Cousin Connections: John Lennon Auto Victim (1843 - 1933)

It is wonderful to connect with distant cousins who share a love of genealogy and share their photos of common ancestors. Such is the case with Caitlin Clyne who is related through our shared Moynahan-Lennon branch of the family tree (Maidstone, Ontario).

Caitlin shared this terrific photo of the Lennon family (circa 1914) with me:

(Top Row) Edward Lennon (b. 1865), Catherine Moynahan Lennon (b. 1875), John Lennon (Edward's older brother b. 1843); (Bottom row) Marguerite (b. 1903), Clarisse (b. 1904), and Marie Lennon (b. 1901).

This photo will be featured in a future blog post about sisters Clarice and Marie Lennon who both became nuns.

In today's blog post, I want to honour and remember their uncle John Lennon (1843-1933) who was a bachelor (see my page dedicated to bachelors). This is the first time (with thanks to Caitlin) that I have seen a picture of him.

I had read in the newspaper archives that John died tragically at 90 years of age after being struck by an automobile on Talbot Road near Oldcastle.

He resided in Sandwich South, Essex County, Ontario all of his life. The obituary states that he had retired from farming in 1908 and "had lived at John Sexton's on Talbot Road about a mile east of Oldcastle, for eighteen years past".

I found him listed as a boarder with the Lennon-Moynahan family in the 1911 census (below).

1911 Census: Essex North: Sub District 15: Sandwich South (Source: ancestry.ca)

Little is known about his life other than the fact (mentioned in his obituary) that "Mr Lennon was for many years a county constable".

John Lennon
(1843 - 1933)

Although not directly related to me, bachelor John Lennon was an uncle to my 1st cousins (2x removed) Clarisse and Marie Lennon and he is therefore remembered and honoured here.