This line goes back on the Sullivan side: Thomas Sullivan (Chris’s grandad) married Annie Eliza Henson – remembered as one of a line of Nanny Sullivans – and her mother was Mary Anne McComas, who was born in Bow in 1879.
Mary Anne’s parents however, came over from Dublin. I was told by Stella Sullivan that they had a thriving business on what was then known as Sackville Street (now O’Connell Street) in the centre of Dublin, that they left because of the Troubles and settled in Cadogan Terrace by Victoria Park where they kept the Mitford Castle pub. The truth seems to be a little different….
Frederick McComas married Eliza Johnstone at St Paul’s Church, Dublin on 11th January 1858 – even this doesn’t help too much as there were two St Paul’s churches in the centre of Dublin: a Catholic one on Arran Quay on the north side of the Liffey, and a Church of Ireland on on the south side of the river at Smithfield, on Ushers Quay – so which was it? Some more research to be done here. Their first child William was born in 1858 followed by a daughter Angelina in 1864. It’s more than possible there were other children, but only these two feature on UK census records and Irish records are notoriously difficult to find.
We do know the family came to England somewhere between 1864 and 1867 for in the latter year George was born in Portsmouth: in fact, they stayed in Portsmouth until at least 1872 by which time Frederick and Elizabeth had been born. The 1871 census lists them living at 4, High Road, Portsmouth with Frederick senior working as a cork cutter, a trade he seems to have pursued for the rest of his working life.
Their next daughter, Anne Marie, was born in Lambeth in 1874, suggesting the family had moved into the London area by then, and Mary Anne, the youngest, was born in Bow where they finally settled, though still moving around different lodgings and rented homes. Electoral rolls and census forms have them variously at 16 Ranwell Street (1879); 13 Willow Street (1891); 15 Ordell Road (1899); 32 Lefevre Street (1901 – living with their daughter Elizabeth) and finally in two unfurnished rooms back at 15 Ordell Road in 1902.
On 10th July 1906 Frederick McComas and his wife applied for poor relief: he gave his address as 32 Lefevre Street while his wife Eliza was in Leavesden Asylum. He had fractured his right humerus and requested to be admitted to ‘SA’ (?). This was agreed and he was discharged but readmitted with ‘sclerosis’ (as in MS possibly?). He died in ‘SA’ on 20 October 1907 and was buried on 26th at Newham. It would appear that his wife Eliza survived him and died in Watford in 1912, but this is the only record I have been able to find for an Elixa McComas, and it will require further research to establish whether this is the right Eliza and why she was in Watford….
Their eldest son William lived in Bethnal Green with his family and was a cork cutter like his father; Angelina and George are at present unresearched; Frederick with his wife and family remained in the Bow/Poplar area working as a house painter; and of the youngest three girls, two made good marriages and…the other didn’t. Elizabeth married James Russell, a farrier and later soldier: they moved to Devonport but were instrumental in helping out their Henson nephews and nieces. Annie’s husband John Smith was a locksmith and they remained in Bow. But Mary Anne married Joseph Henry Henson…..and judging from the records, supplemented by a very informative letter sent by their youngest son Frederick Henson to his niece Pat Bridgeman (nee Sullivan) this was the worst day’s work she ever did.
Sullivan Blyth Family 