Peter Kennedy is unusual amongst our Lantern men - he has two photos amongst the slides.
In 1883, Peter Kennedy was born in Ballymena to Francis and Jane Kennedy. He married the daughter of a sailor Sarah Jones in 1903 and the couple went in to have 5 children, Minnie, Frank, Isaac, Jane and Sarah.
Peter was a member of Cavehill Temperance Orange Lodge as well as the Royal Black Preceptory. The second image of Peter in the lantern slides shows him wearing his sash.
He was employed at the Workman Clarke Shipyard in Belfast, and had been in the Naval Reserve for 10 years when war broke out.
When he was called up, he joined HMS Queen Mary were he remained until his death on 31 May 1916, at the Battle of Jutland. He drowned alongside his crewmates - 1265 men, of which 34 were fellow Irishmen. His widow Sarah was left to bring up their 5 children alone; the eldest was 11 years old and the youngest only 2.
He is commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial, in Harryville Presbyterian Church, as well as by Castleton.
