John Sullivan (Margaret Shea's first husband, m. 1855 Eyeries; probably Ellen's father)
Also known as: John Sullivan of Agroom, John O'Sullivan
family confidence: 75 — strongShea (paternal in-law via Margaret Shea Lyne)
Married Margaret Shea 20 Feb 1855 at Eyeries (per the rootsireland.ie abstract). Address at marriage: Agroom (= Ardgroom). Died before 9 June 1865 (when Margaret remarried Myles Lyne as a widow). REJECTED HYPOTHESIS (user 2026-05-27): an earlier read speculated this John Sullivan was the same as the John Sullivan of Reenavaud who fathered Patrick "Tailor" Sullivan (m. Catherine Murphy 1884). The user clarified Patrick Tailor is from a different Sullivan line; the two John Sullivans are distinct people (common Beara surname). Any actual Sullivan children of THIS John + Margaret Shea have not been identified in the archive. 2026-09-26: two sources now describe this marriage. Annals of Beara II p. 53 (Emma Verling's photograph, filed as _annals-of-beara-vol-ii-p53-55-osullivan-keagh-seer-droumbeg- carrigaphreachane): Paddy "Seer" O'Sullivan (Keagh), who came from Castlekilty to Carrigaphrechane c. 1800 and "lived in Carrigaphrechane in what is now Jerry Crowley's house", "had three sons; John (married in Carrigaphrechane to Margaret O'Shea of Direenavogig), Seamus, and Paddy (Junior)". Norelene O'Dwyer (19 Feb 2025) identifies that John and Margaret with this couple; the 1855 record's "Agroom" residence and Riobard's Direenavogig for Margaret are not contradictory (Carrigaphrechane is in Ardgroom Inward). Terese Murphy (Patrick's daughter) to Imelda, 20 Sept 1971: "Her first husband died after a few years of married life leaving her with one daughter, Mary." That Mary (b. c. 1856-62) is the likeliest "Mary Sullivan, a sister" who testified at Patrick Murphy's poor-farm hearing on 7 Jan 1908 (a half-sister of Ellen, not a sister of Patrick). Confidences unchanged; a person record for Mary Sullivan is not yet made. Family tree (GEDCOM record merged here 2026-10-03): John O'Sullivan, born 1830 at Carrigaphrechane, son of Paddy (Seer) O'Sullivan; died about 1862 at Ardgroom (this record's "1864" is an estimate from the 1865 remarriage). The tree enters Ellen (b. 15 Nov 1861) as his child; the 1881 marriage certificate names Myles Lyne as her father. **Decision 2026-10-03: recorded as Ellen's probable father (confidence 75).** Every record of her age puts her birth in 1859-63, before her mother's second marriage in June 1865; the sources and reasons are set out on Ellen's record. His death falls between her conception and 9 June 1865. Terese Murphy says he left Margaret "a widow in her earliest twenties" (9 Apr 1967), about 1859-62. If this holds, James's blood line on his mother's side runs through this man and the O'Sullivan (Seer) family of Carrigaphrechane, not through the Lynes.
Facts
Each fact shows how sure the archive is of it (0–100) and the sources it rests on.
- Birth:
- 1830, Carrigaphrechane, Ardgroom Inward, Beara 502026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com); undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume IIThe tree's 1830 is uncited; the place is the Annals' (his father lived in Carrigaphrechane and John married there): 75 for the place.
- Death:
- 1864, Castletownbere, County Cork 251855-02-20 — Irish Family History Foundation — Cork South West Roots Ireland (Church Marriage Record); 1865-06-09 — Marriage Returns, Superintendent Registrar's District of Castletown; 1967-04-09 — Murphy family papers; 1971-09-20 — Murphy family papers; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com)Sourced bounds: after 20 Feb 1855 (married) and before 9 June 1865 (his widow remarried): 95. Terese: 'a young man who left her a widow in her earliest twenties' (1967; Margaret b. 1839, so about 1859-62) and 'died after a few years of married life' (1971): 50. The tree: 'Abt. 1862, Ardgroom' (uncited). The record's 1864 is an estimate from the remarriage, and Castletownbere is not in any source.
- Residence:
- Ardgroom (village + RC Chapel)
| Date | Fact | Conf. | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1855 | residence · 'Agroom' (1855); Carrigaphrechane, Ardgroom Inward (Annals) (Ardgroom (village + RC Chapel)) Abstract (95); the Annals' Carrigaphrechane is in Ardgroom Inward (75). | 95 | 1855-02-20 — Irish Family History Foundation — Cork South West Roots Ireland (Church Marriage Record); undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II |
| 1855-02-20 | marriage · 'John | Sullivan', of 'Agroom', Roman Catholic, married 'Margaret | Shea' at Eyeries, 20 Feb 1855; witnesses Jeremiah McCarthy ('IST WIT., NAME IS DERMOT E. JEREMIAH') and Margaret Shea; priest D. Healy; both fathers' first names not recorded (Eyeries (village + parish + RC Chapel)) Roots Ireland abstract of the parish register, proofed 4 Oct 2026. | 95 | 1855-02-20 — Irish Family History Foundation — Cork South West Roots Ireland (Church Marriage Record) |
| 1855/1865 | event · Died between 1855 and June 1865: 'Her first husband died after a few years of married life leaving her with one daughter, Mary' (Terese 1971); 'first to a young man who left her a widow in her earliest twenties' (Terese 1967); 'Margaret Shea alias Sullivan', 'Widow' (1865) The civil return proves the widowhood; Terese gives the timing (about 1859-62, 50). | 95 | 1865-06-09 — Marriage Returns, Superintendent Registrar's District of Castletown; 1971-09-20 — Murphy family papers; 1967-04-09 — Murphy family papers |
| — | description · Annals of Beara II p. 53: Paddy 'Seer' O'Sullivan 'had three sons;- John (married in Carrigaphrechane to Margaret O'Shea of Direen-avogig), Seamus, and Paddy (Junior)' (Carrigaphrechane, Ardgroom Inward) That this John is the 1855 groom: Norelene O'Dwyer's identification (analyst 75, batch b02c 80). | 75 | undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II |
| — | description · Of the Seer O'Sullivans: 'The "Seer" part came from the Irish word for a tradesman. Sean & Paddy were noted tradesmen and boatbuilders' (Annals, of his father and uncle) Compiled genealogy; applies to him through the identification (75). | 75 | undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II |
Relationships
Family (blood)
- child of Paddy (Seer) /O'Sullivan/75The Annals name Paddy Seer's son John who married Margaret O'Shea; the 1855 abstract names no father's first name. Same figure as batch b02c. · undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com)
- child of Ms. /O'Sullivan/70A placeholder for Paddy Seer's unnamed wife; stands with Paddy Seer (batch b02c: 70). · 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com)
- father of Ellen (Lyne) Murphy (b. Ardgroom; m. Patrick Murphy 1881; d. Butte 1935)75Luke's decision of 3 Oct 2026: 75. Analyst 50. The reasons for and against are on Ellen's daughter_of edge: her ages say she was born before June 1865, but Terese gives this marriage 'one daughter, Mary', and four sources name Myles Lyne as her father; his own death date is unknown, so he may have died before she was conceived. · 1855-02-20 — Irish Family History Foundation — Cork South West Roots Ireland (Church Marriage Record); 1865-06-09 — Marriage Returns, Superintendent Registrar's District of Castletown; 1900-06-01 — US Federal Census 1900; 1910-04-15 — US Federal Census 1910 (Thirteenth Census); 1935-08-24 — The Montana Standard, p.5; 1935-08-26 — Cemetery interment register (likely Holy Cross Cemetery, Butte); 1967-04-09 — Murphy family papers; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com)
Marriage
- married to Margaret (Shea) Sullivan Lyne (JJM's maternal grandmother)95The 1855 abstract; 'Margaret Shea alias Sullivan', widow, in 1865; the Annals' John and Margaret O'Shea; Terese's first husband. A second Margaret Shea witnessed the 1855 wedding, so the bride's identity with the 1865 widow rests on the alias and the family account (95). · 1855-02-20 — Irish Family History Foundation — Cork South West Roots Ireland (Church Marriage Record); 1865-06-09 — Marriage Returns, Superintendent Registrar's District of Castletown; undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II; 1967-04-09 — Murphy family papers; 1971-09-20 — Murphy family papers; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com)
Nexus
Open the full web →blood relationmarriageother documented tienamed in the same sources (×count)circle colour = family branch
Appears with
- Margaret (Shea) Sullivan Lyne (JJM's maternal grandmother)5 shared sources
- 1865-06-09 — Marriage Returns, Superintendent Registrar's District of Castletown
- undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II
- 1967-04-09 — Murphy family papers
- 1971-09-20 — Murphy family papers
- 1855-02-20 — Irish Family History Foundation — Cork South West Roots Ireland (Church Marriage Record)
- Myles Lyne (c. 1791–1872; Ardgroom farmer; second husband of Margaret Shea; Ellen Lyne Murphy's stepfather, named as her father in 1881)3 shared sources
- Theresa Murphy (Seattle)2 shared sources
- Patrick "Pat" J. Murphy (Cork-born bartender / shoemaker; d. 1912 Warm Springs MT)2 shared sources
- Ellen (Lyne) Murphy (b. Ardgroom; m. Patrick Murphy 1881; d. Butte 1935)2 shared sources
- James Joseph "James J." Murphy (b. 1883 Ardgroom; d. 1938 LA)2 shared sources
- Agnes Kelly Murphy2 shared sources
- Jeremiah Lyne (father of Myles Lyne; on James's step-line)1 shared source
- Paddy (Seer) /O'Sullivan/1 shared source
- Daniel L. Murphy (Butte, b. 1894)1 shared source
- Daniel ("Dan") Murphy1 shared source
- Imelda Murphy Bryant (1917–1998; JJM Sr's daughter; Iowa diaspora)1 shared source
- Catherine Murphy Sullivan (b. ~1864; sister of Patrick Murphy; m. Patrick "Tailor" Sullivan 1884; JJM's godmother 1883)1 shared source
- Patrick "Tailor" Sullivan (m. Catherine Murphy 1884 Eyeries; tailor by trade)1 shared source
- John Bryant (Imelda Murphy Bryant's husband; Iowa)1 shared source
Sources linking to this person
≥75 — High confidence — 4
- 1855-02-20 — Irish Family History Foundation — Cork South West Roots Ireland (Church Marriage Record)Margaret Shea's FIRST marriage — to John Sullivan, 20 Feb 1855, Eyeriesrole: groom · identity 100 family confidence on this source: 75 · as printed: John Sullivan
Identity: The groom 'John Sullivan' of Agroom.
- 1865-06-09 — Marriage Returns, Superintendent Registrar's District of CastletownMarriage of Myles Lyne (widower) and Margaret Shea alias Sullivan (widow) of Ardgroom, 9 June 1865role: deceased_first_husband · identity 85 family confidence on this source: 75 · as printed: Sullivan
Identity: His surname as his widow's alias; the record's earliest proof of his death.
- 1967-04-09 — Murphy family papersTerese Murphy to Dan, 9 April 1967: 'Dad was born in Balykrewan ... about the year 1854'; her mother's two fathersrole: first_husband_of_margaret_shea · identity 90 family confidence on this source: 75 · as printed: a young man who left her a widow in her earliest twenties
Identity: The same man, in Terese's earlier letter.
- 1971-09-20 — Murphy family papersTerese Murphy to Imelda, 20 Sept 1971: her father's sister married 'Tailor Sullivan'; his father 'left for America some months before he was born'role: first_husband_of_margaret_shea · identity 90 family confidence on this source: 75 · as printed: Her first husband
Identity: 'Her first husband died after a few years of married life leaving her with one daughter, Mary': Margaret Shea's first husband is the 1855 groom.
25–74 — Candidates — 1
- undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume IIAnnals of Beara Vol II pp. 53-55: the O'Sullivan (Keagh, 'Seer') families of Droumbeg and Carrigaphrechane, Ardgroom Inward, with Emma Verling's notes 'START HERE LUKE' and 'Connection LUKE'role: possibly_son_of_paddy_seer_osullivan_per_norelene · identity 75 family confidence on this source: 50
Identity: 'John (married in Carrigaphrechane to Margaret O'Shea of Direenavogig)': Norelene O'Dwyer's identification with the 1855 groom.