Thomas Dunn (1729 with Durham, England - April 15th, 1818 with Quebec) was a business man, lord, civil servant, judge and colonial administrator British bench in Canada. He was in particular administrator of the Low-Canada of 1805 to 1807 and in 1811. He married on November 27th, 1783 Henriette Guichaud, widow of Pierre Fargues. They had three wire, Thomas, William and Robert.

Businesses

Of his youth in England, one knows about nothing. It arrives at Canada right after the British conquest and sees in this country several opportunities of making deals. As of September 1762, with its associate John Gray, it obtains from the governor James Murray a lease which gives him the monopoly of the draft of the furs and the fishing of Malbaie until Seven-Islands.

It buys to the seigniory Thousand-Cows downstream from Tadoussac on February 23rd, 1764, while becoming by the fact even the lord.

Its associate and friendly William Grant marries in 1770 Marie-Anne-Catherine Fleury Deschambault, who is the back-small-girl of the explorer Louis Jolliet. She has seigneuriaux rights to the island of Anticosti and the Mingan islands. William Grant thus legally becomes the lord of Anticosti. These family relations allow Dunn, Grant and another associate, Peter Stuart, to obtain a farming lease on Anticosti and the coast of Mingan to exploit fishing and hunting for the seal during 15 years as from 1772. Later, but before 1789, the trio succeeded in becoming owner of the almost totality of the two seigniories of the ìle of Anticosti and Mingan. On the other hand, Dunn could not preserve its monopoly of exploitation of the grounds of the Crown, obtained in 1762.

As from 1767, Thomas Dunn also invests in the Forges of the Saint-Maurice, preserving an interest until 1772 at it.

The businesses take less time of Dunn as from 1790, but there remains nevertheless active until about 1808, speculating in several grounds and buildings. It also lends money to various people, in particular 1000 pounds with Mgr Plessis. About 1796, he becomes single owner of the canton of Dunham, and is owner or joint owner of other seigniories and cantons. Thanks to all these activities, and for the benefits which it withdraws from its official functions, its financial position is flourishing.

The governmental admistration

Parallel to his economic activity, Thomas Dunn is very active in the public affairs of the colony. He is Justice of the Peace since 1764 for the districts of Quebec and Montreal, then for the whole of Low-Canada, and that until 1815. He is also member of the Council which assists the governor, and prosecutor of the king in businesses of succession. Its bonds with the secretary of the province Hector de Cramahé give access to him the station of Receiver-general in 1770. In 1775 he becomes member of the Legislative council of the Province of Quebec, and member of the private Council of the governor the following year. He is also named judge, progressing to the Court of Appeal in 1788.

From June 1785 in spring 1787, Dunn takes a pause of its various functions to remain in England; it makes the same thing in 1801-1802.

At the time of the application of the new constitution as from 1792, Thomas Dunn is member and even oldest member of the Legislative council and the executive council of Low-Canada. For this reason, it takes part of close with all the great decisions of this time. Like chair Executive council in August 1805, it is him which become administrator of the province at the time of the departure of the lieutenant-governor Robert Shore Milnes, and this until the arrival of the new governor James Henry Craig in October 1807. During this period with the high positions of the colony, Dunn can be held above the fray in spite of the violent ones confrontations who oppose the Canadian Parti and the British party.

When another vacancy ago at the post of governor between the departure of Craig and the arrival of George Prevost (June in September 1811), it is still Dunn which takes over temporarily the duties. Meanwhile, it took its retirement as a judge in 1809.

In addition to the functions already mentioned, Thomas Dunn is member many committees and companies, and subscribed to various causes, like the funds to help with the war against Napoleon, and that for construction into 1817 of a way connecting Quebec with Cape-Red.

See too

Related articles

• List of the governors of Canada before the Confederation

External bonds

• Article in the biographical Dictionary of Canada
• Note on the site of the National Assembly of Quebec