Sullivant | Sullivan | O'Sullivan

Sullivant Lineage
Owen Donel O'Sullivan 1599-1698, father of John Thomas O'Sullivan 1637-1698, father of Owen Sullivan I 1673-1769,  father of Owen Sullivant II 1699-1790, father of Charles J Sullivant 1728-1808, father of Stephen Sullivant 1768-1857, father of Claiborne Charlton Sullivant 1799-1865, and of Dorothy Sullivant 1794-1872.

Claiborne Charlton Sullivant is the father of Stephen Sullivant 1826-1882, father of Claiborne Holly Sullivant 1856-1931, father of Beulah Elizabeth Sullivant 1886-1977, mother of James Clifton Robertson 1921-2007.

Dorothy Sullivant 1799-1865 is the mother of Emily Martha Stone 1828-1885, mother of Claiborne Holly Sullivant 1856-1931, father of Beulah Elizabeth Sullivant 1886-1977, mother of James Clifton Robertson 1921-2007.

Stephen Sullivant 1826-1882 and Emily Martha Stone 1828-1885 are first cousins. 

Sullivant Migration
Ardee, Louth, Ireland > Lynhaven Parish, Prince William, Virginia > Charlotte County, Virginia > Charlotte, Luneburg, Virginia > Twitty's Creek, Charlotte, Virginia > Greenville, South Carolina > Union County, Kentucky > Livingston County, Kentucky > 

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Beulah Elizabeth Sullivant, Grandmother
30 March 1886 - 21 May 1977 (91)
b. Kentucky
d. Grand Rivers, Livingston, Kentucky

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Parents:
Claiborne Holly Sullivant 1856-1931
Mary Rebecca Ramage 1860-1941

Maternal Lineage:
Mary E Hill 1822-1897, mother of Mary Rebecca Ramage 1860-1941,  mother of Beulah Elizabeth Sullivant 1886-1977

Spouse: Eddie Morris Robertson 1872-1952
Married: 22 August 1909
Children: 

1. Dorris Larue Robertson 1913-1984
2. Rebecca Lucille Robertson 1916-2004
3. James Clifton Robertson 1921-2007
4. Edna Elizabeth Robertson 1922-2003

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Claiborne Holly Sullivant, Great-Grandfather
9 April 1856 - 12 September 1931
b. Kentucky
d. Livingston County, Kentucky

Find a Grave | Ancestry

Parents:
Stephen Sullivant 1826-1882
Emily Martha Stone 1828-1885

Maternal Lineage:
Dorothy Sullivant 1794-1872, mother of Emily Martha Stone 1828-1885, mother of Claiborne Holly Sullivant

Spouse: Mary Rebecca Ramage 1860-1941
Married: 17 December 1879
Children: 8

1. Infant Sullivant 1880-1880
2. Laura Bell Sullivant 1884-1884
3. Beulah Elizabeth Sullivant 1886-1977
4. Mallie Irene Sullivant 1888-1915
5. Ora Ellen Sullivant 1891-1971
6. Effie Ellis Sullivant 1894-1918
7. Mary Alice Sullivant 1897-1977
8. Maggie Lela Sullivant 1899-1951
   

Some sources have Julia I Sullivant 1888-1948 as an additional daughter, but no evidence seems to be available yet. Also, the 1888 birth date could indicate possible twins or conflict. 

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Stephen Sullivant, 2nd Great-Grandfather
2 February 1826 - 27 February 1882
b. Livingston County, Kentucky
d. Livingston County, Kentucky

Find a Grave | Ancestry

Parents:
Claiborne Charlton Sullivant 1799-1865
Mary Leech 1800-1830

Maternal Lineage:
Mary Leech 1800-1830

Spouse: Emily Martha Stone 1828-1885
Married: 12 December 1849
Children: 8

1. John S Sullivant 1852-1880
2. Mary Dorothy Sullivant 1854-1927
3. Claiborne Holly Sullivant 1856-1931
4. Margaret Ellen Sullivant 1860-1946
5. Sarah Catherine Sullivant 1862-1879
   Kentucky Birth Records shows 1858 as birth year and Catherine as middle name, but Find a Grave shows 1862 and initial A.
6. Elmina J Sullivant 1864-1879
7. Louisa Alice Sullivant 1866-1881
8. Evliene B Sullivant 1868-1868

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Claiborne Charlton Sullivant, 3rd Great-Grandfather
10 August 1799 - 27 October 1865
b. Greenville, South Carolina
d. Livingston County, Kentucky

Find a Grave | Ancestry | Geneanet

Parents:
Stephen Sullivant 1768-1857
Martha Powell 1770-1835

Maternal Lineage:
Martha Powell 1770-1835

Spouse 1: Mary Leech 1800-1830
Married: 18 October 1821
Children: 

1. Martha Sullivan 1822-1882
2. Thomas Leech Sullivant 1823-1904
3. Stephen Sullivant 1826-1882
4.  William Madison Sullivant 1827-1887
5. Margaret Sullivant 1829-1894

Spouse 2: Louisa Bennett 
Married: 31 December 1835
Children: 

1. John Jones Sullivan 1852-1910
2. James Claborn Sullivant 1857-1938
3. Mary Sullivant 1837-1897
4. William Sullivant 1839-1881
5. Charles Sullivant 1842-1908
6. Alfred Bennett Sullivant 1843-1875
7. Lucinda Sullivant 1847-1868
8. Moses Sullivant 1848-1908
9. Dorotha A Sullivant 1849-1909
10. John Jones Sullivant 1852-1910
11. Rebecca Sullivant 1854-1908
12. James Claiborne Sullivant 1857-1938
13. Perminda Sullivant 1860-1920
14. Aminda J Sullivant 1861-1921

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Dorothy Sullivant, 3rd Great-Grandmother
Nickname: Dolly
10 October 1794 - 23 February 1872
b. Greenville County, South Carolina
d. Livingston County, Kentucky

Find a Grave | Ancestry | Geneanet

Her tombstone in Miller Cemetery spells her name Dorotha.

Parents:
Stephen Sulivant 1768-1857
Martha Powell 1772-1840

Maternal Lineage:
Martha Powell 1772-1840

Spouse: Stephen Holley Stone 1793-1853
Married: 6 June 1813 

Children: 

1. William 1814-1874
2. Elijah W 1816-1876
3. Jestha M 1816-1876
4. Stephen H 1818-1878
5. Mary Elizabeth Stone 1823-1893
6. Nancy Jane 1825-1882
7. Emily Martha Stone 1828-1885
8. Benjamin Porter 1829-1874

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Stephen Sullivant, 4th Great-Grandfather
23 February 1768 - 17 September 1857
b. Greenville, South Carolina
d. Union County, Kentucky

Find a Grave (no record) | Ancestry | Geneanet

Find a Grave has a memorial for Stephen Sullivan with the same birth date in Georgia, but without any death or burial information. 

Parents & Maternal Lineage TBD

Spouse: Martha Powell 1772-1840
Married: 1789
Children: 8

1. Charles Stephen Sullivant 1789-1873
2. William Sullivant 1791-1867
3. Dorothy Sullivant 1794-1872 (mother of Emily Martha Stone 1828-1885)
4. Elizabeth Sullivant 1797-1857
5. Claiborne Charlton Sullivant 1799-1865 (father of Stephen Sullivant 1826-1882) 
6. Mary Polly Sullivant 1801-1857
7. Perminday Sullivant 1804-1830
8. Sarah Sullivant 1809-1857

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Charles J Sullivant, 5th Great-Grandfather
Nickname: Charly
2 April 1728 - 3 November 1808
b. Twittys Creek, Charlotte, Virginia
d. Greenville, South Carolina

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Sullivan Old Grove Cemetery 
Berea Heights, Greenville County, South Carolina

Parents: 
Owen Sullivant 1709-1790
Mary Margaret Hewlett 1707-1769

Maternal Lineage:
Mary Margaret Hewlett 1707-1769

Spouse 1: Permelia Davis 1732-1761
Married: 15 June 1749
Children: 2

1. Claibourn Sullivant 1750-1857
2. Sarah Margaret Sullivant 1756-1820

Spouse 2: Mary Charlton 1722-1837
Married: 8 May 1761
Children: 3

1. Moses Sullivan 1762-1805
2. Hewlett Sullivan 1763-1830
3. Stephen Sullivant 1768-1857

Tags: Military, Revolutionary War

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Owen Thomas Sullivant II, 6th Great-Grandfather
5 November 1699 - 1 January 1790

Some sources have the birth year as 1709

b. Charlotte, Luneburg, Virginia
d. Twitty Creek, Charlotte, Virginia

Find a Grave | Ancestry | Geneanet | FamilySearch | MyHeritage 

Burial details are unspecified on this Find a Grave record.

Parents:
Owen Thomas Sullivan I 1673-1769
Elizabeth Claiborne 1678-1768

Maternal Lineage:
Sarah Fenn 1660-1716, mother of Elizabeth Claiborne 1678-1768, mother of Owen Sullivant II.

Spouse: Mary Margaret Hewlett 1707-1728 
Marriage: 1721 
Children: 5

1. Sarah Sullivan 1721-1829
2. James Sullivan 1722-1809
3. Owen Sullivan 1724-1891
4. Charles J Sullivan Sr 1728-1808
5. Pleasant Sullivan 1757-1840

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Owen Thomas Sullivan I, 7th Great-Grandfather
10 June 1673 - 6 February 1769
b. Lynhaven Parish, Prince William, Virginia
d. Charlotte County, Virginia

Find a Grave | Ancestry | Geneanet | FamilySearch | MyHeritage

This Find a Grave record lists only Mary Ruth Pleasants as a spouse, but other sources indicate multiple spouses. Burial details for both are unspecified. 

 This Geneanet record suggests multiple spouses, each with children, with Elizabeth Claiborne as the mother of Owen Sullivan II.

This FamilySearch record has Elizabeth Claiborne as the preferred mother of Owen Sullivan II, with Mary Ruth Pleasants as a possible mother. Sources vary. 

Parents: 
John Thomas O'Sullivan 1637-1698
Mary Hayes 1653-1679

Maternal Lineage:
Mary Hayes 1653-1679

This initial marriage and children info is based on the Geneanet record, expected to be revised.

Spouse 1: Elizabeth Claiborne 1678-1727
Married: 1693
Children: 2

1. Owen Thomas Sullivant II 1699-1790
2. Daniel Sullivan 1718-1778

Spouse 2: JoAnn Sullivan 1683-1733

Maiden name TBD

Married: 1704

Children: 2

1. Margaret Sullivan 1710-1770
2. Madeline Sullivan 1708-1768

Spouse 3: Mary Ruth Pleasants 1680-1769

Her Find a Grave memorial 243980714 has a birth year of 1671. 

Married: 1715
Children: 2

1. Mary Patience Sullivan 1717-1790
2. Cornelius Sullivan 1720-1816
3. Pleasant Sullivan 1724-1784

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 John Thomas O'Sullivan, 8th Great-Grandfather
1637 - 15 July 1698
b. Ardee, Louth, Ireland
d. Lynhaven Parish, Prince William, Virginia

Find a Grave (no record) | Ancestry | Geneanet | FamilySearch | MyHeritage

Parents:
Owen Donel O'Sullivan 1599-1698
Joann Elizabeth Brown 1613-1637

Maternal Lineage: 
Margaret Wilson 1589-TBD, mother of Joann Elizabeth Brown 1613-1637, mother of John Thomas O'Sullivan.

Spouse: Mary Hayes 1653-1679
Married: 10 June 1673
Children: 

1. Owen Thomas Sullivan I 1673-1769
2. Honor Sullivan 1675-1735

Some sources mention Sara Gore as a possible 2nd spouse.

Tags: Planter, Farmer

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Owen Donel O'Sullivan, 9th Great-Grandfather
1599 - 15 July 1698
b. Ardee, Ireland
d. Lynhaven Parish, Prince William, Virginia

Find a Grave (no record) | Ancestry | Geneanet | FamilySearch | MyHeritage

Parents & Maternal Lineage TBD

Spouse: Joann Elizabeth Brown 1613-1637
Married: 1630
Children: 

1. John Thomas O'Sullivan 1637-1698
2. Others TBD

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Bibliography 

Ancestry ®. "Public Member Trees Database.” © 1997-2025 Ancestry®.  Ancestry.  ancestry.com/ Lawson-Robertson Family Tree. www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/10075800/family  User profile for William Harris Lawson, Jr., user Livingweb. Accessed 29 October 2025.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14803862/charles-sullivan: accessed October 21, 2025), memorial page for Charles “Charly” Sullivan Sr. (2 Apr 1728–3 Nov 1808), Find a Grave Memorial ID 14803862, citing Sullivan Old Grove Cemetery, Berea Heights, Greenville County, South Carolina, USA; Maintained by Miss BeeHaven (contributor 48748561).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/67825174/claborn_c-sullivant: accessed October 21, 2025), memorial page for Claborn C. Sullivant (10 Aug 1799–27 Oct 1865), Find a Grave Memorial ID 67825174, citing Leeper Cemetery, Tiline, Livingston County, Kentucky, USA; Maintained by LK (contributor 47316511).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/47714156/c_holly-sullivant: accessed October 21, 2025), memorial page for C. Holly Sullivant (1856–1931), Find a Grave Memorial ID 47714156, citing Ramage Cemetery, Newbern, Livingston County, Kentucky, USA; Maintained by Wandering Appalachia (contributor 48851416).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/70603527/dorotha-stone: accessed October 18, 2025), memorial page for Dorotha Stone (10 Oct 1794–23 Feb 1872), Find a Grave Memorial ID 70603527, citing Miller Cemetery, Newbern, Livingston County, Kentucky, USA; Maintained by Kathy S. (contributor 46944127).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/47714156/c_holly-sullivant: accessed October 21, 2025), memorial page for C. Holly Sullivant (1856–1931), Find a Grave Memorial ID 47714156, citing Ramage Cemetery, Newbern, Livingston County, Kentucky, USA; Maintained by Wandering Appalachia (contributor 48851416).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/243980623/owen-sullivan: accessed October 29, 2025), memorial page for Owen Sullivan (1673–1769), Find a Grave Memorial ID 243980623; Maintained by Shirley Elizabeth Little Vicich (contributor 47198072).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43484080/stephen-sullivant: accessed October 21, 2025), memorial page for Stephen Sullivant (2 Feb 1826–7 Feb 1882), Find a Grave Memorial ID 43484080, citing Landrum Cemetery, Newbern, Livingston County, Kentucky, USA; Maintained by Silent One (contributor 47845738).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/243980714/mary_ruth-sullivan: accessed November 1, 2025), memorial page for Mary Ruth Pleasants Sullivan (1671–unknown), Find a Grave Memorial ID 243980714; Maintained by Shirley Elizabeth Little Vicich (contributor 47198072).

Geneanet. "Public Member Database." © 1996. Geneanet. en.geneanet.org Accessed 3 November 2025.

Marriages of Lunenburg County VA

MyHeritage. "Public Member Database." © 2005 MyHeritage Ltd. My Heritage. myheritage.com Accessed 29 October 2025.

Robertson, Marielle. "Sullivant." Family Research Book. ca. 2010, Marielle Robertson. 

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Miscellanea

Talking Kin™: Sullivant | Sullivan | O'Sullivan  
https://www.talkingkin.com/2025/10/sullivant-sullivan-osullivan.html
© 2025 William H Lawson Jr

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