John Godfrey Lloyd was born in Kingston in 1784, the son of a Hessian soldier. When still a child his family moved to a lot west of Gananoque in Leeds County where Lloyd spent the rest of his life. As a young man John Lloyd was employed at Joel Stone’s mill in Gananoque. On the early morning of September 21, 1812 the men in the settlement were roused with the news that an American force had landed at Lindsay’s Point.

The militia along with Stone’s employees took up a position on the open ground west of the settlement where they fired a few volleys at their Yankee foes but the engagement was short and swift. Outnumbered, outgunned and desperately short of powder the flankers withdrew to the safety of the east bank of the Gananoque River. Lloyd and some other men sought refuge in the infirmary where they were discovered by the Americans and taken prisoner.

While confined to Sackets Harbor Lloyd contracted measles and was released into the care of an acquaintance in the settlement; he eventually returned to Upper Canada on parole and subsequently did garrison duty at Kingston for one winter during the war.

After the war John Lloyd engaged in freight forwarding on the St. Lawrence until the advent of steamboats. He then turned his energies to farming with his wife Anna Jackson whom he married in 1820; they had a family of ten children.

John G. Lloyd d 28 September 1889 at the age of 105 years, 4 months old.