Samuel Leonard Shannon, (June 1, 1816 – January 7, 1895) was a Canadian lawyer, judge and political figure in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

, Canada. He represented Halifax County in the

Nova Scotia House of Assembly The Nova Scotia House of Assembly (; ), or Legislative Assembly, is the deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Nova Scotia, and together with the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia makes up the Nova Scotia Legislature. The assembly is ...

from 1859 to 1867.

Biography

He was born in

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...

on June 1, 1816. The son of James Noble Shannon, a city merchant, and Nancy Allison. Shannon was educated at the

University of King's College The University of King's College is a public university, public Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia.Roper, Henry. "Aspects of the History of a Loyalist College: King's College, Windsor, and ...

. He articled in law with Henry Pryor and was called to the bar in 1839. In 1855, he married Annie Starr Fellows. Shannon served in the local militia, reaching the rank of lieutenant-colonel. In 1858, he was named a Nova Scotia railway board commissioner. Shannon was named

Queen's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

in 1864. He served as a

minister without portfolio A minister without portfolio is a government minister without specific responsibility as head of a government department. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet with decision-making authorit ...

in the province's Executive Council from 1863 to 1867. He supported the development of an intercolonial railway, free common schools and

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

. Shannon served on the board of governors for Dalhousie College and helped establish the Dalhousie Law School, serving as one of its first instructors. In 1881, he was named probate judge for Halifax County. Shannon died in Halifax on January 7, 1895, at the age of 78.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shannon, Samuel Leonard 1816 births 1895 deaths 19th-century members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly Judges in Nova Scotia Canadian Methodists Canadian King's Counsel University of King's College alumni Nova Scotia candidates for Member of Parliament Candidates in the 1867 Canadian federal election