John Lemesurier

John Lemesurier (or Le Mesurier or LeMesurier) (28 January 1826 — 26 June 1891) was a Canadian politician, serving as Mayor of Quebec City from January 1868 to November 1869.

Biography John Lemesurier was the son of Mary Thompson and Charles Lemesurier,

Mr. Lemesurier was actively engaged in Liberal party politics, and in October 1877, was asked to introduce Wilfrid Laurier to a meeting that took place in his store. In his introduction, he is reported to have "made a very able speech against the corrupt government to which Mr. Laurier was opposing his energy and talents," and "spoke in felicitous terms of the great reforms made by the reform parties all over the world, and said that if the just measures of reformers had been carried out, we would not have discontent or disaffection anywhere."

John Lemesurier married Marie Sylvain of Quebec, a French Canadian Catholic who was 12-years his senior, and they had five children. In 1870, he opened a brewery and tannery, but not satisfied with the results, he gave them up and, in 1873, went into tobacco manufacturing, taking his sons William and Henry as partners. This enterprise became one of the largest of its type in the province.

In addition, Lemesurier became owner of fairly extensive real estate holdings. A biographer, writing in a flowery 19th-century style, gives John Lemesurier very high marks for his accomplishments in Quebec City, saying, "Possibly, in Quebec City, there is no man stands higher 'rated' amongst the banking community, with whom he has always done business, than John Lemesurier." His tobacco company, Lemesurier and Sons, was found to be worth around $10,000 around 1890, which was then appreciable.

After a year-long illness and at the age of 65-years-old, John Lemesurier died on June 26, 1891, at his residence on rue Saint-François Est in the Saint-Roch neighbourhood of Quebec City. He is buried next to his wife, Marie, in Mount Hermon Cemetery, located in Quebec City's Sillery neighbourhood.