Francis Cassidy (1873)
Francis Cassidy was born 17 January 1827 in Saint-Jacques-de-l’Achigan, Montcalm County. He was mayor of Montréal from March to June 1873. He died 14 June 1873 in Montréal.
He studied law in Montréal. He qualified as a lawyer on 18 August 1848. Cassidy soon became famous, as a lawyer, one of the most brilliant in Montréal in civil as well as in criminal proceedings. He held key positions : president of St. Patrick’s Society, president of the Institut Canadien (1849-1850, 1857-1858), and member of parliament for Montréal-West (1871-1873), elected by acclamation.
Cassidy became mayor of Montréal on February 1873; he was elected by acclamation. Unfortunately, he died 3 months later at 46. He was known for his role in the famous Guibord affair, as the lawyer of Notre-Dame parish. Even if he had already been president of the Institut Canadien, adversary of the parish, he believed that it was his duty to defend the Church of Canada.
See : Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
