John MacCormac facts for kids

John MacCormac (born March 24, 1791 – died March 20, 1865) was an important Irish businessman. He was known for starting the timber trade in the Colony of Sierra Leone. MacCormac also founded the first Free Will Baptist church in Sierra Leone. He was a member of the government's Colonial Council and was called 'Honorable'. His grandson, Dr. John Farrell Easmon, became a famous doctor who named 'Blackwater Fever'.

Early Life

John MacCormac was born on March 24, 1791, in Lurgan, County Armagh, which is in Northern Ireland. His father, also named John MacCormac, was a rich linen merchant. His mother, Ann MacCormac, came from a wealthy family too. Her father, Joseph Hall Jr., owned a distillery.

John MacCormac was the older brother of Henry MacCormac, who taught at Queen's University, Belfast. He was also the uncle of Sir William MacCormac, a well-known doctor who served King Edward VII.

Starting the Timber Business

John MacCormac first arrived in West Africa when he was about 18 years old. He first lived in the Gold Coast. In 1814, he moved to Sierra Leone for good.

By 1816, he started the timber trade there. He shipped a type of wood called African Teak (which was actually African Oak) from the Rokel River to England. He built a home and a timber yard on Timbo Island.

MacCormac hired Temne workers and Black colonists from Sierra Leone. Some of these workers also helped manage the timber production. He also built a large stone house inland and a big mansion in the city worth £10,000.

By the late 1830s, MacCormac faced financial problems. He moved to Liverpool, England with his brother and business partner, Hamilton Edmund MacCormac. After declaring bankruptcy, he returned to Sierra Leone. His creditors allowed him to keep his large mansion. He then took on several government jobs.

Role in Government

John MacCormac was one of the richest merchants in Sierra Leone. In the 1820s, he was appointed to His Majesty's Colonial Council of Sierra Leone. He served alongside other important figures like Kenneth Macaulay, a Scottish merchant.

He also worked with Benjamin Campbell, a British merchant. MacCormac and Campbell helped create a treaty with the Koya Temne people. This was done on behalf of Governor Alexander Findlay, who represented the British government.

MacCormac held many important positions in the government. He served as a Justice of Peace and later became an Assistant Police Magistrate. Eventually, he became the Police Magistrate for Sierra Leone. Because of his past business dealings with the Koya Temne, the government also made him an unofficial envoy. This meant he acted as an ambassador between the colony and the local groups. He went on trade missions and helped make treaties for the government. MacCormac hoped the Temne people would become Christians instead of Muslims. Some historians believe this hope influenced his decisions as a government representative.

His Church Work

After his business troubles, MacCormac became a very religious person and joined the Free Will Baptist church. He founded and became the first pastor of the Church of God, Regent Road. This church first met in his mansion.

MacCormac left money in his will for the church. It was later built at Regent Road, Freetown, and still has an active congregation today. His adopted son, Thomas George Lawson, who was a prince from the Popo people and a senior civil servant, took over as the church's pastor after MacCormac.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1830, John MacCormac was one of several Europeans asked to speak to the British Parliament. They wanted to know how Sierra Leone was being governed and if it was worth keeping as a colony. MacCormac told them he stayed healthy by eating local foods like rice and fish.

After becoming ill, John MacCormac left Sierra Leone for good on June 21, 1864. He moved to Barnsbury in Islington, London. He died there on March 20, 1865. His death was noted in legal magazines. MacCormac was one of the oldest and longest-living European residents in Sierra Leone, having lived in West Africa for over 50 years.

He left £4,000 to his grandchildren and others. His grandson, John Farrell Easmon, received £400 when he was 18 or 19. He used this money from his grandfather to pay for his medical studies.

Descendants

John MacCormac may have had a daughter named Catherine MacCormac with Hannah Cuthbert. Hannah was the daughter of African American immigrants from Savannah, Georgia who settled in Freetown. Catherine often visited her uncle, Dr. Henry MacCormac, in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

John MacCormac was the grandfather of Dr. John Farrell Easmon and the great-grandfather of Dr. McCormack Easmon. Charles Odamtten Easmon, a surgical consultant from Ghana, was also a great-great-grandson of John MacCormac.