Government Appointments

As more setters were becoming established on Prince Edward Island, the local government began to form.  Certain members of the community in good standing were chosen for specific appointments by the government.  Some of these appointments included, Constables & Fence Viewers, Petit Jurors, Road Commissioners, Commissioner of the Peace, Commissioners to Provide Food and Seed, Census Takers, Wharfingers, Justices of the Peace, Enumerators, Tax Collectors.  Some of these appointments may be unfamiliar, therefore definitions for some are provided below.

Fence Viewer: a local official who administers the fence laws (as by inspection of new fence and settlement of disputes arising from trespass by livestock that have escaped enclosure.⁵⁶

Petit Jurors: were people who were appointed to represent their community by sitting as jurors at trials.  Petit Juror attendance at trials was mandatory.⁵⁷

Commissioners to Provide Food and Seed: a person assigned to distribute seed grain and potatoes to destitute Islanders; to enforce the act which states, “to provide seed and food for certain settlers, and to regulate the distribution thereof and mode of re-payment.”⁵⁸

Wharfinger: the operator or manager of a commercial wharf⁵⁹

During the 19th century, the following residents of Lot 32 were assigned the following positions:

Road Commissioners
1829 – Thomas Todd, No. 29, 30, 31, 32 West of the North River and Lot 65⁶⁹
1840 – Thomas Tod, Nos. 29, 30, 31, 32 West side of York River and Lot 56⁷⁰

Commissions of the Peace
1834 – John Small Macdonald, Elliot River for Queen’s County⁷¹

Committees to Provide Food and Seed:
1846 & 1847 – William Crosby, Lot 32
                     John Moore, North River⁷²

Censustakers:
1848 & 1850 – Owen Curtiss, No. 32⁷³
1871 – Charles Hooper, Lot 32⁷⁴
Enumerators
1891 – Lot 32 – John Hooper, Milton; Alexander C. Shaw, St. Catherines⁷⁵
1911 – North River – Wm. J. Howard⁷⁶

Wharfinger
1864 – John McPhee – North River Bridge
          Hector McLean, Sr. – Elliott River⁷⁷
1867 – Mr. George Warren of York River, to be Wharfinger for Poplar Island Bridge, in the place of Mr. John MacPhee⁷⁸

Justices of the Peace (Queen’s County)
1864 – Wm. Hyde, Point, Elliott River
  William Crosby, Elliott River
  Jacon Dockendorff, York River (probably means Jacob)
  John MacPhee, York River
  Alexander McKinlay, Lot 32⁷⁹
1912 – George McDonald, Cornwall, Lot 32.⁸⁰

Petit Jurors
1820 – John Scott, North River⁸¹

Tax Collectors
1880 – Pierce Costello, Cornwall for Lots 31, and 32 and north part of Lot 65.⁸²
1910 – Leigh H. Warren, North River, for Lot 32.⁸³