Johann Gottlob Schmeisser (22 March 1751 – 21 December 1806) was an Evangelical

Lutheran minister who was the second minister of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia and served for 24
years. He arrived during the American Revolution, and, after being in the village for only two
months, he was involved in the defense of the town during the Raid on Lunenburg, Nova
Scotia (1782).

Germany
Schmeisser's parents were Meister J. Schumeisser and Eva Dorothea. He was born in
Weissenfels. Schmeisser attended the Lyceum at Weissenfels for several years. Because
his father only had the income of a tailor, at age 25, the town sponsored Schmeisser to
attend the University of Halle in 1777.[2] The town indicated that Schmeisser was awarded
the money because "he has led an industrious, quiet, and systematic life, and by his good
behaviour has won the praise of his teachers and of the town."[3] He was ordained at
Wernigerode. He also worked in Leipzig. He eventually left for Nova Scotia via London,
where he stayed for a number of weeks.

Nova Scotia
Schmeisser followed Rev. Mr. Friederich Schultz at Lunenburg. (Rev. Schultz was the first to
serve in Lunenburg, erected the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1772 and stayed for 8
years.) After the position was vacant for two years, Schmeisser arrived in Lunenburg on 1
May 1782. Soon upon arriving in Lunenburg, Schmeisser, at age 31, began to court Sophia
Biehler, age 25, the daughter of the master blacksmith, Wendel Wust.

He confronted the American invaders in the raid on Lunenburg and was subsequently tied
up and left in the centre of town.

Three days after the raid on Lunenburg, on 3 July 1782, he married Sophia in the Zion
Evangelical Lutheran Church (Lunenburg). They eventually had six children.

During his 24 years in Lunenburg he baptized 1729 children, confirmed 700 people and
buried 380. He also wrote the sermon The Holy Communion: A Relic of the Past and an
Instructor of the Present : Being a Sermon Written in the Year A.D. 1797.

He suffered an illness for 17 years and died on 21 December 1806 at age 55. He was buried
with a gravestone in the Hillcrest Cemetery (Lunenburg, Nova Scotia).