John Sullivan and Johanna Dinan .. Queenstown / Cobh

[New Zealander]

I have been searching for John Sullivan, my great grandfather x 4 for many years in Ireland with little success.  He was reputed to have come from Queenstown, now known as Cobh.  There was however no evidence to support this.

In 2013 I was fortunate to visit Cobh and St Coleman's Cathedral where I struck "gold" .. little more then a shot in the dark,  blindfolded when I inquired of John Sullivan.

St Coleman's had a baptisim record for John Sullivan on 28.10.1838.  His parents were John Sullivan and Johanna Dinan.  Further I discovered also there was a baptisim record for a sister Ellen Sullivan on 23.02.1840.

There was however no records of any other family, including marriage and death records for John Sullivan and Johanna Dinan and daughter Ellen.

It would be wonderful to know whatever became of these people.

Any assistance or information would be much appreciated.

Alex G

Invercargill

New Zealand

[conahy calling]

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm?Surname=sullivan&fuseaction=Go.

There are over 3000 Sullivans in Co Cork based on Griffiths Valuation in 1850s approx ( see link) There are many more as GV did not include everyone.  How can you be sure this is your John Sullivan?  Are you basing the match by just the location?  Does the age agree with later census or any other record?

[New Zealander]

Hi Conahy

Exactly the difficulty that I had when I began looking for John Sullivan .. there were that many Sullivans. 

From John Sullivan's record of marriage in Lyttleton, New Zealand in 1869 and what was left of his admission notes to Nazareth Hospital in 1920 and his death in the same institution 4 years later in 1924 I was able to calculate his date of birth to either 1838 or 1839 in Queenstown / Cobh.

With this information the administrator at St Coleman's concluded that the name of John Sullivan's mother Johanna Dignan had been recorded incorrectly in New Zealand .. it should have been "Dinan".

St Coleman's had no record of anyone with the name of Dignan anywhere in their archives certainly for the period I was looking at 1838 - 1839 and a few years either side as well.

They did however have the baptisim records of John Sullivan in 1838 and his sister Ellen Sullivan in 1840 which matched what information I had from New Zealand and were happy to issue a Baptisim Certificate for John Sullivan my great grand father on that basis.

It will never be known with 100% certainity  if this information is correct .. all persons are long deceased ... it is however the best available information that I could find which I believe was well founded and researched over many years in New Zealand and Ireland.

Thank you for your interest

Alex G

[ballydw]

www.corkarchives.ie has Cobh Queenstown Cemetery Register online 1879-1907 which may have records for John & Johanna Sullivan

[New Zealander]

Ballydw

Many thanks shall check it out.

Cheers

Alex G