John William Cann, M.D.

Family Patriarch:

In 1873, Somerset saw the birth of one of its most dynamic and historically important residents — John William Cann. His legacy in the history of educational benefits for Black students and the contribution of his descendants is noteworthy.

John William Cann was the third of seven children born to Robert James Cann, a seaman, and Frances Harriett Burrows-Cann, of Hog Bay Level, Sandys.

There was no record found of his early education; however, we do know that he was accepted into Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, the first private Black medical school in the South, which was founded in 1856 for African-Americans. He was financially supported by his brothers until he graduated in 1897 at the age of 24.

The newly qualified Dr Cann returned to Bermuda, where he is recorded as the sixth medical doctor registered to practise here. The next year, he married Isadore Campbell, of St David’s, and raised four children. His medical practice in Somerset flourished and his skills were sought after throughout the island.

In 1911, he was elected to the House of Assembly to represent Sandys Parish. His election success coincided with upsetting events in Bermuda’s Black history created by the Bermuda Development Group. One was the removal of Black people from their homes and land in Tucker’s Town; the other centred around the removal of Blacks from the land around Cambridge Beaches in Sandys. Dr Cann recognised there was a shortage of Black lawyers to fight these and many similar cases. He believed that education was the key to the future of his race and became even more determined to educate his children, and encouraged others to do likewise.

He managed a busy medical practice and maintained a farm on which his children were required to assist. Very few of his patients could afford to pay for his services in cash and often settled their bills with produce. He had a kind, understanding, jovial personality that endeared him to the community.

His second son, Eustace, born in 1905, attended Mrs Trott’s private school in Somerset and The Berkeley Institute. He was known to be an extremely confident, highly intelligent young man. He sat the examination for the Bermuda Government Scholarship and, although he was successful, was awarded no scholarship because of his race. No Black student, despite academic excellence had ever been awarded this scholarship.

In Eva Hodgson’s book, Second Class Citizens; First Class Men, it states that the Governor, Sir Joseph J. Asser, was heard to say: “I am sure that he should have won it because he was a very clever young man. However, he did not.” When Dr Cann heard of this, he was enraged and immediately drove his horse and buggy to Government House to confront the Governor and demand the injustice be rectified. As a result of his persistence, he was successful in the passing of legislation that established four technical scholarships entitled The Bermuda Scholarship Act of 1924, created especially for “Coloured boys”.

He relentlessly emphasised the importance of Black parents educating their children and recommended they attend the predominantly Black American universities, which were more affordable than British universities. Many heeded his advice and sent their children off to Howard University in Washington, a private, federally chartered historically Black university founded in 1867.

When Eustace Cann received and accepted the Bermuda Technical Scholarship, many were upset. They believed the name “technical” was insulting and the funding inadequate for candidates who were to study medicine.

In 1925, Bermuda was devastated by the untimely death of John W. Cann.

He was returning home from visiting a patient when he suffered a stroke and died at the age of 52. The Somerset community was still mourning the death one year before of the other Somerset physician, Richard Packwood.

Isadore Cann was left to educate the children. Eustace Cann had not completed his studies and neither had his two brothers, but she was determined and struggled on to accomplish what her husband had set out to do. Dr Cann had not only been the parish physician, but had represented Sandys in the House of Assembly from 1911 to 1925.

His niece, the late Elsie Cann-Bascombe described him as a “physician, a statesman and a devoted member of the AME Church”.

By Cecille Snaith-Simmons,
The Royal Gazette on Thursday, February 9, 2023, page 5