George S Cannon was born 15 May 1766 in Peel, Isle of Man, England, United Kingdom to Hugh Cannon (1742-1801) and Elinor Addy (1746-1827) and died 19 July 1811 Ship mutiny of unspecified causes. He married Leonora Callister (1775-1832) 3 February 1794 in Patrick, Isle of Man, England.
Biography
George Cannon, the father of George Cannon “the immigrant” was born in Peel, Isle of Man in May 1766, and died at sea on board his own ship on July 19,1811. He was the victim of a mutiny among his crew.
Early Years - Tea Smuggling
George assisted his father, Hugh Cannon, a fisherman. He loved the sea, and decided that he wanted the adventures which it provided. He became a smuggler, a reputable and even patriotic career – to avoid the oppressive English tax collectors. The fishermen knew well the Manx coasts, currents, and caves, and used them to their advantage. It was a dangerous but profitable profession. When the English Parliament discontinued the harsh taxation, smuggling was no longer profitable.
Ship Captain & Mutiny
Captain Cannon turned to another profitable venture, the slave trade. A detailed log book of his voyage from Liverpool to Bonney, Africa on the ship “Iris” is available. They left England on the 8th of June, 1798. In Africa they took on food (yams, rice and beans) and fresh water and 420 slaves in the Gulf of Guinea (the “slave coast”). His human cargo was unloaded in the West Indies. On the return trip to England he was apparently in the King’s service, as he was one of a fleet directed by an English commodore. Although few details are known of his later adventures, he was apparently in the royal service much of the time. He spent considerable time ashore with his family. The name of the ship and its location when he was killed have not been determined.
Marriage and Family
He was married at age 28 to Leonora Callister, age 19. Leonora was born in 1775.
- George Cannon (1794-1844) -usually referred to as “the Immigrant” to differentiate him from the other George Cannons.
- Leonora Cannon (1796-1868) - wife of John Taylor (1808-1887) - LDS Apostle and 3rd President of the LDS Church - moved to Utah.
- Thomas Cannon (1799-1804) - died young
- Ann Cannon (1800-1868) - died young
- John Cannon (1802-) -John was born in 1802; he moved to Australia.
- Thomas Brean Cannon (1804-1823) - Thomas was born in 1804, but died in his 19th year.
- Eleanor Cannon (1806-1885) - Another Elinor followed in 1806; she eventually came to Utah where she died in 1885.
- David Cannon (1810-1811) - died in infancy
- David Cannon (1811-1840) - Another son David was born in 1811, 2 months before his father’s death; he also moved to Australia.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| George Cannon (1794-1844) | 3 December 1794 Peel, Isle of Man, England, United Kingdom | 17 August 1844 St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri, United States | Anne Quayle (1798-1842) Mary Edwards (1810-1890) |
| Leonora Cannon (1796-1868) | 5 October 1796 Peel, Isle of Man, England, United Kingdom | 9 December 1868 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States | John Taylor (1808-1887) |
| Thomas Cannon (1799-1804) | |||
| Ann Cannon (1800-1868) | |||
| John Cannon (1802-) | |||
| Thomas Brean Cannon (1804-1823) | |||
| Eleanor Cannon (1806-1885) | |||
| David Cannon (1810-1811) | |||
| David Cannon (1811-1840) | |||
Siblings