Bay Fortune is southwest of Souris in Lot 43. Fortune Bay is at the mouth of the Fortune River. Pichon's map of 1760 shows havre de la fortune. Surveyor-General Samuel Holland named the location Bay of Fortune Creek, in 1765. Abells Cape extends into Rollo Bay, west of Souris. It is named for murdered land agent Edward Abell, who had his home here. Surveyor-General Samuel Holland named it in 1765 Eglington Point for Alexander Montgomery (1723-1769), the 10th. Earl of Eglington. There was a post office here from 1827 until 1914.

A brief history . . .

The first French settlers settled here ca. 1746.

Surveyor-General Samuel Holland in a November 28, 1764 letter to Lord Hillsborough, described the plight of the 30 or so families of Acadian fishermen who were residing at Fortune Bay.

The Lovely Nelly arrived from Scotland in 1775 with the Aitken family among the emigrants. By the early 1800's, several descendants have settled in the Bay Fortune area.

The French speaking community at Bay Fortune owned at least five schooners in 1786. They included the Joseph and Mary, Betsy, Felicity, The Seaflower and Me Mary.

The second of two petitions was filed with the colony on June 4, 1787 by the French inhabitants of Bay Fortune. The families of Bourg, Michel, LeBlanc, Doucet, Daigle, Longaphie and Pitre were seaking permanent leases to their land.

In 1787, Governor Edmund Fanning ventured out from Charlottetown in June and visited "the beautiful little village" at Fortune, as well as Annandale.

The first Bay Fortune Presbyterian Church was built ca. 1806.

Land agent Edward Abell appeared before John Plaw J.P. and Frederick B. Holland J.P. on June 8, 1814 with complaints against Nicholas Falla J.P. regarding Falla's reluctance to issue summons to tenant farmers for back rents on the properties they are leasing.

In 1819, Edward Abell's wife wanted a black carriage horse owned by one of Lord James Townshend's tenants, Patrick Pearce of Red House. Failing in that, she prevailed upon her husband to immediately demand payment of the rent. Pearce attempted to raise the money from among his neighbours. On his return home, he discovered one of Abell's men holding his horse, and a constable present. Abell refused the money. Pearce entered his home and returned with an old musket and stabbed Abell in the arm and the groin. Abell returned here and died several days later. Earlier in the day Abell had been at Valentine Needham's and was able to collect the rent there, thus discharging Needham of debts due to Lord Townshend. Despite a substantial reward offered by the Colony for the murder, Pearce was hidden by his neighbours until spring, then fled the colony in a ship for the port of Annandale. Click on the link for a digital article, published in December 1901 by C. P. Flockton, entitled Murder of Abel. The late Adele Townshend wrote an article for the Island Magazine, entitled Drama at Abells Cape.

Tourism got an early start here in 1820. Walter Johnstone of Dumfries, Scotland described the hospitality extended to him by a Highland family on a cold wintry night. The family willingly welcomed him and gave up their bedding for the night, so that he might be warm.

The second Presbyterian church was built here ca. 1834.

Joseph Coffin chaired a land tenant’s meeting, in 1836, held at Bay Fortune, where a strongly worded resolution is passed accusing the majority of the House of Assembly of abusing the trust reposed in them.

The current Bay Fortune United Church was completed in 1877.

American actor Charles P. Flockton purchased Abells Cape from William Conohan in 1894 and brought his Comedy Company with him for the summer months. Included among the group is former Gibson Girl, Elsa Warwick-Kelvey. Click on the link for an adventurous tale in digital format, Kidd's Treasure, by the actor Charles Kent, regarding Abel's Cape. Click on the link for a play entitled The Ghost for a play based on the same adventure.

Area farmers Douglas Aitken, C. H. Townshend of Bay Fortune and W. H. Townshend of Rollo Bay West swept the prizes for foundation stock seed potatoes at the State Fair Dec. 17 & 18 at Forest City, Iowa, in 1942.

Interesting individuals associated with the community . . .

Capt. Carl F. Burke 1913-1976, founder of Maritime Central Airways, of Charlottetown had his roots here. He was named a member of the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame.

Charles Coghlan was born at London, England or in Ireland, ca. 1849. He was an Actor and a Playwright. As an actor he was known as the John Barrymore of his day. He was flamboyant, a friend of the Prince of Wales and was a prominent part of a bigamy scandal in Paris, France in the mid 1890's. He, his wife and daughter summered briefly on the Fortune River in P.E.I. in the late 1880's, then returned to rent property on Abell's Cape. He wrote the play, The Lion and The Mouse while here. Gertrude Coghlan, his daughter, starred in the play in Boston performances. He died at Galveston, Texas in 1899 and was buried there in the Lakeview Cemetery. There is a story told in Ripley's Believe It Or Not about his casket being washed out to sea during a hurricane. The casket supposedly washed ashore at Bay Fortune 10 years later. His descendants state emphatically that this story is not true and should be treated as NOT.

A story about Coghlan entitled Coghlan's Body Story Is Colourful Nonsense may be found here.

Colleen Dewhurst was born in Montreal in 1924. She was an Actor. She owned, and summered for several years (late 1970's, early 1980's) on the property which is now The Inn At Bay Fortune. She starred on stage, in television shows and feature films. Some of her film credits include Anne of Green Gables, Annie Hall, Ice Castles, Road to Avonlea and Tribute. Her television credits included appearances on Ben Casey, The Love Boat, Dr. Kildare, Moonlighting and Murphy Brown. She won two Obie Awards, two Tony Awards and four Emmy Awards. She was married and divorced twice from fellow actor George C. Scott. Mr. Scott did not have an interest in the property, nor did he ever visit here. One of her sons, Campbell Scott, is a notable actor in his own right, appearing in the movie Dying Young with Julia Roberts. She played on Broadway in a play opposite him, in 1988. Her other son, New York stage director Alex Scott, is married to a descendant of several Prince Edward Island families. Ms. Dewhurst served as President of Actors Equity. She died at South Salem, N.Y. in 1991.

Henry P. Duchemin was born at Charlottetown in 1869. He was a Teacher, a Lawyer and a Newspaperman. He was married to Caroline Dingwall of Bay Fortune and spent the summer months vacationing on Abell's Cape. He was appointed editor of The Sydney Post in Sydney, N.S. in 1914. He rose through the ranks to where by 1938 he became President and Publisher of the Post-Record properties. Mr. Duchemin served as president of the Canadian Press and served on several volunteer Boards of Directors. He passed away in 1950.

Flockton

Kent

Stevenson

The Sundial

Charles P. Flockton was born ca. 1859 in London, England. He was an Actor and a Playwright. He was an actor past his prime when he purchased Abell's Cape in 1894 for a summer home to escape the summer heat of New York City. He brought his C.P. Flockton Comedy Company to P.E.I. with him. Stars of the time such as Reginald Carrington, Charles Kent, and Charles Stevenson accompanied him and visited here regularily. He died while appearing in a play at San Francisco, California in 1904. After cremation, his ashes were buried at Abell's Cape, on what is today private property, beneath a sandstone monument and sundial. The late Adele Townshend wrote an article for the Island Magazine, entitled The C. P. Flockton Comedy Company.

Mark Haines is a Multi-Instrumentalist Musician and a Recording Artist. He is a permanent resident of the area. He has performed all over Canada, parts of the United States, England and Scotland as part of the duo Haines & Leighton. They have been featured in many folk festivals and societies, workshops, small hall, coffee-houses and pubs. They have also performed and been interviewed on Canadian radio stations and television specials.

Playwright Elmer Harris was born in Chicago in 1878. Beginning in 1908, he summered at Bay Fortune for the next half-century. In 1940, he turned the story of a local deaf-mute girl into Johnny Belinda. The film version won a Best Actress Oscar for Jane Wyman in 1948. He died in Washington, D.C., in 1966.

Elsa D. Warwick-Kelvey was born in Sweden in 1882. She was an Actor, Singer and a Model for the famous Gibson Girl pictures. She summered in P.E.I. at the Actor's Colony and participated fully in the community. She sang at many weddings that were conducted in the area. She died in 1955 and was buried in St. Alban's Churchyard in Souris.

Today . . .

Mark Haines Haines & Leighton Musician	The Inn At Bay Fortune	Hilltop Vista Vacation Home	Chef Michael Smith
Louise MacDonald Abegweit Driving School	Cory Arsenault's Inn At Bay Fortune site	Aqua Bounty Fish Farms	Fire & Water Creations
Prompt Plumbing	Inn At Bay Fortune on Roadflix.ca	Tidal Surge Cottage

Bay Fortune Boat Captains

Randy Blaisdell Brian Brown Jack Coffin Sheila Conahan Alvin Dingwell Michael Fitzpatrick	Charlene Gallant Edward Jackson Craig D. Jenkins Mark Jenkins Robbie Jenkins	Garnet MacDonald Gerald MacDonald Kevin MacKenzie Jason MacNeill Edwin McKie	Henry McKie Billy Mallard Joe Manning David Perry James Townshend Jimmy Whitty

A River Runs By Cottage

Bay Fortune Harbour Authority

Fortune Bridge Gallery

War Memorial in the Bay Fortune United Church Cemetery

Connections to our area . . .

HipBo Productions - information on Elmer Harris

Images from the Past & Present . . .

The Comet
built here in 1858 by Daniel Flynn

A Bay Fortune Story

Pat Rose of North Lake wrote an entertaining column for the Eastern Graphic newspaper, entitled Women's Eye View. This is a story that was originally published in 1975 in the Eastern Graphic Magazine.

The year the frosts wiped out the crops

September 7th, 1836 was a day of despair to the farmers in Eastern Kings County, for before the sun had reached its noonday height, they had seen the green fields - full of half matured potatoes, drooped and blackened and completely killed - also all the unripe grain, large quantities of oats and buckwheat killed in like manner from an early frost the night before.

There had been no warning of impending disaster - as the evening of the 6th. had seen a cloudless sky after a bright sunny day. Everything then had seemed so full of promise to the farmers, who depended on the success of each years crop for the support of their families, usually quite large. Planting had been late because of a later Spring, however there was every reason to believe that a good crop could be expected, when the frost struck.

At that time, there was not much grown for export, as markets were uncertain, and anyway, everyone seemed to be fully occupied in just providing enough for food and clothing for the family. The work was usually done with crude home made implements - potatoes being cleaned, moulded and dug with a hoe, and grain cut with a sickle or reap hook threshed with a flail and separated from the chaff by the wind.

During the session of the Legislature held in the winter following the frost an embargo was placed on any exporting of grain and potatoes. And to alleviate any unnecessary suffering because of the crop loss due to the early frost, one or two thousand pounds were appropriated to be distributed among those most needing it to buy grain seed, etc. Commissioners were appointed in each district to supervise the distribution of this money. At that time their were neither banks nor treasury notes, so it became a matter of great importance as to how the money could be brought from Charlottetown.

When it was settled who was to go for it, this messenger set out on horseback, for the journey to the Capital City.

He returned with the money (in pounds made up of silver coins) suspended in bags from his neck. This money proved to be of great benefit in providing seed for many who would othrewise have suffered greatly - and so in spite of the near disaster, real hardship was averted.

The committee appointed to distribute the funds to the farmers used to meet at the home of Joseph Dingwell, a very successful farmer and shipbuilder of that time. Mr. Dingwell was one of the four brothers who subsequently sat in the Island Legislature.

Following the 'year of the frost' the farmers enjoyed many profitable seasons - Mr. Dingwell among them. Then disaster of a different kind struck -this time to a member of Joseph Dingwell's family. Mr. Dingwell had just built a fine vessel of about 100 tons, and loaded her with a full cargo of farm produce bound for Newfoundland. He did not insure the vessel, even though his son and only child was on board - a young man of about 22 years of age, who was very popular in the community, being a likeable youngster.

After a speedy voyage with a strong wind, the vessel reached the head lands of St. John's, and there she was driven up against the rock bound coast and soon went to pieces, all but one on board perishing with the ship. The lone survivor, Aley Deagle from Rollo Bay, succeeded in getting on the cliff.

The Captain was a native of St. Peters.

Mr. Dingwell never got over the loss of his son, and in just a few years he followed him. There are still many relatives of the Dingwell family in the Souris and Fortune area.

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