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In 1768 Lt. Governor Francklyn of Nova Scotia ordered the Island of St. John's first Census, which was dispatched to the Lord Hillsborough. It shows P.E.I.'s first English speaking Settlers as of July 31 of that year.
| Head of Household | Lot or Township of Residence | Men | Women | Boys | Girls | Total | Vessels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Urquhart | No. 39 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 Schooners |
| John Hamilton | No. 39 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 Schooner |
| Joseph Moss | No. 39 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1 Schooner |
| ____ Ayres | No. 39 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 Shallop |
| * Wm. Lavingston | No. 59 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 1 Schooner |
| * James Davidson | No. 59 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 2 Schooners |
| * William Creed | No. 1 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 2 (sic) | 1 Schooner |
| Michael Molineaux | Princetown | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 Schooner |
| * Wm. Coffin | No. 37 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 Sloop |
| * John Coffin | No. 37 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| * Dr. Fergus | No. 53 | 3 | 3 | -- | -- | 6 | -- |
| * __________ | No. 58 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 22 | __ |
| Total | All Lots | 24 | 15 (sic) | 14 (sic) | 15 | 68 | -- |
N.B. -- Of the above only those marked (*) are settlers on the lands in behalf of the grantees. The others are on sufferance.
(Sgd.) *J. Deschamps
Charlottetown, July 21st, 1768.
* First Justice Isaac Deschamps (Superintendent for the settlement of the Island). Note that in the above census some of the numbers do not add up. It is presented as is. The same day, an inventory of Acadians employed in the fishery was presented.....
| Where Located | Men | Women | Boys | Girls | Total | Vessels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Peters | 15 | 13 | 26 | 17 | 71 | -- |
| Harris Bay (Restice) | 5 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 25 | 2 Shallops |
| Bedford Bay (Tracadie) | 10 | 10 | 17 | 20 | 57 | 1 Sloop 2 Shallops |
| Bay Fortune | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 Shallop |
| Richmond Bay (Malpec) | 10 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 45 | 2 Schooners |
| Total | 41 | 39 | 68 | 55 | 203 | -- |
"The greatest part of these Acadians have taken the oath of allegiance and fidelity and the others will take them as soon as they return from fishing."
(sgd.) Isaac Deschamps.
Charlottetown, 21st of July, 1768
The above census presented as given on Pgs. 146/147 of "History of Prince Edward Island", A. B. Warburton, 1923.
The following paragraphs are unrelated to the census, but do show a little of the 1768 history of the growing colony. From the "Annual Register or a View of the History, Politics, and Literature for the Year 1768", London, published annually.
page 134, July 1ft
"An order of council was this day publifhed, forbidding the governor of Nova Scotia from paffing any grants for lands in his majesty's ifland of St. John, unlefs his majefty's order of council, directing the fame shall be produced to him, on or before the 1ft day of May 1769. A number of noblemen and gentlemen are to have townfhips in this ifland, there being the greateft probability of its becoming a flourifhing fettlement."
page 180, Halifax, Nova-Scotia, July 30.
"We have advice from the ifland of St. John, that the fuperintendent and all the officers of government were fafe arrived at Charlottetown, that the town plot was laid out, that the courts of juftice were opened the 21ft ult. with the ufual formalities; that feveral fettlers had arrived on different parts of the ifland, and were well pleafed with the soil, which is extremely fertile: oyfters, lobfters, and flatfifh abound in every river; in fome there are falmon and trout; and on the North fide of the ifland here is plenty codfifh: partridges, ducks, and pigeons, alfo abound in their feasons: no fogs are feen there, but in general a ferene air."
The above two passages transcibed by Gary Carroll.