Date Published:
January 2005

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

John Molson

Molson, John (1764-1836), capitalist, was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1764. He emigrated to Canada in 1782, and established a brewery in Montreal [which brewery is still in existence today]. In 1809 he became the pioneer in steam navigation on the St. Lawrence, when he placed on the river the steamship Accommodation. From 1816 to 1820 he represented Montreal East in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada; and in 1832 he was appointed a member of the Legislative Council. From 1826 to 1834 he was president of the Bank of Montreal. He died in Montreal on January 11, 1836. See B. K. Sandwell, The Molson family (Montreal, 1933).

Source: W. Stewart WALLACE, ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. IV, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 400p., p. 316.