The O’Hare family of Liverpool gained national attention in 1949–1950 as one of Britain’s largest families in the immediate postwar years. Henry O’Hare (born 1911) and his wife Marjorie (née Clare, born around 1910) lived in a large four-storey house on Radnor Place, off West Derby Road, in the Anfield area. Henry worked as an upholsterer (including on car interiors and even early televisions), while Marjorie managed the household.
They married in 1932 after meeting on a double date. Over the next two decades, they had 17 children in total, though one (Maureen, twin to Frank) died in infancy, leaving 16 surviving children at the time of their fame. The family included five sets of twins, a remarkable occurrence with no noted history of multiples in either parent’s background. In June 1949, 15 of the 16 children ranged in age from newborn/infant to about 17, creating an extraordinarily tight age span (roughly one birth every 13 months on average). This made headlines and earned them descriptions like “superfamily” in contemporary media.
Life in the O’Hare household was a masterclass in organization amid Britain’s postwar austerity. Rationing was still in effect, yet the family managed impressive consumption: weekly, they went through 9 pounds of sugar, 6 pounds of butter, 10 pints of milk, eight 2lb loaves of bread (often described as “eight loaves a day”), and 15 pounds of potatoes. Henry earned £7 10s a week, supplemented by 5s family allowance per child—reportedly the largest such allowance in Britain at the time.
Meals were communal events around a large table Henry built himself. Breakfast featured a big pot of tea and stacks of toast; dinner was ladled out by Henry, with children expected to stay seated until everyone finished. Chores were shared: older girls washed up, children made beds, and everyone pitched in. Henry was handy, he cut the boys’ hair, made clothes and shoes (especially for bank holidays), and handled practical tasks around the house. Bedrooms were shared (sometimes 3–4 per bed in the early years), and nappies even doubled as towels due to shortages.
Despite the challenges of food rationing, housing in a recovering city, and tight finances, the family emphasized that they “never went hungry.” Nina (fifth eldest, about 10 during the filming) later recalled warm memories like new wellies and socks provided during snowy weather, large Sunday roasts that could feed 30 when extended family visited, and the constant smell of food cooking. There were hardships too—one wartime Christmas in Loughborough involved eating pet rabbits (unbeknownst to the children at first), leading to tears.
In early 1950, British Pathé filmed a short newsreel titled Big Family at their Anfield home. The 90-second black and white clip (issued February 6, 1950) showed everyday scenes. The plummy narrator highlighted the scale: 16 children “complete with four sets of twins” (noting the fifth set had lost one). The family attended a screening at the Carlton cinema in Tuebrook as honored guests.
The O’Hares symbolized resilience and vitality in a Britain still rebuilding after WWII—food shortages, bombed-out neighborhoods, and economic strain contrasted with their bustling, life-filled home. Later family members (like Nina, interviewed in 2014) spoke emotionally about the footage, noting it wasn’t always easy but fostered strong bonds, resourcefulness, and a sense of abundance through love and routine. Henry died in 1971 and Marjorie in 1978; both are buried in Anfield Cemetery.
Today, the story lives on through the digitized Pathé film, old photos from June 1949 showing the large group, and local Liverpool recollections. It offers a vivid snapshot of working-class family life in 1940s–1950s Britain: crowded but close-knit, rationed but resourceful, and full of everyday heroism.
