Find Ancestors

Censuses will tell you occupations as at the year of the census.
However, the last census to be made public was the one in 1911.

After that, there was the 1939 register, (England & Wales only) which will also give occupations and exact dates of birth - though of course human error means not all DOBs are accurate.

After 1939, there's nothing in particular to give you occupations, unless you're lucky enough to find perhaps an obituary, or a trade directory or similar.

Also, its always worth a try Googling the person's name - you never know what might turn up.


For births, marriages, and deaths, use FreeBMD for records up to approx 1983-ish (England and Wales only) - as the name suggests, it's free to use. You can often figure out who someone married by location, year, etc - but can be impossible if the person has a common name.
Once you know the spouse's surname, you can find births of children by inputting both surnames in the "births" search.
https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

For BMD's later than that, you need Ancestry or FindMypast, both subscription sites.
Both offer 14-day free trials - or you can just give us the names and we'll have a look for you.

And I'm sure other helpers will add more to this.


ADDED:
I'm not sure what you mean by "without searching independently".

Ancestry and other sites have many family trees on them, which have been put together by other amateurs compiling their trees, and if accurate, they would give you a lot of info all in one place.
BUT it's always wise to double-check the details given, especially if the trees don't give actual records as proof. Unfortunately a lot of people just copy what other people have on their trees, without checking, or else they make erroneous assumptions about marriages, etc, and end up with a mish-mash of wrong info.
Never take someone's tree at face value, though they can be a good starting point on which to base your own accurate research.

Hi, sorry I was vague in my original post.

I’m finding that I get stuck on finding personal details- such as occupations etc and so was wondering if anyone had any tips whilst searching various sites.

The aim here was to find living relatives, and so I’m just trying to gain as much information as possible. My grandfather clearly had many siblings (half) so I’m interested in seeing where their families are now. So for instance, any grandchildren on the siblings. I see that my grandfather Lawrence was the last child, born when Francis was 60, therefore I presume the grandchildren of the other siblings are much older than me.

I’ve never done anything like this before, and it’s all a bit overwhelming to say the least. Are there ways of searching someone, and then it showing who they married, what children they had etc without searching independently?

Thanks very much

From https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/O%27Sullivan-1613

Mr Francis Stanislaus O'Sullivan
Born 16 Jan 1874 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdommap [uncertain]
Son of John O'Sullivan and Catherine (Hollis) O'Sullivan
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of [private wife (1880s - 1930s)]
Show Descendants
Father of Mary (O'Sullivan) Hulme, Tom O'Sullivan, Fred O'Sullivan, Bernard O'Sullivan, Philip Vincent O'Sullivan, [private daughter (1920s - unknown)] and [private daughter (1920s - unknown)]
Died 16 Mar 1949 in Birkenhead General Hospital, Cheshire England


Son Phils notes. Occupation Wine Merchant Died of complications after nose operation aged 75. Francis had 3 wives, Mary Jane was the second one Joys notes indicate Francis was born in Liverpool! He sired 18 children, 10 from first, 7 & 1. Phil was 15th child of his father. Geni Geneology website Veronica O'Sullivan profile manager Christened St Annes, Liverpool Lancashire, Buried Ford Cemetry

List of descendants on here.


Lots to be found by googling his name.

To find connections on here - if any - look under 'search all members trees'

1939 Register logo

O'Sullivan household
(6 people)
First name(s) Last name(s) DOB Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule Sub Number
Francis S O'sullivan 16 Jan 1874 Male Wine & Beer Off Licesed Tenant Married 130 1
Mary O'sullivan 29 Jun 1906 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 130 2

Plus 4 closed records.


He married 1893 to Mary Elizabeth Williams, 1914 to Mary J O'brien and 1933 to Mary McGetrick. He died in 1949.

Is that correct?

While waiting to hear what you want to know -

The daughter Cecilia - and you probably have this:

Cecilia Elizabetha O' Sullivan
in the Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1741-1916
Name: Cecilia Elizabetha O' Sullivan
Gender: Female
Age: 0
Birth Date: 1 Aug 1910
Baptism Date: 7 Aug 1910
Baptism Place: St Francis Xavier's, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Father: Francisci Stanislai O' Sullivan
Mother: Mariae Elizabethae O' Sullivan


Cecilia E O'Sullivan
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005
Name: Cecilia E O'Sullivan
Registration Date: Oct 1933
[Nov 1933]
[Dec 1933]
Registration Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration district: Brighton
Inferred County: Sussex
Spouse: Arthur Hillman
Volume Number: 2b
Page Number: 628


Cecile E Hillman
in the 1939 England and Wales Register
Name: Cecile E Hillman
Gender: Female
Marital status: Married
Birth Date: 1 Aug 1910
Residence Year: 1939
Address: 58
Residence Place: Brighton, Sussex, England
Occupation: Unpaid Domestic Duties
Schedule Number: 355
Sub Schedule Number: 2
Enumeration District: EGAK
Registration district: 79-1
Inferred Spouse: Arthur Hillman
Inferred Children: Peter T Hillman
Household Members:
Name
Arthur Hillman
Cecile E Hillman
This record is officially closed.
Peter T Hillman
This record is officially closed.
May A O'Aullman


Cecelia Elizabeth Hillman
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Cecelia Elizabeth Hillman
Death Age: 80
Birth Date: 1 Aug 1910
Registration Date: Mar 1991
Registration district: Bristol
Inferred County: Avon
Volume: 22
Page: 455

Welcome to the boards, Alexandra.

You say "still wanting to put pieces together".
Which pieces, please?

You seem to have a lot of info already, so there's little point in our repeating what you already know

By the way, your grandfather's birth and marriage is under the spelling of Laurence.

Rose

Name: Francis S O Sullivan
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1911
Event Place: Everton, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
County: Lancashire
Parish: Everton
Sub-District: South Everton
Sub-District Number: 8
District Number: 455
Enumeration District: 28
Registration District: West Derby
Gender: Male
Age: 37
Marital Status: Married
Marital Status (Original): MARRIED
Occupation: WAREHOUSEMAN
Industry: WINE AND SPIRIT
Number in Family: 7
Birth Year (Estimated): 1874
Birthplace: Liverpool, Lancashire
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Schedule Type: 71
Page Number: 1
Registration Number: RG14
Piece/Folio: 141
Affiliate Record Identifier: GBC/1911/RG14/22541/0141/1


Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Francis S O Sullivan Head M 37 Liverpool, Lancashire
Mary E O Sullivan Wife F 38 Birkenhead, Cheshire
Francis J A O Sullivan Son M 16 Birkenhead, Cheshire
Ernest E J O Sullivan Son M 15 Liverpool, Lancashire
Mary J C O Sullivan Daughter F 12 Liverpool, Lancashire
John P O Sullivan Son M 8 Liverpool, Lancashire
Gerald J O Sullivan Son M 7 Liverpool, Lancashire
Peter B O Sullivan Son M 2 Liverpool, Lancashire
Cecilia E O Sullivan Daughter F 0 Liverpool, Lancashire

Record Type: Household
Line Number: 1

Rose

1901?

Name: Francis Sullivan
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 31 Mar 1901
Event Place: Liverpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
County: Lancashire
Civil Parish: Liverpool
Ecclesiastical Parish: St Michael
Sub-District: St Martin
Registration District: Liverpool
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Occupation: LICENSED VICTUALLERS MANAGER
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Birth Year (Estimated): 1873
Birthplace: Liverpool, Lancashire
Schedule Type: 23
Page Number: 4


Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Francis Sullivan Head M 28 Liverpool, Lancashire
Mary Sullivan Wife F 28 Birkenhead, Cheshire
Francis Sullivan Son M 6 Birkenhead, Cheshire
Ernest Sullivan Son M 5 Liverpool, Lancashire
Mary Sullivan Daughter F 2 Liverpool, Lancashire


Rose

Hi Alexandra,

You should probably remove your date of birth for security/ID theft reasons.

What would be more useful is dates and locations for Francis.

Rose

Hi, looking into Francis Stanislaus O'Sullivan, married 3 times, all to Mary's.
I am his great granddaughter, from his 3rd marriage to Mary Mcgetrick, who then had a son, my grandfather Lawrence Charles O'Sullivan.
I have the names of most of his 18 children, their DOB and deaths, but still wanting to put pieces together, and potentially find more information and possible living relatives.

My name is Alexandra O'Sullivan -

Thanks