Did Aunt Mimi adopt John?
Mimi never formally adopted her nephew. He came under her guardianship following a complex sequence of events.
In 1940 Julia Lennon gave birth to John. At the time she was married to the biological father (Alf aka Freddie Lennon) they were effectively separated. In fact they had never had a joint home together.
Julia initially brought up her son by alone, working in bars and cafes to support him. In 1945, she had a second child, Victoria. The father, a Welsh soldier, soon disappeared out of the picture. This time Julia put her daughter up for adoption.
A suitable home?
Towards the end of 1946, Julia further scandalised her family when she took up with John ‘Bobby’ Dykins, a wine steward at the Adelphi Hotel.
The couple moved into a tiny flat in which there was literally one bed. Cohabitation outside marriage was still a major taboo but would not in itself have been of interest to the authorities. The couple sharing a bed with a child did raise concerns. Mimi reported these to the social services.
Mimi then proposed a solution. 'Let him live with us,' she said. 'We can offer John a better life.'
To Mendips
Eventually, Julia agreed to Aunt Mimi and Uncle George informally taking custody of her son. From this point on, John entered a more emotionally stable and materially affluent childhood.
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| Aunt Mimi’s house — Copyright Pernille Eriksen — reprinted here with permission — prints available |
You can read an extended version of this post here: Why was John Lennon brought up by his aunt?
