The Michael Lawrence family home page.:Information about Catherine Sullivan

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Catherine Sullivan (b. 1861, d. 11 Oct 1937)

Catherine Sullivan (daughter of Michael Sullivan and Anna Harrington) was born 1861 in Skibbereen, Co.Cork, Ireland, and died 11 Oct 1937 in Hoxton, London. She married (1) George Edmonds, son of George Edmonds and Grace Griffin. She married (2) Benjamin Thomas Emms on 27 Jan 1883 in St Pauls, Bow Common, Mile End Old Town, London, son of William Emms and Ann Bridges.

Notes for Catherine Sullivan:
In the 1881 Census, Catherine, aged 19, is living with her parents and her occuption is a worker at the Match Factory.

Making matches in Victorian London was a dangerous business. The yellow phosphorous used in the manufacturing process caused a debilitating disease of the mouth known as "phossy jaw".

Eighty years later, our neighbour worked at the same legendary "match factory" in Bow, London, which was called Bryant & May. He used to bring us home match box labels which we used to collect and swap.

When she married in 1883, she was living at 13 Wilson Street, London.

By the 1891 Census, Catherine(28) and Benjamin(32) were living at 2 York Place, Limehouse, Tower Hamlets, London. Benjamin is a General Labourer and living with them were:-

Daughter Laura aged 5.
Son John aged 1.
Benjamin Junr had only lived for two years.

"My Grandmother was Catherine Sullivan, I never got to know her very much as we never lived very near to her. She was a lady of small stature, and when she was younger I think she must have been a very handsome lady with lovely high cheekbones and bright sparkly eyes. She had long silvery hair which she always wore in two plaits that were always held neatly in place with hairpins. In those days in the area that she lived, it was often customary for ladies, when out shoping, to wear a man's cap, but she never would, she always wore a different type of hat. I do not remember her wearing any coloured clothes and she always dressed in a long black dress with a long white apron with black shoes on her small neat feet. It was not unusual in those days for several families to live in one house in harmony. In Grannies house, there was a family living upstairs, a family downstairs and she lived in the middle floor with her son Charles (Wag). When visiting with my Mother she would give us a drink of tea and a biscuit and while they were talking I would sit and look around the room. In the corner there was a lovely big polished cheat of drawers with two big lustres standing on top. The lustres were round glass cases about 12 inches high (34cm) in which were ornamental birds and figures, this was very fashionable in those days. There were also two nice comfortable chairs at each side of the fireplace with a nice rug on the floor."

Eileen Mary Lawrence nee. Marshall. April 2005.

By 1901, the family had been split and Catherine had left Benjamin and was living with George Edmonds.

More About Catherine Sullivan:
Baptism: 04 Aug 1861, St Patrick's Church, North Street, Skibbereen, Co.Cork, Ireland.

More About Catherine Sullivan and Benjamin Thomas Emms:
Marriage: 27 Jan 1883, St Pauls, Bow Common, Mile End Old Town, London.

Children of Catherine Sullivan and George Edmonds are:

+Eliza Edmonds, b. 13 Oct 1896, St George-in-the-East, London, d. 13 Jan 1964, 39 Holly Street, Hackney, London.
George Edmonds, b. 04 Aug 1900, d. date unknown.
+Charles Edmonds, b. 07 Dec 1903, Poplar, London, d. Jun 1979.
Harry Edmonds, d. date unknown.

Children of Catherine Sullivan and Benjamin Thomas Emms are:

Laura Emms, b. 14 Jun 1885, Stepney, London, d. 17 Jul 1957, 119 Fitzstephen Street, Dagenaham, Essex.
Benjamin Thomas Emms, b. 1887, d. 28 Mar 1889.
+John Patrick Emms, b. 10 Jan 1890, 26 Samuel Street, Stepney, London, d. 11 Jan 1968.
+Catherine (Kate) Emms, b. 1893, d. date unknown.