lat- Daniel Green, viz. All the RIGHT, TITLE and IN- I have.taken and seized, as the property of James Fid- TEREST of Daniel Green, in and to a piece or parcel gcon,'viz. Ail the RIGHT, TITLE, and LEASE ter refused to submit his books, or of Land, being part or parcel of Lot or Township HOLD INTEREST of James Piu^eon, in and to neglected to keep them up to date, Number Seventeen, situated in Prince County, in Prince Filly Acres of Land, a little more or less* being part or Edward Island, bounded as follows: Five chains front on parcel of Lot or Township N umber Twenty-One* he would be fined £500. The same Bedeque Bay, commencing at the Line between George situated in Queen's County, in -Piince Edward LLnd, Green's to tmi Sixty chains back, following the same vvitji ail and singular the Buildings thereon erected. fine was to be imposed if "at any course as the said George Green's line, ar.d at the end of 1 do hereby give Notice, that I will setup and sell at time now or hereafter," the Treasurer the said Sixty chains the breadth of the said Land to be Public Auction, at the Court House in Charlotte-Town, increased to Twelve chains, and to continue back till it OH the Nineteenth day of December, 1833, at the hour "exchanges any of the Public Monies comes within Twenty Four chains of the Town Road, bLTwelve o'clock, noon, the above recited property, the said line always running the same course as George THOMAS BILLING, Sheriff. for a Premium or profit." The first Green's-—Also an undivided Moiety in all that piece of Sheriff's Office, December 10th, 1832. Treasurer to serve under the provi- Land called the Swamp, commencing at Bedeque shore, and running up to the Line between William and John Y virtue of a Writ of Statute Execution^ medireci- sions of the new Act was Thomas Green, being part or parcel of Lot or Township Number B ed, issued out of Bis Majesty's Supreme Court of Heath Haviland, a long-serving mem- Seventeen. Judicature, at the *utt of Our Sovereign Lord the King, I do hereby give Notice, that I will set up and sell against Alexander Campbell, John Cousins, and others, ber of the Council who only required at Public Auction, at the Court House in Charlotte- l have taken and seized, as the property, of John Cou- Town, on the Eighteenth day of December, 1834, at sins, viz. All the RIGHT, TITLE and INTEREST of three sureties pledging £2,000 each the hour of Twelve o'clock, noon, the above property, John Cousins, in and to One Hundred Acres of Land, a THOMAS BILLING, Sheriff. little more or- less, being part or parcel of Lot or in addition to his own £8,000 bond. Township Number Twenty One, situated in Queen's Interestingly, in the 1840s, Haviland Sheriff's Office, December 18th, 1832. County, in Pttnce Edward Island, with all Buildings Y virtue of a Writ of Statute Execution to me direct- thereon erected* was investigated for misappropriat- B ed, issued out of His Majesty*a Supreme Court of 1 do hereby give Notice, that I will set vtp and sell at ing the Court of Chancery funds. Judicature, at the suit of Our Sovereign Lord the King, Public Auction, at the Court-House In Chsrlotte-Town, against Alexander Campbell:, William Wallace, and on the Nineteenth day of December, 1834, at the hour In tallying up the person- others, I have taken and seized, as the property of Wil- of Twelve o'clock, noon, the above recited property, liam WVlace, vlas. All the RIGHT, TITLE'and IN- THOMAS BILLING, Sheriff. al accounts book of Alexander TEREST oi William Wallace, in and to Two Hundred Sheriff's. Office, December 19th, 183?. Campbell, how does one judge its Acres of Land, a little more or less, being part or parcel of Lot or Township Number Eighteen, situated in Prince "December 1832 saw notices of four contents? Campbell was a mem- County, in Prince Edward Island* with a Grist Mill, Saw Mill, and various other Building*, on the premises— Sheriffs sales." Even though the notic- ber of an increasingly-influential bounded as follows: running from the Mill River North es were posted in 1832, the sale dates mercantile elite that operated in an East Fourteen chains, and from the said River South West Four ehams, including the whole of the North were set for two years later. environment where regulation and East and South West line, Fifty-four chains, and at the end of the North East line a line to run North West to oversight were not very common. join the river, known or distinguished on the plan by Seemingly, he applied his indepen- the name of Marsh Water, and to run from the North East and South West boundary Vme South East as far dent spirit to the Office of Treasurer. back as shall contain Two Hundred Acres, being bound- When he accepted the office in 1828 ed on the North West by Marsh Water, and Lands oeeu~ he had earlier written glowing pied by Peter M'Dougald, and on the South West, reports to the Colonial Office about he knew the rules, minimal as they South East, and North East, by Lands now in the po*-* session of Annabella Stewart, containing in the whole Campbell. Perhaps, not wanting to were, but at times he chose to ignore Two Hundred Acres. look foolish by reporting contrary them. How should he be viewed in I do hereby give Notice, that I will set up and sell at Public Auction* at the Court House in Charlotte- information, he chose to remain relation to the men who agreed to act Town, on the Nineteenth day of December, 1884, at as his sureties? They were, to greater the hour of Twelve o'clock, noon, the above recited silent. property. However, it was within his pow- and lesser extent, also members of THOMAS BILLING, Sheriff. ers to lessen the likelihood of such a the elite. In acting as his sureties Sheriff's Office, December 18th, 1832. misappropriation happening again. they no doubt hoped to gain from In April, 1830 he signed: An Act for being associated with the Colonial a personal bank account, then fail- the further security and recovery Treasurer. As the Cunards indicated, ing to account for 17% of it was of Monies due to His Majesty upon they knew of Campbell's "financial not a crime - at least not until after Duties on Import and Excise and for embarrassments," but if Campbell Alexander Campbell's tenure! regulating the offices of the Treasurer gave the impression of solvency Was Alexander Campbell an and the Collector of Impost. The Act when he knew he was all but bank- excessively ambitious high-roller was a virtual summary of Alexander rupt, then he was guilty of a grave who lived beyond his means and, at Campbell's mistakes and misdeeds, deception. Even worse, if Campbell times, used poor judgment, or was with a remedy for each. It was no knew when he misappropriated the he the victim of forces beyond his longer sufficient for sureties to money that he had no hope of repay- control? The scandal was a tragedy post a bond on their own recogni- ing, then he was guilty of a repre- replete with a cast of willing charac- zance; they now had to secure it. The hensible act toward his sureties, who ters: a Lieutenant Governor blinded Treasurer could no longer be a trader were all family or friends. However, by his admiration for a man; sure- and be involved in commercial inter- strange as it seems to modern per- ties who must have known the risks, ests while in office. For the first time ceptions, Campbell's actions at the but took them anyway; a protagonist the Treasurer was required to keep time were considered ill-advised and facing financial ruin; and a Colonial regular account books, balanced and reprehensible, but not criminal. He Treasury in tantalizing proximity. ready for inspection at all times by was never charged with fraud or This story, for the most part, is miss- the Lieutenant Governor. Indeed, embezzlement. Ironically, the only ing the voice of Alexander Campbell. the books were to be made available ones who were ever threatened with How much richer and more compre- daily, between eleven and twelve, for jail were his sureties, when they hensible a story it would be if only perusal by any individual, for which failed to pay the money they had he could speak, to protest vigor- the Treasurer would be paid "one pledged to guarantee his honesty. ously what has been written here-or shilling and no more/' The books Treating the Colonial Treasury like to admit, ruefully, that it is correct.
36 Epilogue in 1843. After that, Alexander related to Campbell's misappropria- sold one of his properties there tion of funds. CO 228, the Statutes What became of Alexander and transferred the other to his of PEI, describe the acts mentioned. Campbell? He was allowed to sail son John Urquhart. The 1851 cen- Land Records were searched to trace the acquisition and disposition of away one day; probably in 1832, sus shows him living with his son for Miramichi. He left behind a John Urquhart, daughter-in-law Campbell's properties. diminished Bedeque. In the 1820s, Annabella and eight grandchildren To supplement the above infor- Bedeque was arguably second only in Dalhousie, New Brunswick. He mation and for general information to Charlottetown as the Island's most died there in 1856 at the age of 78. on Campbell, a partial newspaper active industrial and commercial cen- Flamboyant, resilient, ever the search was done for the years 1803 tre. The dwindling supply of ready mover and shaker, Alexander had to 1836 in the Colonial Herald, British timber meant its position as a ship- a big impact on the society of his American, Royal Gazette and Prince building centre was destined to fade time. He has left one more mark Edward Island Register. Also consult- anyway, but the sudden blow to so on Prince Edward Island that can ed was the Summerside Pioneer. many of the area's entrepreneurs still be seen today. The next time For information on Alexander could have helped the community's you head east over the Red Bridge in Campbell, his family and the sure- decline. Many people would have lost Wilmot, cast your eyes to the right ties, the following references were jobs and had to move on. Thomas at the east end of the bridge, and helpful: Campbell family genealo- Evans, who bought Campbell's grand envisage two bustling shipyards and gy; the community histories of Park house at the Sheriff's sale in 1832, a grand house: feel Alexander's pres- Corner/French River, Hamilton, converted it to an inn. Sometime ence. If you walk the property, close Malpeque, Irishtown, Spring Valley; after 1885, it burned. Campbell to the shore you can see the dips in The History of the Parish of New owned approximately 1000 acres of the land where once his ships stood London by Thomas Reagh Millman; land in lots 18, 19, 25, 27, 35, and in the stocks. The grassed cavities Historic Bedeque: The Loyalists at in the Royalties of Prince Town and lie like a silent and eerily appro- Work and Worship on Prince Edward Charlottetown. Some of these lands priate memorial to the mystery of Island by George Leard; Loyalists were part of his father James's Crown Alexander Campbell. and Disbanded Troops on the Island grant. They were sold by his sureties of St. John by Orlo Jones; In Famed to pay off his debts. Breadalbane by William A. Gillies; In going to Restigouche County in Sources and Vol. 1, The Selected Journals New Brunswick, Campbell was among of Lucy Maud Montgomery, edit- business acquaintances and relatives: Alexander Campbell left behind a ed by Mary Rubio and Elizabeth his wife Sarah's family had previously large paper trail, but, unfortunately, Waterston. moved to Miramichi, and his son John no biography. Information for this Three Centuries on the Island Urquhart Campbell lived in Dalhousie. article comes primarily from govern- by Andrew Hill Clark; Land, Also, having traded with business- ment documents in the Provincial Settlement and Politics by J. M. men in the Miramichi area for years, Archives of Prince Edward Island, Bumsted; Journeys To The Island of Alexander had many associates there. supplemented by family history, St. John edited by D. C. Harvey and Ever the energetic man of action and community histories, newspapers, Westcountrymen in Prince Edward's surprise, he had barely made landfall and other secondary sources. Isle by Basil Greenhill and Ann when he set sail again, this time for Information on his legal cases, Giffard provide early background Scotland. Based on family history and political career, and details of the history. A good explanation for the documents that his father James had scandal are found in the following decline of the shipbuilding and possessed, he thought his family had documents. RGi, the Lieutenant timber profits by 1824 was found a legitimate claim against the earldom Governor's Letter Books documents in Escheat, Rural Protest on Prince of Breadalbane. the correspondence from Ready to Edward Island 1832-1842 - a PhD After his attempt to secure an Campbell for the years 1828-1830. dissertation by Rusty Bitterman. The earldom, it appears that Campbell RG6, Supreme Court Cases, provides Dictionary of Canadian Biography set about establishing himself information on Campbell's 111 court provides biographical information in New Brunswick. On 12 July judgments. CO 226 documents Lt. on Joseph, W.H. and J.C. Pope, T.H. 1837 there was a petition from an Governor Ready's correspondence Haviland and John Ready. Blacks Alexander and Archibald Campbell about Campbell to the Colonial Legal, the Shorter Oxford Dictionaries, to Lieutenant-Governor Harvey for Office in London, while CO 227 and a retired judge helped decipher a patent on 200 acres of wilderness provides the replies from the Colonial arcane legal terminology. Other sec- on the south side of the Restigouche Office to Lt. Governor Ready. CO ondary sources used were In the River. Whether this was our 231 outlines the yearly statistical Shadow of the Gallows by James Alexander and his brother Archibald, summaries of the Colonial Hornby, and Down by the Shore by or his nephew Archibald, who also Government's business, includ- Allan Rankin and The Ira Brown and had gone to the Miramichi, or two ing the report of the Treasurer. Smith/Alley Fonds were also useful. others of the same name is difficult CO 229, The Journals of the Land records, petitions and census to know for certain. Legislative Assembly and Executive data in the New Brunswick Archives Council and the Executive Council shed some light on Alexander The C a m p b e l l s lived in Campbell's time in New Brunswick. Campbellton until Sarah's death Minutes provide the discussion
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