John Lennox, Innkeeper at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

The Lennox Inn, a bed and breakfast, is located at 69 Fox Street in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Lunenburg is a pretty town on the coast, famous for being the berth of the “Bluenose” schooner, found on the Canadian dime. The United Nations has designated the entire town of Lunenburg as a World Heritage Site. It is the oldest continuously operating inn in Canada, built in 1791 by John Lennox, a Scots immigrant. There is some evidence that it was built by Andreas Jung, and sold to Mr. Lennox for a tavern. This must have caused some concern, for the Lutheran church is still located directly across the street.

From the website www.lenoxinn.com you can see that it has been lovingly restored and preserved, saved from demolition in 1991 by the current owner, Robert Cram. It is a step back in time to visit or stay here.

John Lennox was born about 1765 in Scotland, and he died on 1 Oct. 1817 in Lunenburg. He married Ann Margaret, the daughter of German immigrants, on 19 Mar. 1797 at St. John’s Anglican Church. Their first child, Ann Barbara, was born several years previous to the wedding. His will left property to his wife, Anna Margaret (Schupp), son William and daughters Anna Barbara, Isabella, Sarah and Lucy, omitting son Louis.

In one of the four large upstairs guest rooms, the name of John Lennox was uncovered on a pine panel. This pencil autograph is still visible above the fireplace. Robert Cram also found a receipt for wine and rum, complete with John Lennox’s name, between the floor joists of the attic during the restoration. The first floor of the Inn is set up for daily breakfast, but the original tavern can be imagined since the wooden bar is still installed in one corner. It still has the wooden cage over the bar, just like one I once saw at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts.

Several years ago we planned a family vacation to Nova Scotia, and I was excited to book two nights at the Lennox Inn. We were the only occupants, so at night it was spooky to hear the creaking and groaning of the old building, and we half expected to see the ghost of our ancestor, John Lennox. Innkeeper Cram assured me that John Lennox probably never lived there in the Inn, because his personal residence was across the street in a smaller house.

The Lennox lineage:

Gen. 1. John Lennox b. about 1765 in Scotland, d. 1 Oct. 1817 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia; married on 19 Mar 1797 at St. John’s Anglican Church in Lunenburg to Ann Margareta Schupp, daughter of Johan Justinas Schupp and Anna Margareta Finck, b. 18 Sep 1773 in Lunenburg.

Children:

1. Ann Barbara, b. 30 Dec. 1793 in Lunenburg; married about 24 Aug. 1813 in Lunenburg to Thomas Humphreville Chamberlain.
2. William Lennox, b. 8 Jun 1799 in Lunenburg, d. 15 Apr. 1822 in Lunenburg
3. Louis Lennox, (not mentioned in his father’s will) b. 1 Jun. 1801 in Lunenburg, d. 14 Jul 1901 in Lunenburg
4. Isabella Lennox, b. 7 Oct 1803 in Lunenburg; married on 25 May 1830 at the Zion Lutheran Church, Lunenburg to Caspar Arenberg
5. Sarah Elizabeth Lennox, b. 16 Feb. 1805 in Lunenburg; married to Bremner Frederick Bollman.
6. Lucy Catherine Lennox, b. 14 Mar 1807 in Lunenburg, d. 13 Dec. 1869 in Lunenburg; married to George Oxner.

Gen. 2. Bremner Frederick Bollman and Sarah Elizabeth Lennox. He was the son of Dr. Johann Daniel Bollman and Jane Bremner. Dr. Bollman was a surgeon from Hammersleben, Saxony, Germany, who arrived in the New World as a Hessian mercenary serving under Baron Diedesel’s Regiment. He settled in Lunenburg, a mostly German town. Jane Bremner was the daughter of Scots immigrants Robert and Margaret (Stewart) Bremner. Bremener Frederick Bollman was born on 25 Feb. 1802 and died on 15 Dec 1838 in Lunenburg. Sarah remarried to Martin Ernst.

Children:

1. Jane Sarah Bollman, b. 9 May 1833 in Lunenburg; married on 26 Jan. 1850 at St. James Anglican Church in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia to George James Lowe.
2. Ann Margaret Bollman, b. 11 Sep 1835 in Lunenburg; married Caleb Rand Bill on 7 June. 1858 in Lunenburg.
3. James Daniel Bollman, b. 11 Jun 1836 in Lunenburg

Gen. 3. Ann Margaret Bollman and Caleb Rand Bill. An excerpt was found in the Diary of Adolphus Gaetz of Lunenburg: June 1858 Monday 7th- "Married at 12 o'clock noon, at the house of Mrs. Trider, under whose care the Bride had been brought up, Mr. C. R. Bill, formerly at teacher of vocal music in this place, to Miss Annie Bolman, daughter of the late Bremner Bolman. At 2 o'clock the married couple started on their way to New Brunswick, they were escorted as far as Mahone Bay by several young men and maidens who had been at the wedding. The above were married by the father of the Groom, Rev'd I. E. Bill, baptist preacher, at St. John, New Brunswick, who came here for the purpose." Caleb Bill was a music professor, and he and his bride lived at St. John’s, New Brunswick; Houlton, Maine; Watertown, Massachusetts and Salem, Massachusetts. They had nine children, all musically talented. Professor Bill and his wife, Annie, were my great, great grandparents.

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Copyright 2010, Heather Wilkinson Rojo