Person Record

Metadata

Name

Kennedy, Matthew

Othernames

Matt Kennedy?

Places of residence

Owen Sound, Grey County

Titles & honors

Mayor of Owen Sound 1895-1896

Father

William Kennedy Sr. (1809-1885)

Mother

Agnes Kennedy (nee Stark)

Nationality

Canadian

Notes

Sometime after October, 1854, the William and Agnes Kennedy family moved from Port Hope to Owen Sound, Canada West. William was a Scottish millwright and foundryman, who started a planing mill and small foundry business on the east side of town, near the Sydenham River. In 1862, Wm. Kennedy advertised a "New Foundry", as he had moved into the stone buildings formerly moved into the stone buildings formerly occupied by Robert Hadden's foundry, along Baker St. (now 9th St. East). Matthew Kennedy, and his brother Thomas Kennedy, worked with their father.

A circa 1865 advertisement reads: Sydenham Foundry & Planing Mill, Poulett Street, Owen Sound, C.W. / Wm. Kennedy & Sons / Practical Millwrights & Machinists / Would respectfully inform the public that they are prepared to turn out / Castings of Any Weight or Description / and Furnish Every Requisite For / Flouring, Grist and Saw Mills / On the Most Improved Principles of Reasonable Terms / Ploughs, Ploughs/ They are manufacturing and have on hand a large stock of McGEE & / PEARSON'S Patent, Double Mould-board Iron Plough. This is decidedly / The Best and Cheapest Plough ever introduced into the County of Grey / They have also a number of other excellent patterns on hand. / Planing and Sawing / They continue to PLANE and MATCH all kinds of Lumber from 1/4 inch to 4 1/2 inches in thickness, either soft or hardwood, as well as can be done in the/ Province, and as Cheap as will be done in this Town. / Window sash Kept on Hand and Made to Order / Wm. Kennedy & Sons."

Thomas died in 1878. Their father passed away on August 25, 1885. Matthew Kennedy and his brother Alexander continued the firm (the other Kennedy brothers were involved as well).

Matthew and others of the family decided to relocate the family business to the west side of town. Circa 1887, Wm. Kennedy & Sons were manufacturers of turbine water wheels, ship propellers, marine engines, and heavy mill machinery, and were now located at the corner of Beech and Stephens Streets (west harbour area). They then employed 30 hands at that time. Their trade extended not only over the whole of Canada, but also to Australia, England, Ireland, and the West Indies.

Matthew Kennedy is one of the people recorded on the 1933 hand-drawn Kennedy Family Tree document at the Grey Roots Museum & Archives. There are also images of him in the archives.

He had a sailing boat? or pleasure boat called the VENETTA, that was used for trips out of Owen Sound.

His wife, A. Dowsley, was from the T. B. Dowsley family of Owen Sound.

Archival Items:
1969.09.001 Handwritten testimonial to Capt. Alexander G. McLeod of the steamer MAGNET, 1883, is signed by Matthew Kennedy (there were some other Kennedys aboard the ship as well). There was a voyage where the Magnet was delayed in a storm, which had worried people at Owen Sound
1980.281.001 Composite photograph of Owen Sound Mayors, includes Matthew Kennedy
1981.057.062 Owen Sound Town Council photograph, includes Matthew Kennedy as Mayor
1981.057.072 Photograph of cornerstone for Kennedy foundry building addition in 1941, includes Matt Kennedy Jr.
1984.022.358 Group photograph of the Kennedy family, May, 1921 at Owen Sound, includes Mrs. Matthew Kennedy Sr. (nee A. Dowsley)
2000.012.002 Photograph of Owen Sound lawnbowling participants in a Sept. 1931 tournament includes Matthew Kennedy Jr.

Occupation

Sydenham Foundry & Planing Mill
Wm. Kennedy & Sons Ltd.
Mayor of Owen Sound
Lawn Bowler

Publications

Smith, W. W., GAZETTEER & DIRECTORY OF THE COUNTY OF GREY, 1865-1866 (ad for Sydenham Foundry & Planing Mill)

Relationships

One of eight brothers:
Eldest brother: Sir John Kennedy b. Spencerville, d. Oct. 1921, age 85
Brother: William Kennedy (of Montreal)
Brother: James C. Kennedy
Brother: Alexander Kennedy
Brother: Thomas Kennedy (d. 1878)
Brother: Robert Pollock Kennedy Sr. (b. 1854-d. 1939), born at Port Hope
Brother: George Kennedy
Brother:
Sister: Agnes Kennedy