CFHS code : AL187
Parish : St Andrew the Less
Inscription : In Loving Memory of ROBERT PROUDFOOT LENNOX b August 23 1843 d March 23 1902 MARY ANN wife of R P LENNOX d Nov 17 191[2] aged 67
Monument : Stone cross (fallen within kerb stones of 186 and broken)
Above information amended from Cambridge Family History Society Survey
[NB – MN to check date of Mary Lennox’s death on grave monument]
Monument
Inscription
Robert Proudfoot Lennox (1843-1902)
Robert was born in Scotland, the son of gentleman John Lennox. He trained as a dentist and in 1871 was lodging at 26 Eden Street, Cambridge with the Maskall family. He married Mary Winter on 12 October 1876 at St. Mary’s Church, Leamington Priors and they had two children: Emily Sarah (1878-1951) and Stewart Lennox (1881-1939). The family lived at 89 Norwich Street (at least 1881-1896) and Suffolk House, 24 Panton Street (at least 1900 onwards)
Robert worked with Alfred Jones (jnr) in a partnership called Jones and Lennox. Alfred Jones (snr) was the son of John Jones, and after his retirement in 1883 the business was carried on by his nephew Alfred (jnr) and Robert. The business operated from 59 Corpus Buildings. At the time dentistry was still in its infancy, registration of dentists had only started in 1878 and daily teeth brushing was still experimental. Against this backdrop, Robert was an enthusiastic and industrious dentist. At the 13th Annual British Dental Conference held in Birmingham in April 1893 Robert gave a demonstration on ‘all gold crowns, using fusible methods’. In January 1890 he and Frederick Thomas (a philosophical instrument maker) patented a pneumatic dental plugger. The papers for its worldwide protection said, ‘this invention has for its object an improved percussive tool to be worked by pneumatic power and applicable as a dental mallet, and for other purposes’. He also wrote dentistry books including ‘Some methods and appliances in operative and mechanical dentistry’, published 1897. Robert was a member of the Conservative Club and in performed in many musical concerts held in the club’s rooms on Market Passage.
He died at home aged 57 years old and the funeral was held on 26 March. The Cambridge Daily News ran an obituary which read ‘By his demise the profession has lost an exceedingly able practitioner. His ability was generally recognised in Cambridge, and her he will be greatly missed. Mr. Lennox was one of the foremost members of his profession in the country. By the invention of many instruments, he had done much for the advancement of the art. He also read papers to the British Dental Association, and in this direction his efforts were highly appreciated. His reputation was very extensive, and his work was much appreciated by the dentists of America and France.’
Mary Ann Lennox (née Winter) (1843 – 17 November 1913)
Mary was the daughter of William and Sarah (née Bell). Her father was a blacksmith, her mother a corset maker, and she grew up on Jesus Lane. In 1861 she was working as a housemaid at 15 Thompson’s Lane and married Robert Lennox when she was 33 years old. Mary’s elder sister Susan had married and moved to Leamington, which is probably why she was married there. She continued to live at Panton Street after she was widowed. Her age ‘decreased’ on census returns after her marriage, and in 1911 she was documented as being 65 years old, when she was at least 68 years old by that time.
She died at Suffolk House aged 67 years old and her funeral was held on 20 November at St. Paul’s Church. ‘Wreaths were sent by the following – In loving memory of dear mother, from Emily and John; To dear granny, from Madge and the boys [the grandchildren she loved so well]’ and many more besides.
Sources:
Ancestry
Newspaper archives
Parish burial records transcribed by CFHS
by Claire Martinsen
[If you have any information about this family, please contact us at Friendsofmillroadcemetery@gmail.com]