John Black (Lower Canada politician)
Encyclopedia
John Black was a Scottish
-born shipbuilder and political figure in Lower Canada
. He represented Quebec County
in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
from 1796 to 1800.
Black was the son of William Black and Jane McMun. He came to Quebec around 1786 and worked as a ship's carpenter with William King on the Baie des Chaleurs. In 1789, Black and King established a ship-building firm at Quebec City
; Black became sole owner in 1791. He purchased a shipyard from Ralph Gray
the following year. Later that year, he was appointed master shipbuilder for the government on Lake Ontario
. Black returned to operating his own business in late 1793. In 1794, during the militia riots, he was employed by Attorney General James Monk
to expose possible revolutionaries by pretending to be sympathetic to French
interests. In 1797, Black exposed the French spy David McLane
. He was captured by a French privateer while sailing a ship to England in 1798 but managed to escape, returning to Quebec in 1799. In the elections held in 1800, he withdrew his candidacy in favour of Jonathan Sewell
. He married Jane Rawson in 1801. Around this time, Black was involved in real estate investments and later shipbuilding but was not successful. From 1806 to 1815, he went to England a number of times, seeking a government salary, land grant or other compensation for the services that he had performed earlier, but without success. Black left Quebec for good in 1817 and died in Scotland several years later.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
-born shipbuilder and political figure in Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
. He represented Quebec County
Quebec County, Quebec
Quebec County is an historic county in the province of Quebec, Canada. The county included the Quebec City metropolitan area and extended northwestward...
in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
The Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada was the lower house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The legislative assembly was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791...
from 1796 to 1800.
Black was the son of William Black and Jane McMun. He came to Quebec around 1786 and worked as a ship's carpenter with William King on the Baie des Chaleurs. In 1789, Black and King established a ship-building firm at Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
; Black became sole owner in 1791. He purchased a shipyard from Ralph Gray
Ralph Gray (politician)
Ralph Gray was a seigneur, businessman and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born during or before 1740, probably in Scotland, and came to North America during the Seven Years' War, serving in Major-General Jeffery Amherst's troops. He was wounded at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham...
the following year. Later that year, he was appointed master shipbuilder for the government on Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
. Black returned to operating his own business in late 1793. In 1794, during the militia riots, he was employed by Attorney General James Monk
James Monk
Sir James Monk was Chief Justice of Lower Canada. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and educated in Halifax, Nova Scotia where his father had settled in 1749....
to expose possible revolutionaries by pretending to be sympathetic to French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
interests. In 1797, Black exposed the French spy David McLane
David McLane (merchant)
David McLane was a merchant from Providence, Rhode Island. He was hanged at Quebec City as a French spy by the British authorities....
. He was captured by a French privateer while sailing a ship to England in 1798 but managed to escape, returning to Quebec in 1799. In the elections held in 1800, he withdrew his candidacy in favour of Jonathan Sewell
Jonathan Sewell
Jonathan Sewell was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Lower Canada.-Early life:He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of the last British attorney general of Massachusetts...
. He married Jane Rawson in 1801. Around this time, Black was involved in real estate investments and later shipbuilding but was not successful. From 1806 to 1815, he went to England a number of times, seeking a government salary, land grant or other compensation for the services that he had performed earlier, but without success. Black left Quebec for good in 1817 and died in Scotland several years later.