Lennon was born at Liverpool Maternity Hospital on October 9, 1940, to Julia (née Stanley) (1914-1958) and Alfred Lennon (1912–1976). Alfred was an Irish merchant seaman who was away at the time of his son’s birth. John Winston Lennon was named by his parents after his paternal grandfather, John “Jack” Lennon, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
His father was frequently away from home, but he sent regular pay cheques to Lennon’s mother at 9 Newcastle Road in Liverpool; the cheques ceased when he went absent without leave in February 1944. When he returned home six months later, he offered to look after the family, but Julia, who was now pregnant with another man’s child, declined. Julia gave her sister Mimi custody of Lennon after she complained to Liverpool’s Social Services twice.
Who inherited John Lennon’s money and estate?
John executed a last will and testament naming his controversial second wife, Yoko Ono, as executor and trustee of his estate ten years before his death.
This effectively gave Yoko complete control over John’s assets, including many of his songwriting rights.
In July 1946, Lennon’s father paid her a visit and took his son to Blackpool, secretly intending to accompany him to New Zealand. Julia followed them with her partner at the time, Bobby Dykins, and after a heated argument, his father forced the five-year-old to choose between them.
According to one account, Lennon twice chose his father, but as his mother walked away, he began to cry and followed her. According to author Mark Lewisohn, Lennon’s parents agreed that Julia should take him and give him a home.
Billy Hall, who witnessed the incident, claims that the dramatic portrayal of a young John Lennon being forced to choose between his parents is inaccurate. Lennon had no further contact with Alf for nearly 20 years.
