Kent Family

History

The Kent family represents the paternal family line of Jonathan Kent. The family's origins date back as far as 6th century England, when Sir Brian Kent participated in several adventures under the pseudonym the Silent Knight. On at least one occasion, he met a time-traveling Superman and it has been suggested that Sir Brian may have been the progenitor of the Kent family line. ^[1]

The direct family line of Jonathan Kent is traced as far back as the late 18th to early 19th century. The American Kents originally hailed from Boston, Massachusetts where print-shop owner Silas Kent lived with his wife Abigail. The two sired eight children, all of whom were born in the Kent's Boston home. In 1854, Silas Kent joined the Emigrant Aid Society and decided to relocate his printing press to Lawrence, Kansas to promote his abolitionist ideals. He brought his two oldest sons, Nate and Jeb along with him and they arrived in Lawrence in the summer of of 1854. ^[2]

Family Members

Abigail Kent: Abigail Colter Kent was the wife of Silas Kent, and the mother of several children including the brothers Nathaniel and Jebediah. Abigail married Silas in 1834 and the two lived together for twenty years in their home in Boston. In 1854, Silas joined the Emigrant Aid Society and moved to Lawrence, Kansas to help the free-state initiative. In 1857, Abigail Kent was working with immigrants in the South Boston area when she contracted a crippling disease. She passed away on March 7th. She was survived by her children, Nate, Jeb, Belinda, Lucy, Joel William, Jonathan, Emma Lou and Owen.

Belinda Kent: Belinda Kent was the oldest daughter of Silas and Abigail Kent and the third oldest sibling in her immediate family.

Brian Kent: Brian Kent was secretly the heroic Silent Knight in medieval Britain. It is believed (but not conclusively proven) that he is a direct ancestor to Silas and Ethan Kent.^[3]

Burt Kent: Brother of Jonathan and Kendall Kent and father of Jillian Kent. Never seen in a story, only mentioned. Said to be independent and non-materialistic.^[4]

Eben Kent: In the continuity of the 1948 Superman radio program and serial as well as the 1952 Adventures of Superman television series, Eben Kent was the adoptive father of Clark Kent, aka Superman. He lived at the Kent family home with his wife Sara and raised his son with a strong, moral code of ethics. Eben Kent was played by actor Jack Fadden.

Ethan Kent: Ethan Kent lived during the 19th century. He was the brother of Silas Kent.

Emma Lou Kent: Emma Lou Kent was the youngest daughter of Silas and Abigail Kent. She was born in the mid-1800s and is the twin sister of Jonathan Kent (I).

Jillian Kent: Daughter of Burt Kent. Devoted to helping those less fortunate.^[4]

Joel William Kent: Joel William Kent (b. 1842) is the third son of Silas and Abigail Kent. In 1854, Joel William became the "man of the house" when his father and older siblings left Boston to aid the abolitionist movement in Lawrence, Kansas. He later joined the United States Army.

John Kent: In Earth-Two continuity, John Kent was the husband of Mary Kent and the adoptive father of Kal-L/Clark Kent. John and Mary Kent passed away when Clark was a young adult, shortly before he adopted the name Superman. Historically, he's always been referred to as just John, never Jonathan.

Jonathan Kent (I): Jonathan Kent was the youngest son of Silas and Abigail Kent. He was born in the mid-1800s and is the twin brother of Emma Lou Kent.

Jonathan Kent (II): Main article: Jonathan Kent
Jonathan Kent was the head of the Kent family household in the latter half of the 20th century. He was married to Martha Kent and was the adoptive father of Clark Kent. He was the brother of Burt and Kendall Kent, and uncle of Jillian Kent.

Kendall Kent: Brother of Jonathan and Burt Kent. Wealthy but childless, he tried several times to trick or coerce his nephew Clark Kent into leaving his adoptive parents Jonathan and Martha Kent and become Kendall's adopted son instead.^[5]^[6] Years later, Kendall arranged to leave his fortune to his niece Jillian Kent.^[4]

Lucy Kent: Lucy Kent was the second daughter of Silas and Abigail Kent and the fourth oldest sibling in her immediate family. She lived in the mid-1800s.

Martha Kent (New Earth): Main article: Martha Kent (New Earth)
Martha Kent was born Martha Clark of Smallville, Kansas. Before marrying Jonathan Kent, she was briefly married to a man named Dan Fordman. Martha is currently the head of the Kent family and lives by herself on the family farm. She is the adoptive mother of Clark Kent.

Mary Kent: In Earth-Two continuity, Mary Kent was the wife of John Kent and the adoptive mother of Kal-L/Clark Kent. John and Mary Kent passed away when Clark was a young adult, shortly before he adopted the name Superman.

Owen Kent: Owen Kent (b. 1844) was the fourth son of Silas and Abigail Kent. Even at a young age, Owen was considered to be a very mature boy.

Sara Kent: In the continuity of the 1948 Superman radio program and serial as well as the 1952 Adventures of Superman television series, Sara Kent was the adoptive mother of Clark Kent, aka Superman. She was the wife of Eben Kent. Sara Kent was played by actress Frances Morris. Note: Not to be confused with Sarah Kent, Jonathan Kent's sister.

Silas Kent: Main article: Silas Kent (New Earth)
Silas Kent was the husband of Abigail Kent and the progenitor of the American Kent family line. He was an abolitionist who was politically active in Lawrence, Kansas during the 1850s. Silas Kent was shot in the back and killed after attending the Kansas Free-State Legislature in March of 1855.

Sinbad Kent: Main article: Sinbad Kent (Earth-One)
On Earth-One, when Superboy discovers that Pa Kent's great-great-great-grandfather Sinbad Kent was a notorious pirate, he resolves to travel into the past and discover the truth before Pa Kent gives in to the disgrace from his fellow Smallvillians. Superboy discovers that Captain Sinbad was, in fact, a secret agent working to secretly carry out orders from the Continental Congress to help the colonists with the revolution. The truth is revealed in the present with a portrait of George Washington, that has been in the Kent family for generations, is revealed to have a written commendation of Sinbad Kent by Washington himself.

Family Tree

New Earth

Ethan Kent

Taylor Beaumont

Belinda

Owen

Jonathan

Lucy

Emma Lou

Bertram Mathias "Bert"^[7]

Sam Lane

Ella Lane

Lois Lane

Clark
(adopted)

Conner
(adopted)

Christopher
(adopted)

Earth-One

Two differing accounts exist. In one, Jonathan's father was given as Vincent,^[8] while in another, it is Matt (however, this is in a computer simulation.)^[9]

Sinbad Kent

John

George

Lewis

Vincent/Matt

Henry Clark

Willa

Kendall

Burt

Jonathan Kent

Martha

Jillian

Clark(adopted)

Paraphernalia

Equipment: Kent Family Scrapbook
Transportation: None known.
Weapons: None known.

Notes

No special notes.

Trivia

No trivia.

Links and References

None.

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