FINDING OUR IRISH FAMILY
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The Mystery of the (O)Sullivan Family
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Co. Kerry
My mother, Pat O'Sullivan, was always told that she was Irish "through and through" and she certainly looked the part with her black hair, pale skin and brilliant blue eyes. With the Ryan cousins always calling in and the Irish boarder they once had, she believed her parents when they told her she had "not one drop of English blood". Her mother's line, the Ryans, came over from Cork to Surrey in the mid 1800s. Her father's mother, a Kelly, came from Ireland but there is a lot of confusion surrounding his father.
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Co. Kerry
The Mystery of the (O)Sullivan Family
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Descendants
of Arthur Sullivan
1 Arthur Sullivan (or Robert Wilson??)
. +Mary Kelly
...... 2 Arthur John Sullivan b: Abt. Sep 1887(?) d: 1
Dec 1967 in Morden, Surrey, England
.......... +Elsie Frances Searle b: 4 Jul 1881 in
Bristol, England m: 20 Dec 1919 in St Martin, London,
England
.............. 3 Patricia Elsie Christina Sullivan b:
18 Jan 1920 in East Sheen, Surrey, England
.................. +Alexander Duncan Robertson m: 25 Nov
1940 in Epsom, Surrey
.............. 3 Denis Bruce Sullivan b: Abt. Sep 1924
in Mortlake d: Abt. 1931
...... 2 Robert Bruce Wilson
...... 2 Christina Wilson
.......... +Ironside
Notes:
(2) Grandad "Jack"
SULLIVAN was reportedly brought up as an orphan by
"maiden aunts" near Liverpool, but flatly
denied being English. He had cousins who lived in St
Helens, Lancashire. He joined the Cameron Highlanders as
a boy drummer and was stationed with the Scottish
regiment at Fort William. He went to India for five years
with the Royal Artillery and was with the horses that
pulled the guns - he was always good at handling animals.
He joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, was wounded
and became a stretcher bearer.
Shortly before he died in 1967 we received a letter in
which he commented that he would be "turning 80 this
September" (totally at odds with the birthdate which
had always been celebrated - 5 July 1884).
(2) Some mystery surrounds the fact that his brother's birth certificate was found stating the name Robert Bruce WILSON - a bit different to SULLIVAN. Robert was in the Merchant service and was awarded a medal about 1909 for going to the rescue of another ship (a bit like the Titanic story). He was also a mate on the Harrington Line and the White Star Line. Joined the Royal Marines and was lost at sea.
(2) Jack's sister, Christina WILSON, was a well-known singer around Lancashire. She married a Scot by the name of Ironside connected with the Rutherglen Caledonian Pottery in Glasgow. They had two children born before WWI.
(3) Denis Bruce Sullivan died as a child (about 7yrs) after an operation. Apparently the surgeon's knife had "slipped".
(1) Jack's mother was surnamed KELLY and his father had a bakers shop (Robert WILSON was a baker).
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Descendants
of Simon Searle
1 Simon Searle
...... 2 James Searle b: Abt. 1853
.......... +Frances Ryan b: Abt. 1849 m: 28 Aug 1879 in
Mortlake, Sheen, Surrey
.............. 3 Elsie Frances Searle b: 4 Jul 1881 in
Bristol, England d: 4 Jan 1958 in Morden, Surrey, England
.................. +Arthur John Sullivan m 20 Dec 1919 in
St Martin, London, England
...................... 4 Patricia Elsie Christina
O'Sullivan b: 18 Jan 1920 in East Sheen, Surrey, England
........................... +Alexander Duncan Robertson
m: 25 Nov 1940 in Epsom, England
...................... 4 Denis Bruce Sullivan b: Abt.
Sep 1924 in Mortlake d: Abt. 1931
Notes:
(1) Simon Searle was a smith in Bristol
(2) James Searle was a printer (compositor) at the time of his marriage. He played cricket and the story goes that he played one too many times in the wet weather and died of complications from pneumonia. His daughter was very young at the time as she didn't remember him at all.
(3) The Earl of Carnarvon was Elsie Frances Searle's godfather.
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Descendants
of James Ryan
1 James Ryan b. abt 1818, Ireland buried 28 Jun 1863 in Mortlake
. +Eliza b. 1822 Cork, Ireland d 1903 in Mortlake, Surrey
.......2 Ellen Ryan b: Abt 1846 in Ireland buried 19 May 1854 Mortlake
...... 2 Frances Ryan b: Abt. 1849 d: 1921 in Mortlake,
Sheen, Surrey
.......... +James Searle b: 1853 m: 28 Aug 1879 in
Mortlake d 1883 in Bristol
.............. 3 Elsie Frances Searle b: 4 Jul 1881 in
Bristol, England d: 4 Jan 1958 in Morden,
.................. +Arthur John Sullivan
...... 2 Mary Anne Ryan bapt 5 Apr 1850, Mortlake, Surrey d: Abt.
1925
...... 2 Eliza Ryan bapt 11 Feb 1853, Mortlake
.......... +Pierre Joseph Funel b: Abt. 1860 m: 16 July
1896 in Mortlake, Sheen, Surrey
...... 2 James Ryan b. 1853, Mortlake, Surrey
......... + Jessee
.............. 3 James E b abt 1892
.............. 3 Percy (Boy) b abt 1894
.............. 3 Herbert (Bert) b abt 1895
.............. 3 Winifred M b abt 1897
.............. 3 Nellie
.................. +Raoul (?)
...... 2 John Ryan, bapt 27 Jun 1862 Mortlake, buried April 11 1863 aged 10months
Notes:
(1) James Ryan was a police constable. He may have been married to a BATEMAN. The family in the police force were teased as being called "Bacon Rinds" and the "Ryan Boys" - perhaps a play on both surnames.
(1) Eliza Ryan used to talk of watching the big Atlantic rollers coming in when she lived in Ireland
(2) Frances Ryan had chestnut coloured hair with gold highlights. I am told she was a very gentle person, unlike her mother who was "very arrogant and strong-willed".
(2) James Ryan was an engineer in the merchant service. He married an actress.
(2) Mary Anne Ryan was a ladies maid and worked for the Hopgoods in Surrey.
(3) Winifred Ryan worked in Harrods as a buyer. Never married but was "very good friends" with the manager.
(3) Jean Ryan - married "Marconi's right-hand man".
(3) Bert Ryan returned to live in Dublin. He married a beauty queen - and won the Irish sweepstakes. Mum saw him and his son around 1923.
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