John Kennedy was born at Carndonagh, County Donegal, and was educated at Foyle College, Derry, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He served in the Engineering Corps from 1815 until 1831. Having been Sub-Inspector of Militia in the Ionian Islands, Greece, he returned to County Tyrone to be an estate manager. He was appointed Inspector-General in the National Education Department in 1837 and set up a model farm as a training establishment for teachers at Glasnevin, Dublin. Facing apathy from the government in response to the need for agricultural education, he resigned in 1839. He was secretary to the Devon Commission on Land Law in Ireland from 1843 to 1845, and superintendent of relief work until 1848, when he was given the task of organising the defence of Dublin against Smith O'Brien's rebellion. He rejoined the army in India in 1849 and helped build a road from Simla towards Tibet: the road bears his name. In 1853 he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and became managing director of the Bombay, Baroda and Central Indian Railway. He was the author of many pamphlets.

Born:	1796
Died:	28 June 1879