From "Transactions of the Missionary Society, Vol 2 Issue 1, 1804"

Part of a letter from The Rev. John Hillyard, Missionary in Newfoundland,
Dated Twillingate, 5^th July, 1804.

Since I wrote last, I have endeavoured to act agreeably to the instructions you gave me at parting, (i.e.) to visit as much as possible the different harbours round the coast of Newfoundland, and, where there were any serious christians, to endeavour to form them into societies, and with their assistance, to set apart some one amongst them who is generally approved, to conduct the religious worship of the rest: And although the winter-season is by no means means favourable to an itinerancy in this country, yet I hope that my endeavours in the winter have not been altogether in vain. A short time after I wrote my last letter, I made a trip, partly by land and partly by water, in the depth of winter, to the upper parts of Conception-Bay, and preached repeatedly at Bay-Roberts, Port-de-Grave, and Brigus; besides baptizing eight children, on which occasions I used to give an exhortation to the parents and others present; and during my stay at Brigus, a letter was addressed to me, signed by two of the principal members of the society there, which had been drawn up at the request of all the members, requesting me to assist, them in solemnly setting apart, for the more regular work of the ministry, and the administration of the sacraments, their brother, John Percy, who had for several years read the church of England service, and preached to them with acceptance and usefulness; and as I conceived this to be part of my instructions, and as no particular form is prescribed for such service, I thought it my duty to attend to their request; and, after consulting the members, thought it might be best, for various reasons, to deviate a little from the mode usually observed by the dissenting churches at home. Indeed, in such a situation, it was scarcely possible to do things with that exact order which may easily be observed in England, the assistance of any of our brethren in the ministry being almost impossible to be obtained. I therefore, on the 12^th of February, proceeded to this work in the following manner: -The morning-service of the church was read as usual, by a member of the society; after which I engaged in prayer, and preached from Acts. xiii. 2. 3. The setting apart brother Percy was then attended to agreeable to the form of ordaining an elder in Mr. Wesley's prayer-book; when another brother, who has long been in the habit of preaching occasionally, spake from Mat. xx. 26^th verse; and the whole was concluded with the sacrament, at which brother Percy assisted.