Description

The settlement history of PrinceEdward Island has emphasized"founders." During the British period,early colonizing ventures have stoodout, groups such as the "FalmouthSettlers" at Stanhope, the "GlenaladaleSettlers" at Tracadie, the "SelkirkSettlers" at Belfast. The founders ofPrincetown are among these Mayflower-like groups.The story of the sailing of theAnnabella to Princetown* in the latterpart of 1770 has spawned three persistentyet somewhat contradictory traditions.One maintains that there alreadywere some Scots on Lot 18 when theAnnabella ran aground off Princetownin September of 1770, and that the areahad been visited by Robert Stewart ofCampbelton, Scotland, in the summerof 1769 preparatory to his permanentsettlement there the following year. Asecond tradition appears to stem from aglancing mention in A. B. Warburton's1923 History of Prince Edward Island:that the passengers aboard the Annabellawere actually bound for NorthCarolina when they were stranded atPrincetown, and were either deceivedinto transport/settlement there or wereunable to extricate themselves from theIsland after landing there.