Whereas His Excellency Sir George Prevost Bart, L.L.D., Governor and Commander in Chief of said Province did by his warrant direct me to lay out unto Sir Alexander F. Cochrane Bart, a certain island commonly called and known by the name of Pictou Island situated lying and being in the Streights of Northumberlland in the district of Pictou and County of Halifax and containing two thousand nine hundred acres according to the annexed plan and in conformity to his Majesty's instructions I do hereby make this report in order to obtain a certificate that the aforesaid described tract is not comprised in any reservation made for the use of the crown.
Given under my hand the 17th day of October 1809 and in the 49th year of his majestys reign. Charles Morris, Sur. Gen.Chris. Jean Perin --- overseer of roads.
Geo. Bigany --- overseer of fisheries.
Geo. Mattatal --- assessor.
John Simpson --- constable.
Jas. Gratto --- overseer of fences and thistles.
River John --- 1842: The settlement of River John, second or third in point of size and population in the county, has, until this three or four years back, been one of the most prosperous places in the county. About that period there used to be a great deal of lumbering and shipbuilding carried on. Ministers were hired to preach the gospel regularly, and several places of worship were erected. The Old Presbyterian Meeting House was, at that time, too small for the congregation and a new one was built but never finished. An English chapel was also built. But from the building of these places of worship, River John has to date its decline and fall they both stand yet as they have stood for years in anything but a state of completion and the place intended for the Episcopalians has, until lately, been used as a carpenters shop, and a shed for cattle. There are, besides these places of worship, a Methodist, a Baptist, and a few miles out a Catholic Chapel. The school house is also unoccupied. The answer to these conditions is that times are so bad that we can't afford to pay for preaching and teaching. Signed: A Spectator.
This information was compiled by Morgan Robertson. The source for this information was "The Pictou Book", written by George McLaren.