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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Armagh => Topic started by: ali. on Thursday 12 December 24 20:54 GMT (UK)
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Hi all,
Struggling here. I have a man named Thomas Kelly of Aghayalloge, Upper Killeavy, Co Armagh.
He dies on 27 May 1894 and according to his death certificate is age 67 (b. circa 1827) and was a widow and farmer of Aghayalloge. Witness was Anne Kelly, present at death, also of Aghayalloge (relationship unknown.)
I am looking for this man's wife - as she was already deceased by the time he died in 1894.
I don't know his wife's first name, or any other information at all, and have struggled to find anything by searching manually. Can anyone find a death certificate between 1840 and 1894 of a Mrs Kelly in Aghayalloge?
All I know is they have one confirmed daughter - Bridget or Biddy Kelly, born circa 1840. She did live in Aghayalloge as well but would have gone by her married name of McAteer after 1856. If there's no records in Aghayalloge then i'll have to widen the search.
Many thanks
Ali
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OP - you are off with regard to time range for death registration. You say you are looking in time range from 1840 to 1894. But there were no death registrations before 1864.
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Death certs commence 1864, so if she died 1840-63 there may be no record whatsoever depending on her religious denomination and burial place (likely to only exist if Church of Ireland with the registers offline)
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OP - Your data on Thomas Kelly can't be accurate. Born ca. 1827, but married and having children by 1840? That is when he would have been aged 13!
So either he was older than stated at death, or something else is off.
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Link for death registration of Thomas Kelly, 27 May 1894, Newry SRD.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1894/05970/4697223.pdf (https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1894/05970/4697223.pdf)
Note - he was a widower, not a widow!
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Link for Aghayalloge townland
https://www.townlands.ie/armagh/orior-upper/killevy-upper-orior-portion/killevy/aghayalloge/ (https://www.townlands.ie/armagh/orior-upper/killevy-upper-orior-portion/killevy/aghayalloge/)
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OP - Your data on Thomas Kelly can't be accurate. Born ca. 1827, but married and having children by 1840? That is when he would have been aged 13!
Yes sorry forgot to mention I was aware no records prior to 1864 would be available, so if she died before then i'll never know.
And I did assume his age was a bit off, but it's exceptionally common in my experience for the age given on death certificate to be mildly to wildly incorrect. I do know from other records such as grandchildren's birth/baptism record that Thomas Kelly, grandfather, of Aghayalloge is listed as early as 1864, so I at least know that information about him.
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grandchildren's birth/baptism record
Where, Killeavy Upper R.C.? https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0198
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Griffith's Valuation, printed 1864, has Thomas Kelly holding 3-0-0 A-R-P and a 10s house in Aghayalloge. So he was more of a cottier than a farmer (vide his death registration).
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Griffith's Valuation also shows another Thomas Kelly, in the nearby townland of Aghadavoyle.
Might be easy to confuse these two.
Link for Aghadavoyle townland.
https://www.townlands.ie/armagh/orior-upper/killevy-upper-orior-portion/jonesborough/aghadavoyle/#borders (https://www.townlands.ie/armagh/orior-upper/killevy-upper-orior-portion/jonesborough/aghadavoyle/#borders)
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Griffith's Valuation also shows another Thomas Kelly, in the nearby townland of Aghadavoyle
He had wife Anne Morgan per 6 baptisms Dromintee R.C. 1857-1870 (they have spelt it Adavoil).Could well be a son and the Anne who registered the 1894 death.
Valuation Revisions on PRONI/Ancestry might reveal who took over the house after his death.
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No Kelly shown in Tythe valuation for Aghayalloge. No obvious baptisms at all with father Thomas Kelly in Upper Killeavy Catholic parish records in 1830-1850 period. Makes me suspect the family moved there are some point after children born? [Excluding a solitary 1843 baptism with address Meigh]
OP - what was the family's religion?
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No Kelly shown in Tythe valuation for Aghayalloge. No obvious baptisms at all with father Thomas Kelly in Upper Killeavy Catholic parish records in 1830-1850 period. Makes me suspect the family moved there are some point after children born? [Excluding a solitary 1843 baptism with address Meigh]
OP - what was the family's religion?
The family were Roman Catholic. And I have seen the 1843 Meigh baptism as well and thought it could be connected, but not enough info to say, really!
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OP - I believe this is your woman [civil level of probability :) ]
Mary Kelly, died 2-Feb-1875, married, age 60, death registered by Thomas Kelly. Correct location (with spelling variation).
I guessed her name was Mary from names of children born to suspected/probable son Michael & wife Anne Finnegan in Aghayalloge in 1860s/70s
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1875/020638/7240908.pdf (https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1875/020638/7240908.pdf)
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There are some possibilities for children of Thomas Kelly with wife Mary Campbell in the adjacent parish of Newry in 1830s/40s. Not convinced they are a good "fit" though.
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OP - I believe this is your woman [civil level of probability :) ]
Mary Kelly, died 2-Feb-1875, married, age 60, death registered by Thomas Kelly. Correct location (with spelling variation).
I guessed her name was Mary from names of children born to suspected/probable son Michael & wife Anne Finnegan in Aghayalloge in 1860s/70s
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1875/020638/7240908.pdf (https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1875/020638/7240908.pdf)
Oh gosh thank you for this great find! It’s overwhelmingly likely to be her. I hadn’t come across Thomas Kelly and Anne Finnegan or their children either - so definitely worth a look up. Thank you so much!
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Birth registration for Thomas Kelly, 4th February, 1864 - parents Michael Kelly and Ann Finnegan, in Aghayalloge.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1864/03630/2340394.pdf (https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1864/03630/2340394.pdf)
Multiple later children for this couple into 1870s.
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I wonder if I can line up any of these names. I'm assuming they may be siblings of Bridget/other children of Thomas and Mary. These are the only other related Kelly names I have, from Bridget Kelly (Fearon)'s children's baptisms.
1856: Peter Kelly and Pat Rice - witness at wedding of Bridget Kelly to Matthew Fearon (Dromintee 21 Oct 1856)
1857: Peter Kelly and Eliza McArdle sponsors at daughter Mary Fearon's baptism (Dromintee 25 Jul 1857)
1869: Michael Kelly and Bridget Kelly sponsors at son Edward Fearon's baptism (Meigh 1 Nov 1869)
1875: Thomas Kelly and Elizabeth Kelly of Aughnalloy sponsors at son Michael Feron's baptism (Aughyalloge 25 May 1875)
Michael Kelly who marries Ann Finnegan also has a Thomas Kelly listed as the witness for his daughter Betty Kelly's birth (Aghayalloge, 22 Aug 1865), which could be a brother or father. Though my Thomas Kelly is the witness to his granddaughter Catherine Fearon's birth in 1864 and is listed as "grandfather", but the Thomas Kelly witness at Betty Kelly's birth isn't listed as such - still could be him though.
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When you have several interrelated families of the same surname, and with the same Christian names, all within a small area, it gets very difficult to fit the jigsaw together - often there is no unique solution, and there is ambiguity.
That said, probably my last contribution is a list of the children for Thomas Kelly and Ann Finnegan that I have noted:
Thomas, 1864
Betty, 1865
Peter, 1867 - note, another repeating family name.
Patrick, 1869
Mary, 1871
Bridget, 1874 - both sponsors Fearon
Michael, 1876
Rose Ann, 1879
Kate/Catherine, 1880 - another Fearon sponsor
Alice, 1882 - both sponsors Fearon