Herbert Moase was born in 1865. He married Ann B. Proffit and they had seven children.
Moase was quite literally a jack of all trades in Kensington, serving the town in any number of different roles. He began his career as a blacksmith and then sold his smithy to Tyndall and Fred Semple, who until that time had practiced their trade five miles down the road in Traveller's Rest. Moase then tried his hand at agriculture. After purchasing a farm, he started delivering milk and vegetables in and around Kensington, selling his fresh produce by bringing it directly to the door. Later on, he traded in his vegetable cart to open a livery stable in Kensington, where-- instead of driving around the countryside himself-- he rented out carriages and sleighs to provide citizens and travelers with a means of getting about.
Herbert Moase was also renowned as the man who could get the mail through to Charlottetown, no matter what the conditions. The U.S. Postal Service were not the only ones to brave sleet, snow, and hail, as Moase prided himself on keeping this same vow in Kensington. Traveling by horse and sleigh in the winter, he always ensured that letters reached their destination on time, even when the snow was deep enough to halt the trains. Mail was not the only cargo Moase transported with care. His carriage or sleigh often served as a hearse when a town resident died at the Charlottetown hospital, bearing the deceased back to the local undertaker for burial preparations.
Moase also holds the distinction of having been the first police officer in Kensington, and was always quick to arrive on the scene when fires or fights broke out. As the owner of the livery stable, where carriages were rented, he would probably know right away who were the reckless drivers in town! He continued to serve as a law officer for many years after retiring from the livery business. When he died in 1942, the town lost one of its most important-- and versatile-- members.
Blacksmith | Shoemaker | Tailor and Dressmaker | Livery Stable
