BOOK
Date1883
Dimensions1 x 10.5 x 16.2 cm
Object numberHF.2021.35.12
DescriptionBrown cloth covered hardcover book that is decorated with black patterns and a gold inscription on the front and spine. The title, "Francis Metherall And His Work In Prince Edward Island" is located at the top front center. The author's name is present in stylized font on the spine. The back of the book also has inscribed patterns along the border. The book has 120 pages and was written by John Harris. A piece of loose leaf paper with handwritten notes in blue ink was inside the book. Narrative
This biography, written by John Harris, shares the history of Francis Metherall, a Bible Christian minister and founder of the Bible Christian mission in Prince Edward Island.
Born in December 1791 at North Devon, England, Metherall experienced evangelical conversion in 1819 under the ministry of James Thorne, associate of William O'Bryan. He was assigned to PEI in 1831 and founded his first congregation at Union Road, northeast of Charlottetown. He built a residence and mission house in Vernon River for himself and his wife, Mary Langlois, whom he married in Guernsey on 22 August, 1826. The couple had eight children before Mary Langlois's death in 1841. He married again in 1853 to Mary Nelson with whom he had four more children.
By 1843, the Metherall had gathered 400 members to the Bible Christian movement and was appointed as superintended with PEI's designation as a district of the English Bible Christian Church. By 1857 Metherall's poor health and a lack of support from England significantly slowed the mission's growth. He retired in 1869 but continued to serve the mission in West Cape, where he had moved to in 1846. Metherall died June 9th, 1875 at Cape Wolfe, PEI.
