John Kearns (1784 – 1864) was an Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada

Upper Canada

The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...

. He represented Prescott

Prescott County, Ontario

Prescott County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario.It was created in 1800 from a portion of Glengarry County. It was named in honor of Major General Robert Prescott, Governor of Canada at that time. First settlers were Americans, but not all were Loyalists...

 in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada

Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada

The Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791. It was the elected legislature for the province of Upper Canada and functioned as the province's lower house in the Parliament of Upper Canada...

 from 1836 to 1841 as a Conservative.

A Roman Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

, Kearns received a land grant in Plantagenet Township. Kearns was a lieutenant in the British Army

British Army

The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

 in the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry)

68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry)

The 68th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1758 and amalgamated into The Durham Light Infantry in 1881. It saw action during the Seven Years War before being converted to Light Infantry in 1808. Fighting with distinction in the Peninsular Army under Arthur...

 who retired on half-pay

Half-pay

In the British Army and Royal Navy of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, half-pay referred to the pay or allowance an officer received when in retirement or not in actual service....

 in 1819 and later served as a captain and then lieutenant-colonel in the Prescott militia. He received a Military General Service Medal

Military General Service Medal

The Military General Service Medal was a campaign medal approved in 1847, for issue to officers and men of the British Army.The MGSM was approved on 1 June 1847 as a retrospective award for various military actions from 1793–1814; a period encompassing the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic...

 with five clasps for service in Europe. He was a justice of the peace

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

 for the Ottawa District

Ottawa District, Ontario

The Ottawa District was a historic district in Upper Canada which existed until 1849. It was created in 1816 by splitting the counties of:*Prescott*Russellfrom the Eastern District.The district town was L'Orignal....

. Kearns died in Plantagenet Township.