New London is a Canadian rural community located in Queens County,

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

. Situated in the township of Lot 21, halfway between

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

and

Cavendish Cavendish may refer to: People * The House of Cavendish, a British aristocratic family * Margaret Cavendish (1623–1673), British poet, philosopher, and scientist * Cavendish (author) (1831–1899), pen name of Henry Jones, English auth ...

, New London was formerly known as Clifton and previous to that, Graham's Corner. New London is primarily a farming and fishing community with its neatly manicured fields and gently rolling hills providing pastoral scenery surrounding a busy harbour. In recent decades tourism has played an increasingly important role in the community's economy.

Lucy Maud Montgomery Lucy Maud Montgomery (November 30, 1874 – April 24, 1942), published as L. M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a collection of novels, essays, short stories, and poetry beginning in 1908 with '' Anne of Green Gables''. She ...

, one of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

's most famous authors, was born in New London on November 30, 1874. She wrote 23 books, including a short-story collection and a poetry anthology, but is best known for ''

Anne of Green Gables ''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, t ...

'', published in 1908.

History

Before the present New London village, there was a community called New London located at the mouth of Malpeque Bay, where the New London lighthouse is located at the end of Cape Road (close to French River). This community was settled by

Robert Clark Robert, Bob, or Bobby Clark may refer to: Television and film *Robert Clark (actor) (born 1987), American-born Canadian television actor *Bob Clark (1939–2007), Canadian filmmaker *Bob Clark (television reporter), retired American television rep ...

, an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

merchant who owned Lot 21. He arrived in 1773 with grand plans to build a settlement to rival his native

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. One of Clark's early settlers was

Benjamin Chappell Benjamin Chappell (March 5, 1740 – January 6, 1825) was a machinist and political figure in Prince Edward Island. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1774 to 1784. He was born in London, the son of Richa ...

, one of the founders of the

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

faith on the island, who came to New London aboard the sailing ship ''The Snow Elizabeth'' in 1774. Chappell wrote a diary of his experiences, and described his first, harsh New London winter as being "... very short of provisions. No rum, no bread, no meat, no beer, no sugar and half an ox", and (on March 1), wrote that "the people in general through the want of bread seem to decline in their work." The present New London (previously called New London South, then Clifton and before that, Graham's Corner) was settled by Scottish immigrants before 1859. Today it is a lovely, vibrant community that is a focal point for visitors interested in visiting the home where Lucy Maud Montgomery was born, as well as craft, antique, and gift shops, and its proximity to beautiful beaches, other communities and local dining establishments. {{cite web , url=https://www.tourismpei.com/Green-Gables-Shore/New-London , title = Discover & Explore Green Gables Shore PEI {{! Tourism PEI

References

Communities in Queens County, Prince Edward Island