John Lemesurier

Who was John Lemesurier?

John LeMesurier was a Canadian politician, serving as Mayor of Quebec City from January 1868 to November 1869.

John Le Mesurier left his native Gaspe to make his mark in Quebec City. One biographer has depicted him as a poor young man from "the lowest rung of the ladder," although Quebec Bishop Charles Inglis, who visited "Gaspe East" in 1789, wrote of the Le Mesurier family in this context: "There are several brothers of this name, who deal in this business. They generally catch from 10,000 to 12,000 quintals of fish every year, and sometimes bring over 100 fishermen from Guernsey for the season." The biographer does acknowledge John did as a youth work "in the fishery business in his father's establishment."

John LeMesurier was the son of Charles LeMesurier, who was born on Jersey, and who served in the Royal Navy under the British Vice Admiral, Lord Horatio Nelson, for nine years and was present at the famed engagement at Trafalgar, where Lord Nelson lost his life at age 47.

John LeMesurier was born in 1826, received his education on the Gaspe and November 1847 sailed on board the schooner "Antelope" for Quebec. It was wrecked coming up the St. Lawrence.