Finding birth record (John Henry Sullivan)

[AlphaBeth]

I'm trying to trace the birthplace of John Henry Sullivan. We know he was born 8 April 1880 in the US, emigrating to England some time before 1901. The UK censuses for 1901 and 1911 only record his birth place as 'United States of America (Resident) (British subject by parentage)', so I can't give you anything more specific. He married Cecily Amy Jessie Tinworth in 1903 in Faversham, Kent - on the certificate, his father's name is given as 'William Sullivan'. The 1939 Register provided his exact birth date.

How would I go about finding a birth record with only his birth date and the name of the father?

[oldohiohome]

It will be difficult.
What were his ages on the 1901 and 1911 censuses, do they agree with 1939? Likewise on his marriage record.  Any other records of the exact date? military maybe, as in the US Draft registrations? - all to verify that 8 Apr 1880 really might have been his date of birth, and not just the best he could come up with.

"British subject by parentage" is interesting. Does that mean his parents were UK citizens in 1880, visiting the US when their child was born? or that John's father William moved to the UK from the US and became a UK citizen - What are the rules in the UK? do either of those situations automatically make the child a UK citizen?

Was he living near any William Sullivans in 1901? or any Sullivans that could be siblings?
Is there a way to find other Sullivans who were listed as subjects by parentage who might be his siblings? Would his children's names be a clue to his siblings' and mother's names? Can you account for them on their mother's side?

For the US records, you could try familysearch.org-sign in, free membership. It lets you search with a father's name. I didn't find anything in a quick look, but you might have more time. Not all states recorded births in 1880, but some did.

[RJ137]

Have you checked the UK Incoming Passenger Lists for a John Sullivan born 1880 (+/- 1yr) and arriving between 1880-1901 (1890 +/- 10yrs) ?

[oldohiohome]

for others working on this
John H Sullivan
1901, age 24, Wakefield, Yorkshire, boarder, occupation: stone miner

1911, age 30, Orsett, Essex, married, laborer, black gunpowder, explosives factory, married 7 complete years, British subject by parentage

1939 Strood, Kent
married, b 8 April 1880, fitter, maintenance, cement [something]

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There are these members of a family who arrived 4 September 1895 from New York, on the SS Germanic, and got off at Queenstown

Mary Sullivan, 50, wife
Katie Sullivan, 20, servant
John Sullivan, 15, apprentice

If they  got off the boat in Cork, they were probably headed to the south or west of Ireland, otherwise they probably would have gone on to Liverpool and taken a ship back. Or gone to Londonderry, if there was passenger service to there in 1895.

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There are a lot of Sullivans in Cork. I looked, only in Cork, for a Kathleen Sullivan, 26 years +/- 5 years on the 1901 census, who was born in the US. None found. I didn't look in the other 31 counties

There were too many Mary Sullivans 55 +/- 5, just in Cork, to sift through them.

I haven't yet looked for a Katie Sullivan in the UK in 1901, who was born in the US.

[oldohiohome]

I really never expected to find anything, but here it is. You should look into this person and see if she ties into John H somehow.

1911 Census, Hastings, Sussex
Catherine Sullivan, 35, single, birthplace: America, resident
relationship to head: niece?, nurse?, occupation: Nun

Head of family: Miss? Dowling?
postal address: Gensing Lodge, St Leonards-on-Sea

I will try to attach an image of Catherine's relationship to the head of the house

There is or was a Gensing Lodge Convent, St Leonards-on-Sea
https://www.1066online.co.uk/gallery/old-photos/gensing-lodge-convent

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this record at familysearch, but no image:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7BN-5H4