1831 Born in Nottingham of Thomas and Harriet Lenton
1859 Son John born in Geelong, Australia
1860 Apprentice Frank Carr, professionally Frank Lenton, born in Geelong, Australia
1866 January – Mr & Mrs Lenton and John and Frank go to New Zealand with Mr Ferrari.
1866 December – arrived in Yokohama, meets up with John Washington Smith and Phil Kirby. Goes to Hong Kong.
1867 February – returned to Yokohama with Phil Kirby
1867 April – leave Yokohama for Shanghai on the Ganges, with the Great Dragon Troupe Lenton & Smith section and Phil Kirby. Then on to Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore, Java, Rangoon
1867 September – arrive in Calcutta
1867 December – arrive in Melbourne on the Avoca – 11 Japanese, Mr & Mrs Smith, Mr & Mrs Lenton, Mr Ferrari, Mr Kirby and Mr Herbert
1868 October – on the Otago, with the Great Dragon Troupe, for New Zealand from Melbourne.
1869 March – Sydney to Melbourne – Mrs Lenton, Master F Lenton, Master J Lenton, Mr Ferrari,
1869 April – partnership with John Washington Smith dissolved by mutual consent.
1869 April – Mr & Mrs Lenton depart Victoria for Pont de Galle for Yokohama with Mr G. Gibson, Mr Herbert and two boys.
1869 September – Thomas Lenton marries Georgiana Delia McDonald in London.
1869 October – enters into a partnership with Risley
1869 November – ends partnership with Risley. The Lenton boys are performing at Cirque Napoleon in Paris.
1869 November – a gentleman in Melbourne receives a letter from Thomas Lenton saying that he intends to depart London with a Japanese troupe
1872 April – transferred from New York freemasonry lodge to Nottingham Newstead lodge
1878 October – Died in Nottingham of rheumatic gout.
“Mr Lenton retired from the business about 10 years ago, in consequence of declining health. No man was more esteemed by a world wide circle of acquaintances and friends than the deceased gentleman.” Ovens & Murray Advertiser, 7 January 1879
Photograph – date unknown, via Alister Hardiman, from Eril Wangarek album.
Ninjin 