HSp^^ffl^Hi^^S^^^^^^^^^^^^ 99 by Andrew B.W. MacEwen 1 he Falmouth was one of the first there" would be advanced by Mont- which at last produced the Gover- ships—perhaps only the second—to gomery. In return, they were bound to nor's dismission. bring substantial numbers of Scotch set- serve him for four years. Afterwards tlers to what is now Prince Edward they were to have farms of from two to The Reverend William Drummond, Island. It was sent out by James Mont- five hundred acres, at a fixed scale of who was a passenger on the Falmouth, gomery , Lord Advocate of Scotland, rent and under 1000 year leases, "a kept a journal which covers the period under the leadership of David Lawson, Cow or two in a present, or Compli- of the voyage and the first 11 months to take settlers to Montgomery's land in ment" as stock, and money "to enable on the Island. From this we learn tht the Lot 34 (the place later known as them to Settle" on four year bonds, with Falmouth was owned by Messrs. Stanhope or Covehead) where "there interest. Buchanan, Morrison & Co., Merchants had been a French settlement and some As Montgomery stated in a "Me- in Greenock, and that Captain John land cleared." Lot 34, Montgomery morial" written in 1791, "Lawson ac- McWhae was master. (Captain later wrote, uis generally of a tolerable cordingly went to St. John's Island in McWhae appears again in 1774 as good soil and has a considerable marsh 1770 and carried some servants with master of the Chance, bound for An- producing hay." him from that part of the country where tigua.) The journal corrects a tradition Lawson had been recommended to he resided." In a letter written to Gover- preserved among descendants of the Montgomery as one "acquainted with nor Fanning in 1798, he noted that the Covehead settlers that "DAVID the culture and dressing of flax." An "servants and settlers" who went with LAWSON came from Scotland in the agreement between the two men was Lawson were "very numerous." As vessel STANHOPE and called the place signed at Killearn, Stirlingshire, on 30 Montgomery recalled it, Governor Pat- where he landed after her." October 1769, with Lawson being terson made Lawson. No passenger list for the Falmouth is described as "Tenent at Miln of Calen- known to exist, but several items dar near Crief." Lawson obliged himself a Justice of the Peace and relating to her cargo are entered in the to go to the Island of St. John the next brought him into the Assembly Greenock Customs Books for late spring, there to take charge of Mont- which naturally led him, his wife March and early April, 1770. gomery's Lot 34 farm as "Grieve or and famiy into a more expensive Overseer," and to serve as such for manner of life than should have Across The Atlantic seven years after his arrival. His been followed by the Overseer of The Falmouth weighed anchor at recompense was to be one-half of the such a farm. And he became, Greenock at 5 p.m. on 8 April 1770 "free profites" of the farm. contrary to the Memorialist's most and, after an uneventful Atlantic cross- Lawson was to hire "such number of positive orders, a keen politician ing, reached St. Peters Bay on June Servants as he Judges to be necessary." and partizan for the Governor in first. At 9 a.m. Captain McWhae and The " S e r v a n t s" would receive the contest which long subsisted David, Will, and Belle Lawson went "reasonable Wages" from the time of between the Governor and the ashore. Drummond recorded that the landing, and their "Expences of going Chief Justice of the Island and ship then "set off toward the Cove," but 12 "Night coming on and a strong current, clearly unfamiliar with Island names and 4. Will Dewar and family, 3 September not knowing the particular place of lan- made a number of mistakes. Some of 1770. "Will Denar with his family set off ding, passed it and next day arrived at these are easily detected: for example, for Three Rivers having parted with Richmond Bay." There "most of our "Wrynhart" for Urquhart, "Francadie" David Lawson." company were sent on shore" and the for Tracadie, "Maljue" for Malpec, ship run aground. Drummond noted "Sarage" for Savage. Others are harder 5. The two Taylors, 22 September that in Princetown there were "a great to spot: "M. Swan" for McEwan, "Mr. 1770. "This day the two Taylors having many Scotch, Irish and French Hill" for Mr. Will, "McNale" for differed with David Lawson set out for families." Since only the French were McNab. Drummond mentions only the Three Rivers but by my advice there in 1768, the others must have Lawsons by name during the voyage, returned." come in 1769—but the ship on which but after the landing he names quite a they arrived appears to be unknown. few of the settlers. Those named or 6. Mr. Will and Eben Taylor, 2 They set off again for Stanhope at 5 referred to by Drummond are as November 1770. "On the 2nd Mr. Hill a.m. on June 7 and arrived at 7 p.m., follows: and Mr. Eben Taylors were married." the people and provisions being landed (Note use of the Scotch plural for the the following day. Lawson noted: 1. David Lawson, 24 and 27 April, family name.) 1770. 18 April: "The sickness which I arived on this Island the 8th of seized most of our company three days 7. Lawrence Brown and Jean Jamison, June 1770 with a Numoras ffami- before was this day very severe." 20 21 December 1770. "This evening ly not A Covered hous to put my April: "Sickness still severe." 21 April: Lawrence Brown and Jean Jamison head in without on pound of Meat "Our company still bad of the sea were married and bedded in the new without Milk or any subsistance sickness." 24 April: "The people now house." ffor ten days accept some oat almost free of sickness except David meall no salt accept salt water at Lawson." 27 April: "All our company 8. Mrs. David Lawson, Mrs. John which time I got some milch Cous now except D. Lawson are quite Lawson, Isabella and Elizabeth Lawson, as all our provisions was landed at recovered." 31 December 1770. "This evening at- three Rivers yow may Easily judge tended a French wedding with the two what sort of a life I had to suffer 2. David, Will, and Belle Lawson, 1 Mrs. and two Misses Lawsons." during the ffirst two weeks ffrom June 1770. "Proceeded at 9 to Launch betwixt fforty and ffifty servants yawl. Capt, David, Will and Bell 9. Alex McNab and wife, 1 January who Expected better provisions Lawson went on shore at St. Peters Bay 1771. "Alex McNale his wife and four then oat meall and salt water in which is within 10 miles of Stanhope others of our company set off for Three staide of salt. Cove." Rivers." Various sources have been utilized in 3. William McEwan, 2 August 1770. 10. Robert Auld, 22 January 1771. reconstructing the Falmouth passenger "This day at Three Rivers a log of wood "Set off this day for St Peters with the list. Foremost is Drummond's journal, rolling down a steep place struck Smith and Shoemaker." (Auld is known entitled "Remarks and Observations by William M. Swan in the back of which to have been a blacksmith.) Mr. William Drummond in his voyage he died in five hours after and the day from Cowden to St. Johns Island in the following was buried with decency 11. John Lawson, 3 March 1771. "This Gulf of St. Lawrence in North there." day baptized John Laws son John." America." Excerpts from the journal were published in The Island Magazine No. 2 (1977), 28-31, but some further observations are in order. The present whereabouts of the original manuscript is unknown, but a typed copy was made and "bound into a note-book collection mm in 1932" at the New Canaan (Connec- liiil wmmmm ticut) Historical Society. The late Ira ij^^piiil Brown of Charlottetown, who knew of the journal as early as 1939, stated some 20 years ago that the original was ipm 111 owned "by a descendant in Florida." illll! •Hi The late H.R. Stewart, then Provincial Secretary, obtained a copy of the typescript, and "this is the source of all Ill the copies that we have knowledge of m including the one at the Public Archives 111! of Canada," the accession date of which Courtesy Andrew MacEwen is 12 November 1946. James McGregor (1797-1874). Son of no. 36 and his wife Jane Brown (1798-1881). Jane Brown was daughter of John and Isabella (Lawson) Brown, In Drummond's Journal grand-daughter of nos. 4, 21 and 25, and great-grand-daughter of nos. 2, 3, and 22. Whoever transcribed the journal was 13 12. John McLauchlan and Alex boy, I heard much talk of a Mr. and there is evidence that they actually Jamison, 11 April 1771. "John Lawson and others going out to came in 1772. MacLauchlan and Alex Jamison were America. They were decoyed out Finally, there are various family drowned in Francadie harbor. Jamison by one of the great proprietors to histories—namely, an anonymous Auld between 4 and 5 P.M. McLauchlan settle his land. They were to pay history, the Brown history, written by about 6." out a shilling rent per acre, and Charles S.