Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

Hi all.
Another family member (Tom Lennon) first made the following request for help over a year ago. Having found a little more additional information, I am once again posting this in the hope that you detectives out there may pick up the challenge once again (Hello Simone, Collette and Carole) .
I am trying to find members of my Lennon family who appear to be missing or even non-existent on census records in Liverpool.

What I have got is the following :-

1846 Marriage certificate
Thomas Lemon - Labourer
father John - Cabinet Maker
Mary Devitt - father James - Mason
Age for both Thomas and Mary reads ‘full’ (therefore at least 21).
(I’m certain that there is a mis-transcription of Lennon in BMD records since the cursive writing of two ’n’s looks like an ’m’ to me.)

1866 Birth Certificate
4 Court Johnson Street
Peter Lennon b. 24/06/1866
father, Thomas – Stevedore
mother, Mary Devitt

1878 Marriage certificate
Johnson Street
Mary A Lennon age 22 b.1856
father, Thomas – Stevedore
John Gannon age 24 b.1854

1883 Death Certificate
8CT 4H Burlington Street
Thomas Lennon age 62 b.1821 - Stevedore
Present at Death – Mary A Gannon nee Lennon (daughter)

1890 Marriage Certificate
Burlington Street
Peter Lennon age 24 b.1866
father, Thomas – Stevedore
Mary Roberts age 19 b.1871

1891 and 1901 Census records
Peter Lennon
Wife Mary Lennon and Children

There is another family (Lennan) in 1851 and 1861 with similar ages and names but the father Thomas is a Grease Melter and the mother’s maiden name was Hughes not Devitt. Close but no cigar!

We believe that both Thomas and Mary were from Ireland but cannot even begin to trace them there without knowing even the County they were born in. There is no evidence that they were moving back and forth between Liverpool and Ireland. These were poor people .
What I would like is evidence for Thomas and Mary Lennon’s life in Liverpool which just may give clues about Ireland.
They are absent from all census returns for 1851/1861/1871/1881 including 1871 and 1881 when son Peter and daughter Mary were with them. I’m also keen to find other children – there is a gap of 10 years between their marriage and the birth of Mary and another 10 years after that, the birth of Peter. Peter’s wife Mary had over 14 children so I expect his mother had a few more! One of Peter’s children, Elizabeth (my Grandmother) will be 100 in November so it would be fantastic to have all this wrapped up by then .
Sorry to be so long winded but you will probably need all of the above. Even if you can only advise me how to continue, this will be of considerable help.

Thanks and Good Luck
Tony

Hiya i recall this family.... in 1883 what was the address on Thomas's death cert..? surley in 1871 they would be in Johnson St.. if they are there in 1866 and 1878.

Colette

Hi Colette

Addresses

Thomas - Death cert.
8CT 11H Burlington St.

Peter - Birth Cert
11 CT Johnson St.

Mary and John Gannon - marriage cert.
Johnson St. (no number given)

They are probably different addresses in Johnson St. because it's unlikely that Mary's husband John would be living with them as well. (?)
Looking at the movement between addresses in this era with other branches, most people appear to have moved around a lot (probably falling behind with the rent ). Twelve years in the same Court from Peter's birth to Mary's marriage would seem unlikely (although Thomas does appear to have continuous employment as a Stevedore which was better paid than a normal Dock Labourer).
Thanks
Tony

Morning All, I know where the Lennon's where in the census!!
They were in a Witness Protection Programme, with The Montrose's.
Tara Tina

Hi Tony,

You have them on the 1871 on Ellen St?
I checked on ancestry and that you had changed the name Lonnon to Lennon?

Sue

Strange..... but check this out.....

1851 Source Citation: Class: HO107; Piece: 2178; Folio: 750; Page: 63; GSU roll: 87175-87176

Name: Thomas Davitt
Age: 26
Estimated birth year: abt 1825
Relation: Head
Dock labourer
Where born: Ireland

Name: Mary Davitt
Age: 19
Estimated birth year: abt 1832
Relation: Wife
Spouse's name: Thomas
Where born: Ireland

Name: Ellen Davitt
Age: 4 Mo
Estimated birth year: abt 1850
Relation: Daughter
born Liverpool.

Can't make out the name of the road, sorry.

Sue

Hi Sue
the problem with a lot of the Thomas and Mary Lennons in Liverpool are that the ages don't match up to a Thomas born 1821 and a Mary born 1825. Some are close but then there is no evidence for them having children - Peter and Mary. Peter is especially important because, as my G-Grandfather, I know he definitely existed. Find him and we find the others.

The problem with the name is equally irritating. Lennon has been mistranscribed as Lonnon/Lennan/Lunnon/Linnen/Linnan/Lemmon for other families in one or two census results. Sometimes the name is genuinely different but then they mostly seem to end up as Lennon sooner or later .

Hi Tina
I don't know about being with the Montrose's. I was thinking they had all jumped on a charra with the Hennessys, Cosgroves, Pierces and Cavanaghs and were halfway to Blackpool the night of the census .

Thanks
Tony

Hi, Sue some changes which Tony has made was to Ellen Lonnan in Anc. Uk to Lennon, she is in the Ind School Kirkdale aged 8. Also Thos in Tockie Park b Ire 33 labr, Mary 33 b Ire, Mary 9, Thos 7, Hugh 3.
Tony said he couldn't find them in any census. He tells porkies I reckon. Just joshing Tina

Does that 1851 look promising?

Hiya everyone

The Lennons, arrgggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Montrose ..arggggghhhhhhhhh

Who am I Where am I

I may never recover



Simone x

By the way Tony

In my search for marriage between Thomas and Mary I loooked at every quarter from 1867 back to 1837. I tried to match up every Thomas Lennon/ Lemon, or close transcription to this name with a Mary Devit and the only one I came up with was the Lemon/Devit marriage 1846

Simone x

Tony, can't remeber if I put this in the notes I left but in 1891 in Burlington St is another Lennon when Peter is living there as a newly wed.

Name Age RG12 2901 29 7 -8 in 8 Court Burlington St
Henry Cowley 45 boiler maker
Mary A Cowley 37
George Dale 25
Tom Lennon 17 b-in-law- dock labourer

1891 Peter Lennon b 1867 at Burlington St- 1 in 14 court
RG12 2901 31 11

They are in such close proximity I feel that they are very possibly related, maybe siblings.

Mary A is quite a few years older that Tom and Peter, but that is very possible especially if the 1846 marriage is right.

Simone x

Dare I ask who witnesses were to the marriage?

Interestingly with the Lennon/ Cowley connection, there is a marriage on Lancs BMD

COWLEY Margaret LENNON John West Derby, Register Office or Registrar Attended Liverpool REG_WD/119/35

Could this be another sibling marrying a Cowley sibling?

Something to chew on

Got to pop out be back later.

Simone x

HI Sue

Witnesses at marriage for Peter Lennon and Mary Roberts were Bridget Cummins and George McVey. Managed to track George McVey on the census, He is a Fireman/ Stevedore in 1901- living at 16 Middle Street, Scotland Road area.
He is married to Ellen with children Mary, Kate, Ellen and Rose Ann-
sorry not time to look for ref at the mo

Witnesses at ThomasLemon/ Mary Devit 1846 are John Bradly and Mary McCarty - marriage by registrars cert. Residence for Thomas School Lane, residence for Mary, Thomas St. They have also married at St Martins in the Fields which seems to be outside of their home parish, would have thought more likely to marry at St Peters or poss St Nicks. So was something afoot as by registrars cert also?

Really must pop out now

Simone x

Back again

In 1881 Heney Cowley is in Burlington St, no 72, RG 11 3596 116 13 - his wife listed as Margaret A- although her name is transcribed as Mary A in 1891, I suppose is could be Marg A really.

Henry Cowley is still in Burlington St in 1871 RG19 3258 21 35

Could Margaret who marries John Lennon in 1888 be his and Margaret's daughter

Not yet confirmed if Margaret A was a Lennon

It may be worth scrolling through Burlington St area on census images to see if anymore Lennons

Simone x

Is there any possibility that they could've taken on the Devitt name for some reason, for census purpose. I'm asking because I've found again on the 1871

Name: Peter Dewett
Age: 10
Estimated birth year: abt 1861
Relation: Son
Father's name: Hamos
Mother's name: Mary
Gender: Male
Where born: Liverpool

Civil parish: Liverpool
Ecclesiastical parish: St Bartholomew
Town: Liverpool

Anthony Dewett 16
Ellen Dewett 20
Hamos Dewett 40
Margret Dewett 14
Mary Dewett 38
Peter Dewett 10
Sarah Dewett 3
Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 3771; Folio: 154; Page: 5; GSU roll: 841886.

Father's name is definately Thomas. The surname is definately Devitt.
Address looks like 8 court Midghall st?
Thomas is born Ireland and is a corn porter. If it's the same 1 I found on the 1851 then he's gone from Labourer to corn porter.

May be they could be related, if not the family. Devitt isn't exactly a common name?

Sue

Bah, my heads just not screwed on! Just found a marriage 1849 for a Thomas Devitt and Mary Riley 1849

Sue

Thought I was being clever

You are clever Sue

Wonder who Mrs Lennon is then
1891 RG12 2959 23 42
Name Age
Elizabeth Hubbard 54
John Hubbard 20
Thomas Hubbard 60
Lennon 52 - b Dublin


Simone x