Cannon, John

CANNON, John (1783-1833), son of Edward Cannon, was born at St. John's, Nfld. and came with his parents to Quebec City in 1795. Both John and his brother Lawrence Cannon formed a partnership with their father in 1808 and upon the death of the latter in July of 1814 John continued to practise under his own name as a master mason and architect. In 1814-15 he built stables on Ste. Anne Street, QUEBEC CITY, QUE., for Webb Robinson, and with his brothers Edward and Lawrence Cannon he built (and may have designed) two stone mansions at 68-70 St. Louis Street, QUEBEC CITY, QUE. 1814-16. He was commissioned to add two towers, to raise the facade, and carry out extensive alterations to Ste. Genevieve Roman Catholic Church, BERTHERVILLE, QUE. in 1818. Cannon may have also been responsible for the design of major additions to the Albion Hotel on Cote du Palais, QUEBEC CITY, QUE., c. 1830 as he was the holder of a ten year lease on the building from 1825 onward. He took a keen interest in political activity in Lower Canada in the 1820's and served as member of the House of Assembly from 1827 until 1830. His social position undoubtedly helped him to obtain the position of president of the building committee for St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, a work designed by Thomas Baillairge. Cannon died in bankruptcy at Quebec on 20 February 1833 and left an estate which included drawing instruments and a personal library containing several architectural books (death notice in the Quebec Mercury, 21 Feb. 1833, 3; biography by Christina Cameron in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vi, 1987, 119-21; biography in A.J.H. Richardson, Quebec City: Architects, Artisans and Builders, 1984, 168)