John Henry Dunn

Who was John Henry Dunn?

John Henry Dunn was a businessman and political figure in Canada West. He served as Receiver General for Upper Canada from 1820 to 1841.

He was born on Saint Helena of English parents in 1792. In 1820, he was named Receiver General and left for York. During Dunn's term in this post, an agreement regarding sharing of customs revenues between Upper and Lower Canada remained unresolved for some time, forcing him borrowing money from private lendors to finance government expenditures. In 1822, he was named to the province's Legislative Council. Dunn also served as president of the Welland Canal Company from 1825 to 1833 and helped to raise funds for the project from both public and private sources. In 1836, he was named to the Executive Council of Upper Canada. However, three weeks later, Dunn resigned with his fellow councillors when lieutenant governor Sir Francis Bond Head refused to take the advice of the council into account with respect to the governing of the province. He was named Receiver General for the newly formed Province of Canada in 1841 and was elected to represent Toronto in the Legislative Assembly in the same year.