nds to disbanded provincial troops led Elisha, Phinehas and
Samuel Nevers to associate themselves with Captain Francis Peabody in
the application for a township, "at St. John's River in Nova Scotia,"
made in the year 1762. Elisha Nevers was one of the seven signers of
the original Maugerville Church Covenant, and religious meetings were
often held at his house in early times. Phinehas Nevers was quite a
leading man in the early days of Maugerville. He was one of the first
magistrates, and in 1768 was chosen a member for the county of Sunbury
in the Nova Scotia legislature. He practised medicine and was the
first doctor, in all probability, who lived on the river. The practise
of medicine was by no means a lucrative one in his day, for we learn
from the account books of Messrs. Simonds & White, that in February,
1773, he attended one of the men in their employ, having come down
from Maugerville for the purpose, and received L1. 4. 0. for board for
sixteen days and L2. for his professional services. Dr. Nevers was a
strong sympathiser with the Americans at the time of the Revolution
and when John Allan invaded the River St. John in 1777, he joined him,
and when a little later Allan was compelled by Major Studholme to flee
to Machias, he was accompanied thither by Phinehas Nevers. Other
members of the family however took the oath of allegiance and were
thenceforth loyal to the king. Samuel Nevers was a man of enterprise
and was one of those who furnished masts to enable Francklin Hazen and
White to fulfil their contract for the royal navy.

PERLEY.

The founder of the Perley family in New England was Allan Perley,
who came from London in 1635 in the ship "Planter." A good deal of
information regarding the family may be found in the historical
collections of the Essex County Institute of Massachusetts. Israel
Perley was a native of Boxford, in the vicinity of Rowley, and the
house in which he was born was standing not many years ago and may
be still in existence. He was born in 1740, was educated as a
land surveyor, and came to the River St. John in 1761 at the head
of an exploring party said to have been sent by the governor of
Massachusetts to report upon the condition and resources of the
country with the view of effecting the settlement of a township
in that region. The story of the establishment of this township and
the important services of Israel Perley in that connection have
been already referred to in these ch