John Munn (1807 – September 29, 1879) was a Scottish-born merchant and political figure in Newfoundland. He represented Conception Bay from 1842 to 1848 and

Harbour Grace Harbour Grace is a town in Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. With roots dating back to the 16th century, it is one of the oldest towns in North America. It is located about northwest of ...

from 1869 to 1873 in the

Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is the unicameral deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It meets in the Confederation Building in St. Jo ...

as a Conservative. Mann was born at Port Bannatyne near

Rothesay Rothesay ( ; gd, Baile Bhòid ) is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies along the coast of the Firth of Clyde. It can be reached by ferry from Wemyss Bay, which offers an onward rail ...

in Scotland, the son of Stewart Munn and Isabella Fisher, and came to St. John's in 1825. He worked there as a bookkeeper until 1833, when he moved to

and opened a business with Captain William Punton. The company became involved in the seal trade and shipbuilding. Munn married Naomi Munden in 1838. In the 1870s, Munn's company purchased Thomas Ridley's assets. He helped found the Union Bank and served as a director. He also owned the ''Harbour Grace Standard'' newspaper. Munn was named to the Legislative Council in 1855; he served until 1869. Munn died in England in 1879, in

Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Iris ...

, Lancashire. After his death, his company was taken over by his son, William Punton Munn, and nephew, Robert Stewart Munn. William Munn's son,

John Shannon Munn John Shannon Munn (6 June 1880 – 24 February 1918) was a prominent early-20th-century Newfoundlander. The step-son of Sir Edgar Bowring, he rose to become managing director of Bowring Brothers, but died in the wreck of the SS ''Florizel'' i ...

(John Munn's grandson), was also prominent in Newfoundland business circles until his death in the wreck of the SS ''Florizel'' in 1918. In 2016, John Munn was named a National Historic Person.John Munn (1807-1879), Parks Canada backgrounder, Feb. 15, 2016

References

* Members of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly 1807 births 1879 deaths Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Newfoundland Members of the Legislative Council of Newfoundland Newfoundland Colony people Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) {{Newfoundland-politician-stub