Place Name – Tryon

It is believed the Mi’kmaq hunted and fished in the area and their name  for Tryon was Tulesipk – (meaning unknown)

Later, when the French Acadians settled here they named the river, Riviere des Blonds.

After the Island of St. John became a British possession  in 1763,  the Crown was deluged with requests for grants of land and it became necessary to devise some plan for disposition.  Early in 1764  Capt. Samuel J. Holland of the Royal Engineers was hired to conduct a scientific survey of British North America, starting with the Island. The  survey was completed  in 1765 and resulted in the Island being divided into 3 counties and 67 lots.

Tryon, situated in Lot 28,  was named by Capt. Holland in 1765 in honour of his close friend and fighting companion, Capt. Wm. Tryon, who later became the Lt. Gov. of North Carolina. The lots were balloted away to favourites of the Crown in August 1767 with  Capt. Holland  receiving Lot 28. Around 1768 Holland situated the first settlers to the area.

Holland continued to survey British interests in North America, and around 1779 bought an estate just outside of Quebec city. He died there in 1801. Around 1806 Holland’s wife, Marie Josephte, moved with her daughter to PEI, and lived at Tryon until her death in 1825. A stone in the cemetery at Tryon marks the burial site of Marie and certain of her descendents.

St. John’s Island was changed to Prince Edward Island on Feb. 1, 1799, in honour of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent.