This mission was first settled in 1790 by twenty eight Highland families from Barra in the Hebrides or Western Islands of Scotland.  These men were tenants of McNeil of Barra a Colonist who after vainly endeavoring to inoculate his tenantry with the tenets of his new religion, became so arbitrary and despotic that he forbade their erecting a new church notwithstanding the fact that their old one was insufficient to accommodate the congregation.  Four men who were delegated to choose a site for the proposed church, whilst proceeding with their duty met the laird going his rounds.  An argument ensued which terminated in a decided quarrel, this was on the 9th March 1790, and on the following day all McNeils Catholic tenants gave him notice that they had decided to give up their holdings and leave the country.  They went to Tobermory in the Island of Mull and laid their case before Rt. Rev. Bishop Alexander) McDonald, (t)itular Bishop of Polemo (Administrator of Spiritual Affairs of the Highland District) who happened to be there at the time and who gave them a letter to Colonel ?(Simon) Frazer in Edinburgh.  This officer was much interested in promoting emigration to Nova Scotia and promised them a ship to convey them to that country if they could muster three hundred and fifty emigrants.  The required number was made up by the addition of some families from Uist and from the Mainland.  They sailed from Tobermory in the "Queen of Greenock" early in July 1790.  Their charter was for Louisburg, Cape Breton, but a violent storm overtaking them at Cape North, they were obliged to change their course.  After being out eight weeks, the passengers became dishearted and, taking counsel among themselves, drew up a petition which was signed by all the heads of families on board, begging the Captain to put them ashore on the first land he caught sight.  This happened to be Pointe de Roche near Savage Harbour in Prince Edward Island opposite which the "Queen of Greenock" anchored.

Alexander McKinnon of Barra, (schooled in Valladolid, Spain—Royal sp.? Sutch College (College of St. Ambrose) who had been the man to do battle with the laird for the rights of his fellow countrymen, and who had taken a leading part in the immigration, was, almost the only man in the band who spoke English, he and one other, with four of the ship’s crew landed in order to search for a pilot who would take their ship to Charlottetown.  They met four men walking upon the beach, these were the Rev. Anneas (Angus Bernard) McLachern lately arrived (August, 1790) from Scotland, his brother and two McCormacks.  Father McLachern’s brother having agreed to act as pilot, the "Queen of Greenock" again spread her sails to the breeze and steered for Charlottetown, the priest, who intended to visit the capital, laughingly telling the emigrants that he would go on foot over land and be there as soon as they. 

On the 20th September 1790, the men of Barra landed in Charlottetown, the proprietors of part of Township Eighteen held out flattering inducements to them to settle upon their estate, but the terms not being satisfactory, they took up Royalty lands at Princetown, where they made small clearings and planted wheat, potatoes, etc.  After a while Father McLachern came down to see them, and told them of the good lands to be had on Township Fourteen, from Mr. Cambridge, offering, should they decide upon removing there, to intercede with Mr. Cambridge on their behalf, and secure for them the (titles) of their farms.  They did so decide, and in the spring of 1792 removed to Grand River, where they build for themselves little log houses all along the rivers brink. 
Hither Father McLachern came once or twice a year to administer the Sacraments, and to say Mass in one or other of the humble dwellings.  In the year 1810 the men of Barra set about building their first church which was adapted to do duty both as church and presbytery, so that the priest could lodge there, when he visited Grand River.  This building was made of logs, it was thirty two feet in length by eighteen in width, it was boarded and battened and furnished with a fire place.  The committee who superintended the building were Alexander McKinnon, (who had moved to Grand River from Cascumpec) Laughlin McIntyre, John Gillis and Roderick McNeill.  Mass was first offered in this church in February 1810. 

In 1816 Bishop McLachern, during one of his visits to Grand River, addressed the parishioners, telling them that the time had come for them to make preparations for building a new church, and that although he put up with the existing one, his successors would not.  A committee was accordingly formed, consisting of Laughlin McIntyre, John Gillis, and Roderick McKinnon.  These men went to Mr. Hill’s Saw Mill at Cascumpec and purchased boards for the church, these they lashed across two boats and brought to Grand River, where they lay piled on the shore until the next summer, when they were brought to the church site and work commenced.  Messrs. John Walsh, Patrick Malloy, Matthew Devereaux and Martin Walsh, from Miramichi were the builders.  This church was thirty six feet in length by twenty six in width.  Bishop McLachern offered the first mass at its altar and consecrated the burying ground on St. Patrick’s day 1818. 

In the year 1812 Monseigneur Plessis, bishop of Quebec, having jurisdiction over all Catholic missions in the British North American Colonies, visited Prince Edward Island.  In the course of his visit he remained two days at St. Eleanors, administering Baptism and Confirmation, hearing Confessions etc.  During these days the entire settlement of Grand River repaired to St. Eleanors in boats and many of them were confirmed.  Some at a very tender and others at a very ripe age. 

Bishop Plessis left one of his attendant priests, the Rev. Jean Louis Beaubieu to minister to the parishes of the Island.  Father Beaubieu although not supposed to attend the Scottish parishes, seems to have made an exception in favour of Grand River for he frequently said mass there and attended sick calls when it would be impossible for Father McLachern to reach the sufferer in time. 

Father Beaubieu was much beloved by the dwellers in the mission those among the old people who still remember him say that he was a very handsome man and spoke excellent English.  Alexander McKinnon, whose superior education and force of character made him a leading man in parochial matters, was a particular friend of Father Beaubieu.  On the Sundays and Holidays when there was no mass in their mission nor in any adjacent one Mr. McKinnon was in the habit of assembling the people in the church where he would read the mass prayers to them.  This pious practice gained for him the title of the Saggarth Maide or the Wooden priest.  This good old gentleman bequeathed to his son Mr. Murdock McKinnon of Big Marsh a precious relic of the past in the shape of a prayer book which was given to him by Father Beaubieu, and in which his name is written by the good missionary.  In 1819 Father Beaubieu was succeeded by Father Cecile, who occasionally ministered to the faithful band of Highlanders on the banks of Grand River.  To him succeeded the Rev. Bernard Donald MacDonald, who took charge of the western parishes and who came to Grand River three times a year.  Father McDonald built the first globe house of the mission which is now used as a coachhouse by the present occupant of St. Patrick’s parish.  In 1836 he commenced building the existing church but, being summoned to Charlottetown to receive the mitre, he left the completion of St. Patrick’s to the Rev. James McDonald who succeeded him in the western missions.  The new church of St. Patrick was opened in 1839, but not completed interiorly until 1844.  It is sixty feet in length by forty in breadth, with a wall of twenty four feet.  In 1844 the presbytery was built by Father James MacDonald who attended the mission from his home at Indian River, a distance of over twenty miles.  In 1869 Father MacDonald was appointed Rector of St. Dunstan’s College, Charlottetown, and St. Patrick’s mission was attended from Miscouche by Rev. Donald McDonald until 1876 when Rev. M. J. McMillan went to Grand River as the first resident priest.  In 1878 he was removed to St. Theresa’s mission Baldwin’s Road, and was succeeded in Grand River by Rev. Angus McDonald, who in 1880 was replaced by Rev. Laughlin McDonald the present pastor. 

The country around St. Patricks church which was so wild when the first settlers built their little log cabins around the margin of the river, is now in a high state of cultivation and the descendants of the emigrants of 1790 are, many of them, wealthy men. 

The older settlers retain a vivid impression of the hardships they endured when (the) settlement was young, nor are the terrible journeys that fell (upon them or) their missionaries forgotten.  From the rocks of the North Cape to the low lands of Rustico, the priest went to and fro at all seasons and over all sorts of roads, sometimes on horse back, sometimes on snow shoes, and more frequently in canoe.  Mr. Murdock McKinnon relates how on one occasion he went in search of Father Cecile for a dying person.  The priest was at the Tignish and the boy had thirty miles to travel in order to bring him to the bedside of his dying friend.  He took a canoe from Grand River Ferry to Kildare Inlet, and completed the journey on foot.  On the return voyage, while dragging their canoe across the portage from Port Hill to Grand River Mr. Cecile, whose knowledge of English was very slight, took the boy’s hand in his own and squeezed it hard asking him:--"What is the English of that"?  To Mr. McKinnon, the son of that Alexander McKinnon who dauntlessly confronted the laird of Barra, in defense of his rights, we are in debted for most of the history of Grand River mission.  Mr. McKinnon who is the possessor of broad and fertile acres, and whose family are settled around him in comfort and prosperity, tells the story of the expatriation of his friends and kindred in glowing words, referring with pardonable pride to the success which they have achieved in the new world, while in the old country the voice of their persecutor is long since silent, and the family of Mr. Leod? (possible typing error) of Barra has become extinct. 

Note: Text typed in red was added to the original transcript by hand.  Annotator unknown. 

FIRST SETTLERS OF THE MISSION OF  ST. PATRICK  GRAND RIVER WEST *Roderick Gillies  *Donald Gillies  Laughlin McIntyre  John McLellan  *John Gillies  Donald McLellan  Laughlin McKinnon Donald McDonald  John MacDonald  Archibald Cameron  Widow Jane McNeill  Alexander Brown Alexander McKinnon

MacNeil Tartan Gillies' lived on MacNeil land and intermarried with MacNeil's.