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Hello,
My Great grandfather, Michael Henry Sullivan, supposedly born in Belfast, Victoria, Australia, in 1864 married my Great grandmother, Leah Neall in 1885 at Nangwarry Victoria. He deserted his wife and two daughters at some stage, one of whom was my grandmother, Maryanne Sullivan. On Maryanne's marriage certificate, it states her father's name was Henry Bismark Sullivan!!
I feel he was an elusive man, perhaps on the run from the law for desertion of family and maybe had several names.
He apparently died before Leah (stated on her death certificate).
Since my father is no longer alive, nor his siblings, to ask further questions, I am wondering if anyone can help me as to how I might be able to get any further info on Mr Sullivan. Family never talked about him...it was almost as if they were ashamed of him.
Look forward to any suggestions you might be able to offer me.
Cheers,
Lea Nelson (nee McKay)
PS there are so many Michael Henry Sullivans listed in Victoria's records....many could have been Irish/English descendants of immigrants.
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your gr-grparents' 1885 marriage does show at Victoria bdm
https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/bdm/index-search
at least it does under his name, perhaps Leah's name is spelt differently ... you can see the result under his name for $ 0.99
have you got their marriage certificate? it may not give details of their parents or age, but it is worth checking
as for him dying before Leah ... quite possible, but also possible that whoever gave the info just said that because he hadn't been seen in a long time
Leah died 1915? - from a hunt and peck search at Victoria bdm
he would have been only 50ish if his birthdate is accurate so he could well have been living still
bizarrely, a search for any event 1860 to 1960 with given name Bismark returns 63 results, with another 28 as Bismarck! no Sullivans though
is this family tree showing Henry Bismark (Michael) Sullivan and Leah familiar to you?
http://www.swvic.org/carapook/names/neall_samuel.htm
it's for the Neall family in Sandford though and that seems to be his only mention at the site
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Hello Lea and welcome to the Community Boards...
Note: I will Lea know that there is a reply..... :-)
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Digger - Pioneer Index. Victoria 1836-1888
Surname: SULLIVAN
Given Names: Michael Henry
Event: M
Spouse Surname: NEALE
Spouse Gvn Names: Leah
Birth Place: VICTORIA
Year: 1885
Reg Number: 1683
Surname: SULLIVAN
Given Names: Mary Anne
Event: B
Father: Henry
Mother: Leah NEAL
Birth Place: CAST
Year: 1886
Reg Number: 16838
Digger - Federation Index. Victoria 1889-1901
Surname: SULLIVAN
Given Names: Charlotte
Event: B
Father: Hy Michl
Mother: Leah NEALE
Birth Place: SANDFORD
Year: 1889
Reg. Number: 7231
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Did Leah die in SA???
The Advertiser, Saturday 25 September 1943
SULLIVAN. —On September 24, Leah Sullivan, late of Mount Gambier, the loved mother of Lottie and the late Mary McKay. In her 78th year. Peacefully sleeping.
Mary Ann McKAY (nee SULLIVAN) died in SA in 1935, wife of Guthrie McKAY.
Looks like Leah and the girls were in SA by 1898 (with error for Mary's middle name):
Border Watch (Mount Gambier), Wednesday 21 September 1898
Leah Sullivan pleaded guilty to having neglected to send her daughter Mary Jane to school for the requisite number of days, but said she had to keep her home to mind a younger sister who was delicate. A conviction was recorded but no fines was indicated.
:-(
Border Watch, Wednesday 12 September 1906
MOUNT GAMBIER POLICE COURT.
Saturday, September 8.
Before Mr. F. Davison, J.P,
Leah Sullivan, a married woman, aged 40 years, living apart from her husband, was charged with being a pauper lunatic. Dr. Johnson gave evidence to the effect that the woman had delusions, and was insane, and the accused was committed to the Lunatic Asylum.
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Thank you Joonie and Cherilyn.... I do have a copy of their marriage certificate...they were married at Pleasant Banks, Nangwarry near Casterton Victoria. Leah's father, Samuel Neall was a farmer from England and he farmed at Nangwarry. I gather the name of the property was Pleasant Banks. Michael was a labourer there aged 21 at the time when He married Leah, who was only 20.
Michael's father wasa given as Thomas Sullivan, and his mother was Ann McArthur
Michael listed his usual place of address as Sydney, Australia, and place of birth as Belfast, Victoria.
Funnily, I haven't been able to get a copy of his birth certificate, and is there such a place as Belfast, Victoria??
Kind regards,
Lea.
PS I was actually named after Leah, but my parents dropped the "h"
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indeed it seems there was a Belfast, Victoria :-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Fairy
John Griffiths established a whaling station in 1835 and a store was opened in 1839. In 1843, James Atkinson, a Sydney solicitor, purchased land in the town by special survey. He drained the swamps, subdivided and leased the land, and built a harbour on the Moyne River. He named the town 'Belfast' after his hometown in Northern Ireland. The Post Office opened on 1 July 1843 as "Port Fairy" but was renamed "Belfast" on 1 January 1854 before reverting to the original name 20 July 1887.
... so Michael would have been born there, if he was, at the time it was called Belfast
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