Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Sennitt, John 
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Author: Past and Present of Will County, IL; 1907

John Sennitt in whose death Plainfield lost one of its representative 
citizens, was for forty-one years postmaster of the town and through his 
official service and his social relations he formed an acquaintance perhaps 
paralleled by no other resident of the village. Moreover, by all who knew him 
he was highly esteemed, for he displayed in his life many sterling traits of 
character which won him the good will and confidence of those with whom he was 
associated. Mr. Sennitt was of English birth, having first opened his eyes to 
the light of day in Strethern, Cambridgeshire, England, January 15, 1830. His 
father, John Sennitt, Sr., was a farmer by occupation and under the parental 
roof his son and namesake was reared, while his education was acquired in the 
schools of the neighborhood. He early became familiar with the duties and 
labors that fall to the lot of an agriculturist and after close connection 
with farming interests in Cambridgeshire for some years he crossed the 
Atlantic to the new world at the age of twenty-four, being a passenger on the 
steamship Palestine, which was out of sight of land for a month. He first made 
his way to Ohio, where he spent one winter and the following summer as a farm 
hand. With the desire to enjoy better educational privileges than had been 
afforded him in his native country he entered Hiram college in the fall of 
1856 and while there became well acquainted with James A. Garfield, afterward 
president of the United States but then comparatively unknown. Mr. Sennitt 
arrived in Plainfield in the spring of 1857 and soon secured work upon a farm 
in the neighborhood but his health becoming impaired he was obliged to change 
his mode of occupation and in the spring of 1860 secured an appointment to the 
position of deputy postmaster, in which office he remained, either as 
postmaster or deputy, until 1901, thus rounding out forty-one years' 
connection with the position. In July, 1869, he was appointed postmaster and 
continued to act as such until President Cleveland's first administration. He 
then served for two terms as deputy and following the inauguration of 
President McKinley was re-appointed postmaster, so continuing until the period 
of his service in office amounted to forty-one years. His long connection with 
the office indicates in unmistakable manner his fidelity and capability 
therein. On the 20th of April, 1871, occurred the marriage of Mr. Sennitt and 
Miss Emma A. Drew, who was born in northern Vermont in 1841 and came to Will 
county in 1845 with her parents, Daniel and Phoebe (Davis) Drew. The father 
was born just across the line in Canada, while his wife was a native of 
Vermont. In 1845 they settled in Plainfield, where Mr. Drew followed the 
carpenter's trade, remaining here practically all of the time until his death, 
which occurred in 1872. His wife lived to the advanced age of ninety-nine 
years, passing away in April, 1906. They were members of the Baptist church 
and were worthy and consistent Christian people. Mrs. Sennitt is the only 
representative of her father’s family now living in Will county. By their 
marriage Mr. and Mrs. Sennitt became the parents of five children, of whom one 
son died in infancy, while four are yet living, as follows: Lina May, who for 
several years has been engaged in teaching music on the piano and organ and is 
organist in the Baptist church of Plainfield; Carrie Belle, the wife of J. W. 
Munroe, a farmer living near Plainfield, by whom she has one daughter, Myrtle; 
Grace, the wife of Thomas Clow, a resident of Wheatland township, by whom she 
has two children, Margaret, four years of age, and Edward, an infant; and 
Charles, a railway mail clerk on the Santa Fe with headquarters at Joliet. In 
politics Mr. Sennitt was ever a stalwart republican. He believed thoroughly in 
the principles of the party and did everything in his power to promote the 
growth and secure the success of the organization. He did much for the 
advancement of the village and supported many worthy enterprises for its 
substantial improvement. He erected a postoffice building, which was burned in 
1898, after which he built another structure on the same site. He was 
connected with the Baptist church, contributing liberally to its support, and 
his life was at all times actuated by high and honorable principles and manly 
conduct. He passed away in Plainfield, March 12, 1905, and in a review of his 
history it was seen that his good qualities far outnumbered his mistakes, that 
his principles were honorable, his actions kindly and considerate and his 
fidelity to duty, as he understood it, unquestioned. 

Additional Comments:
PAST AND PRESENT OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS By W. W. Stevens President of the 
Will County Pioneers Association; Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing 
Company, 1907

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