Elizabeth Sarah of Prince Edward Island

Elizabeth Sarah Marfleet [A.004B] is believed to have been the second daughter of Thomas and Emma MARFLEET [A.003A-004] although the baptism of Emma, believed to have been the first-born, has not yet been located.

Thomas MARFLEET and Emma FOSTER were married at St. Clement Danes, Westminster, on Sunday the 14th March 1784. By the time of Elizabeth's baptism the family were living at Mitcham in the County of Surrey. Elizabeth Sarah was baptised at the Parish Church on Sunday the 29th March 1789. Thomas and Emma had had five more children, one girl and four boys, by the time of the baptism of the youngest, Stephen, on Sunday the 29th March 1801 and all of the baptisms were at Mitcham.

Mitcham (appears in the Domesday Book as "Michelham") was an extensive village, consisting of 2,915 acres of rich black mould soil overlying gravel, on the River Wandle in North East Surrey and was situated three miles north west of Croydon.

The Year of Our Lord, A.D. 1807, was one of mixed blessings for the family. On Thursday, 22nd January, 15 year-old Mary Ann, the third child, died. It is only through the personal experience of such and event that the devastating effect on parents and siblings alike can be recognised. For sixteen year old Elizabeth the loss must have been a particularly heavy burden. On Sunday, 20th September, Emma, believed to be the eldest child, married Thomas KITCHER who was a bachelor. A witness to this marriage was Thomas MARFLEET, presumably the bride's father.

The date and place of Elizabeth's marriage has not yet been determined but it was probably when she was 18 or 19 years of age. She married Vere BECK (more information on the BECK family can be found on the Beck Family web-site) who was some eight-and-a-half years older than Elizabeth, he being born on Tuesday, 19th August 1783 and baptised at Crayford. Vere was about 6' 3" tall and has been described variously as an engraver, a worker in metals and a silversmith. The engraving in the bowl of the silver tea caddy spoon, which is very unusual for an item from the reign of King George IV, is an a typical example of an engraver's handiwork. (The spoon belonged to Elizabeth's brother, Benjamin [A.004F-005].) The couple had two children, Elizabeth Emma BECK who was baptised at Mitcham on Sunday, 28th May 1809, and Martha Lucy BECK who was also baptised at Mitcham, on Sunday, 18th November the following year, 1810.

It must have been with very mixed feelings that Thomas and Emma waved good-bye to their daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren sometime around March 1813. Elizabeth and Vere had decided to start a new life in a distant land. Encouraged by the promise of 100 acres to be paid for from the proceeds of selling the lumber on their claim, Vere, Elizabeth and their family embarked on journey that began with a six-week sail across the Atlantic Ocean.

They came ashore at Guernsey Cove. "In the spring of 1813, probably in May, a ship came in from the Atlantic Ocean, through the Strait of Canso and into Northumberland Strait. As she approached Prince Edward Island it became very apparent to the few watchers that she was intending to come very close to land. Finally off Guernesy cove, on the Island's south shore the ship anchored and preparations began for landing a boat. An arrival like that provided a big break for both young and old settlers and no doubt everyone that could manage gathered at the Cove to watch.

They were witnessing the arrival of Vere Beck, his wife, Elizabeth and their two little girls, Elizabeth Emma, aged four and Martha Lucy, aged two. Only Vere and his family came ashore. Apparently there was some banter from others going on further and this led to stories handed down that Vere was too stubborn to change his mind. Others felt he showed great determination to continue this planned course."

A story told is that "Vere Beck came to Prince Edward Island in a ship load of emigrants who were in no way fitted for the rigours of pioneer life in the new country. They were mostly skilled craftsmen, who knew nothing of farming and had apparently been misinformed about the nature of the country to which they were going. When the ship had come to anchor off the island and they could see nothing but forests, (although there were some settlements) all but Vere Beck refused to go ashore and all but him went back to England when the ships returned. He, however, said that he had come to settle on that island, and he would settle on it, so he put his wife (who was heavily pregnant, their two young children) and all his goods into a row-boat and rowed ashore."

"The 100 acre farm Vere selected was not far to the east from the small cove where they landed. The shoreline here, except at the cove, was lined with red sandstone cliffs some 30 feet high. They must have posed a problem for mothers with small kiddies. It was natural the first cabins would be located near the shore. Most settlers would begin at the shore and work inland."

Click here for the 1841 Census entries.

Ivan Munn (great-great-great-grandson Vere and Elizabeth) writing in 1997, says, "One of the facts of life when you live on an island is that you have to contend with a certain amount of isolation. For Vere Beck and other early Prince Edward Island settlers, links to the mainland were almost completely severed in the winter." He continues, "In winter the Island is surrounded by heavy pack ice made more treacherous by the strong tides of the Northumberland Strait. When Vere Beck and Elizabeth Marfleet first arrived in Guernsey Cove, winter meant almost complete isolation from the mainland. On a clear day you could see Nova Scotia but the only way of getting there was to take your life in your hands and attempt to walk across the treacherous ice."