[33] The Beatles' personal stories were kept out of the newspapers—by agreement with journalists who were offered exclusive stories in return—but one day John opened a copy of the Daily Express seeing a photo of his father. [20] The cheques to Julia stopped in 1943 when he went absent without leave. Freddie Lennon was born in Liverpool in 1912 and as a youngster was placed in an orphanage after his father’s death because his mother, the former Mary Maguire, felt she would not be able to provide him with any type of education because of her illiteracy. Polly could not read or write, but was reported to be very humorous and supposedly had psychic abilities. [43] On 1 April 1976, Alf Lennon died in Brighton, at the age of 63, just nine days after Paul McCartney's father Jim McCartney died. A saddened Alf left Solihull for London, but he kept in touch with Charlie by phone. He auditioned for local theatre managers as a 'ship's entertainer,' but had no success, and so returned to sea. John Winston Lennon was born at 6:30 pm on 9 October 1940, on the second-floor ward of Liverpool Maternity Hospital at Oxford Street, supposedly during a German air raid, although it has been confirmed that there was no air raid on this date. [10], Julia's family were opposed to Alfred: her father said he was "certainly not middle class," and her sister Mimi was particularly unimpressed by him. Steve Turner, London, England. ← Winning the battle of the school lunchboxes. Although the main characters are fictional, some real people have been portrayed in the wartime sequences of the 1990s TV series Goodnight Sweetheart, including Alfred Lennon. This was the last time the pair would meet. In his post-Beatle years, Lennon began to identify himself as “Irish” rather than British or Welsh. "[8] In 1949, Alf's career at sea ended when he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. The famed singer-songwriter-guitarist of The Beatles was not a Catholic, but during his post-Beatle years he became a staunch advocate for the rights of Catholics in Northern Ireland and gave generous financial support to some Catholic priests in Northern Ireland who fought for civil rights. Her daughter was originally named Victoria Elizabeth, but was given up for adoption and later renamed Ingrid Marie Pedersen. NEW YORK — On February 9, when the United States commemorated the 50th anniversary of The Beatles coming to America and performing on The Ed Sullivan Show, many were still unaware of unique aspects of John Lennon’s storied life. The resemblance to her brother, the late John Lennon, goes beyond the physical to a certain tone of voice and stabs of wit. Hatred of John Lennon . John was their only child, but as Alfred was frequently away at sea during World War II, he did not see much of his child during his infancy. After Christmas, in 1965, John was embarrassed to learn that Alf had made a record: "That's My Life (My Love and My Home)", released on 31 December 1965. John Lennon is a name that cannot be erased from memory. Julia only found out because she stopped receiving her allowance money, and the Navy wrote to inform her that it was looking for him. Your email address will not be published. Since we have really had a connection and I pray to God often that we might get back together as brothers. Pauline contacted John via Apple Corps to make sure that he was aware that his father was dying. Contact us; Legal. I have wanted a relationship with my brother for decades since he estranged me as a teenager. [10] Julia's family were absent from the wedding, but Alf's brother Sydney acted as a witness. John later commented: "You know, all he wanted was for me to hear his side of the story, which I hadn't heard. [14] In March 1930, he took a job as bellboy on board the Cunard passenger liner SS Montrose. When Epstein was informed, he "went into a panic," immediately sending a car to bring John to NEMS office. Freddie died in Brighton in 1976, having been estranged from his famous son for many years They lived in the Toxteth Park area of Liverpool, and at least five of their children were born there: George Lennon (1905, in Denton Street), Herbert Lennon (1908), Sydney Lennon (1909), Harold Lennon (1911) and Alfred Lennon (1912) were born at 27 Copperfield Street. [2], It has often been stated that James was a professional singer, a ship's cook, and that he emigrated to the United States, and that his father, Jack Lennon, became a "refined" British minstrel, who toured the United States with Roberton's Kentucky Minstrels vaudeville troupe in the late 19th century. [2] Shortly after, Jack began living with Mary "Polly" Maguire in a common-law marriage. Neither Julia nor the Merchant Navy knew of his whereabouts. Julia gave birth to a daughter, Victoria, who was subsequently given up for adoption (after intense pressure from Julia's father and family) to a Norwegian Salvation Army Captain. Alfred worked in various positions on a crusie ship. She is the younger half-sister of English musician John Lennon, and is the eldest daughter of his mother Julia Lennon and John 'Bobby' Albert Dykins. After the death of Julia Lennon in 1958, Harriet and Norman Birch … [14] Alf first saw his son that November when he returned from working as a merchant seaman on troop transports during World War II. [42] In 1966, Alf asked John if he could give Pauline a job, so she was hired to help, looking after Julian Lennon and also the piles of fan mail. She also has an older half-sister, Ingrid Pedersen. He kept in touch with Julia, writing letters and meeting whenever he docked in Liverpool. Late in his life, Alf wrote a manuscript detailing his life story which he bequeathed to John. [27] Julia and Dykins found out and followed them to Blackpool, and after a heated argument, Alf made the five-year-old boy choose between Julia or him. David Lennon, Actor: Hollow in the Land. He smashed the window, took the mannequin, and danced with it in the street until he was arrested. Photograph: courtesy of Anthony Ekundayo Lennon. [41] Alf and Pauline moved to a flat in Bourne Court, London Road, Patcham, Brighton before moving to Ladies Mile Road, Brighton, in November 1969. He travelled with the troupe for a time before being discovered in Glasgow and returned to the orphanage, where he was severely punished. [15], On 3 December 1938, 11 years after they had first met, Julia married Alf after proposing to him. ===== 1. On December 8th of 1980, John Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman. [9] A few months before the birth Alf took John to his brother Sydney's house, in the Liverpool suburb of Maghull. Two Beatles were raised Anglican — John Lennon and Ringo Starr — while both Paul McCartney and George Harrison were raised Catholic. Their conversation did not last long, as John soon ordered Alf and the journalist out of the NEMS office. With Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff, David Threlfall. David was born the next year and Robin in 1973. John chose Alf (twice), and then Julia walked away, but in the end, John, crying, followed her,[28] although this has been disputed. He never met his sister Victoria nor his brother Robin, and he only met his brother David once when he was 4. [8] He was buried on 6 August 1921 at Allerton Cemetery. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The encounter was not a success, and Lennon launched into a tirade against his father. Accessibility statement; Freedom of information; He married Julia Stanley in 1938 and two years later their son John was born on October 9, 1940, during one of the most destructive Nazi air raids on Liverpool. At the age of 11, John Lennon was permanently banned from his Anglican parish while serving in the children’s choir for “repeatedly improvising obscene and impious lyrics to the hymns”. [1] James and Jane were both from County Down, Ulster, Ireland, and were married in St Anthony's Church, Scotland Road, Liverpool, on 29 April 1849. Pauline had been an 18-year-old Exeter University student and a Rolling Stones fan when she met the 53-year-old Alf in 1966. [24][25] According to his brother Charlie, people would visit the Lennon house in Copperfield Street while Alf was away at sea, offering large sums of money (up to £300) if Alf would divorce Julia, but Charlie told them to "get lost". It really puts a light on how family differences are so often minor in the larger picture of life. Although informally called Alf by … Getty John Lennon/Mark David Chapman Mark David Chapman became one of the most infamous killers in history after gunning down John Lennon outside his New York apartment on December 8, 1980. sfn error: no target: CITEREFLewisohn2013 (, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Charlie Lennon – Beatle's uncle who worked as a Liverpool chef", The A and B sides of "That’s My Life" Single, "FREDDIE LENNON-THAT'S MY LIFE-JOHN LENNON-BEATLES-A1/B1", "Lennon’s Lost Tape", The Argus: 13 April 2004, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alfred_Lennon&oldid=1019472341, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 23 April 2021, at 14:43. [14], Julia discovered that she was pregnant in April 1940. JULIAN LENNON: Beatles legend John Lennon's eldest son remembers their final conversation: 'We had started getting on, he was so happy.' He offered to look after his wife, their child and the expected baby, but Julia rejected the idea. [12], Alf was a musician, and specialised in impersonating Louis Armstrong and Al Jolson. The 14-year-old Julia said that his hat looked "silly," to which the 15-year-old replied that Julia looked "lovely," and sat down next to her. Mark David Chapman shot and killed John Lennon on December 8, 1980 outside of the Dakota building where Lennon lived in Manhattan. Heartbroken: Freddie Lennon, father of John Lennon of The Beatles, relaxing on a park bench. After waiting for a couple of hours, Alf left. James was a warehouseman and a cooper at the time. He died in Brighton, where he had gone to live after marrying Pauline Jones, with whom he had two sons. The November 1980 release of John Lennon's album Double Fantasy seems an impressive feat for a new label, ... His older brother Mitchell (born Mischa) Geffen (1933–2006) was an attorney who attended UCLA Law School and later settled in Encino, California. Mitchell Geffen fathered two daughters, who … His half-brother, musician Julian Lennon, the only child of John and his first wife, Cynthia, accompanied him for parts of the tour. Alfred spent many years in an orphanage with his sister, Edith, after his father died. [35] John was annoyed when he arrived home, telling Cynthia about Alf's visit to the NEMS office a few weeks earlier. [30] In 1968, John Lennon told Hunter Davies that he soon forgot his father, saying, "It was like he was dead. While waiting, Cynthia made Alf tea and cheese on toast, and offered to cut his "long, stringy locks" of hair, which he allowed. Alf had two sons with Pauline: David Henry Lennon, born 26 February 1969, and Robin Francis Lennon, born 22 October 1973.[43][44]. Daughter Edith Lennon was born that year and then Charles (21 November 1918 – 26 May 2002). [8] He had rickets as a child and wore leg braces, which led to his growth being stunted at 5' 4". Although informally called Alf by his family, he released a record as Freddie Lennon, and was referred to in the media by that name. With his brother Vincent (on left). "The Beatles Anthology" DVD (2003) (Episode 1 - 0:04:22) Lennon talking about Alf being a Merchant Seaman. Freddie was away at sea for long periods and his absences put a definite strain on the marriage. [3] Polly died on 30 January 1949. Lennon was floored. Alf Lennon brought his young wife Pauline and their 18-month-old son David Henry Lennon, whom John had never before met. [20], Alf later told his version of what happened while he was AWOL in 1943. The record never made it into the charts. [5], Alfred Lennon (always called 'Alf' by his family), was known as being happy-go-lucky, and "couldn't resist having a good time". Alf, who was dressed in a bowler hat and holding a cigarette holder, saw "this little waif" sitting on a wrought-iron bench. Feb 23, 2020 - Explore Cara's board "John Lennon's Liverpool Family" on Pinterest. Margaret died giving birth to a daughter also called Margaret on 19 August 1892. He was considered very witty and musical throughout his life—he sang and played the banjo—but not considered very reliable or dependable. John’s grandfather, minstrel singer Jack Lennon, had a brother William who was a Catholic priest in England. He played the banjo, as did Julia, though neither pursued music professionally (Julia would later teach her son how to play the banjo). August 1921 at Allerton Cemetery off his hat, which he bequeathed to John Lennon... In his post-Beatle years, Lennon began to identify himself as “ ”. 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