52 FRANCIS PEABODY. 



It is just possible that the Moorfield church was burned in the 

 fire of 1825, for Cooney says: -'Moorfield, an old and populous 

 settlement near Douglastown, was a pile of ashes. " He also ^'ives 

 Francis Peabody's name on the local relief committee for the 

 sufferers after the fire. 



In wandering through the !St. Andrew's graveyard on the 

 Chatham side I found a gmvestone with the following inscription : 



"In Memoria 

 Thomas M Bell 

 "Qui olim in Classe Regia Medicus per Sex decimannos Miramichi 

 medici munere humanissime defunct. Cum magno omnium 

 moerore XLV aetatis anno VIII Kal Jan anno Dom. Nostri 

 MDCCCXX mortuus est". 



Linque domum banc miseram nunc in Sua fata ruentam." 



I immediately set up enquiries about; this Wm. Bell, and for a 

 long time in vain. Nobody ever heard of him. But finally Alex. 

 Fraser told me he had often heard his mother speak of him, and 

 that "he was the only doctor on the river, and travelled from 

 Miscou to Fredericton, and was always on the road, either on 

 horseback or canoe." This may have had something to do with 

 his early death. This was all I could find out, but I wrote to Lord 

 Strathcona to have the Navy Records in London searched, and if 

 I liear from him before this paper is finished I will give what in- 

 formation I get in addenda. He was the only medical man on 

 the river from 1804 to 1816, when Dr. Key arrived. After Dr. 

 Bell's death Dr. Key was the only physician here till 1832, when 

 Dr. John Thompson and Dr. Stafford Benson settled here to 

 practice. 



I mention these facts to show that without doubt Dr. Bell 

 would be Peabody's family physician until 1816, then Dr. Key 

 from 1820 to 1832, but after that, which of the thr e, or who at- 

 tended him in his last sickness I do not know. In 1816 dissatis- 

 faction arose with the minister at Moorfield, and a congregation 

 was started on the Chatham side of the river. Rev . James 

 Thompson was called, and in 1817 St. Andrew's Church was built 

 at the end of the blazed path that led through to Richibucto, 

 which is now called St. Andrew's St. Here Francis Peabody was 

 a regular attendant up to the time of his death in 1841. 



