Summary of family history

LOCATION

There are two significant localities central to the Kelly family beginnings.  They are found in Ireland, the homeland, and Canada.

The start of our existence is in Thomastown, and its environs in Kilkenny in the province of Leinster, Ireland.  Key surrounding areas include Dungarvan, Stoneyford, Clonmel, Gowran, Jerpoint West, Ennisnag and Castlecomer.  

The second is Biggar, Saskatoon, in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada.

There are three principal location streams to the Kelly family:

• Direct descendants residing in Thomastown, Ireland.  There is also family in Cork.
• Direct descendants who stayed in Biggar or relocated to other parts of Canada and the United States of America.  There is family in Biggar, Vancouver, Chilliwack, Los Angeles, and Hawaii
• Direct descendants who immigrated to New Zealand.  There is family in Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Palmerston North, Wellington and Timaru.

There is also family living in Innisfail and Melbourne, Australia; and in London, United Kingdom.

RELATIVES

The Kelly family can be traced back 178 years to before 1835 spanning eight generations.  There is a possibility we can trace back further with additional research and analysis of documentation we have amassed.  There is in excess of 100 known Kelly direct descendants still living.  The senior living direct descendant is Julia (Judy) Coady, aged 81 years, and residing in Vancouver.  The most junior member is Ava Whitta, aged 4 months, residing in New Zealand.

We do not know the details of our forefather, save to say his surname is Kelly (John?).  We do not know the name or any details of his wife.  We do know that they had at least one child named John.  On this basis it is a possibility that our forefather was also John Kelly if John was the eldest son.  Convention at the time passed down the father’s Christian name to the eldest son.

John (b 1835) married Catherine Todd who was also born in 1835.  They married on 15 Oct 1860 in Dungarvan.  We have found they had 5 children – Thomas (b 1864), Mary (b 1865), Catherine (b 1868), John (b 1869), and Bridget (b 1872).  They were all born in Dungarvan.

Catherine died in 1897.

Thomas (b 1864) married Margaret Greene (b 1870).  They lived and had their family in Dungarvan.  We have located and visited the family home from the outside (no-one was home at the time of our visit).  From the 1911 census we see they had 13 children – Catherine (b 1894), Margaret (b 1895), John (b 1896), Patrick (b 1897), Mary (b 1898), Ellen (b 1900), Johanna (b 1901), Josie (b 1902), Martin (b 1903), Helena (b 1906), Thomas (b 1907), Joseph and Michael (b 1909).

Thomas (b 1864) died in 1947.  Margaret died in 1958.  They are buried together at St Michael’s and David’s Catholic Church in Dungarvan.  We have located and visited the gravesite.

John and Minnie (nee Cass) Kelly 

John (b 1896) married Mary (Minnie) Cass (b 1900) in Castlecomer, North Kilkenny, Ireland.  They married on 17 January 1923 in the Catholic Church of Conahy, Castlecomer.  We visited the church and walked around the altar where they were married.



John and Minnie Kelly on their wedding day 1923

John was a member of the original Irish Republican Army (IRA).  Soon after WWI there was conflict between the Irish Catholics wanting a split from the United Kingdom, and its Protestants who didn't.  The tension broke into a Civil War.  John had been fighting with future Prime Minister Eamon De Valera and the freedom fighters.

John had met Minnie in Castlecomer where he and his IRA comrades were hiding in the hills.  Mary (Minnie) was sympathetic to their cause and assisted by cooking meals to feed the IRA fighters.

John was captured by the British and imprisoned in Dublin for being armed and a member of the IRA.  He was to be executed but was rescued from prison on the eve of the execution.  De Valera and his group entered the prison by force and released John and one other prisoner.  It was quite a famous jail break in the 1920's.

Once out of the prison John was rushed from Dublin and being on the run, was forced to flee Ireland without his wife and their eldest child who was only 6 months old.  Peggy) had been born on 25 February 1923 in Kilkenny.

Canadian Immigration Records show John, then aged 26 years, was a 3^rd class passenger on the Steamship ‘Montcalm’ departing Liverpool for Winnipeg, Canada on 10 August 1923.  Margaret (Peggy) was to stay in Ireland and would never join the family in Canada.

John made his way to Biggar where he laid low and called for his wife.  Canadian Immigration Records show Mary (Minnie) Cass sailed to Canada on the Steamship ‘Canada’ on 13 June 1924.  John worked in Biggar as a farm labourer and had eight further children, John (Jackie/Joe) (b 1925), Margaret (Ricky) and Ellen (Nellie) (b 1927), Kathleen (Kitty) (b 1929), Patrick (b and d 1930), Thomas (Paddy) (b 1931), Julia (Judy) (b 1932) and Michael (b 1934).  (The only child from this family still living today is Judy.)

As well as calling for his wife, John’s twin brothers, Thomas and Joseph, also joined him in Biggar.  Also, Minnie's brother John and sister Margaret left their home in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny and sailed on the "Megantic" for Quebec, Canada.  They docked on 14 May 1927 and joined John and Minnie in Biggar.  Margaret was to become a Grey Nun in Nico, Quebec.  Another of Minnie's brothers, Jim, also went to Biggar.

In May 1934, not long after giving birth to Michael, Minnie contracted double pneumonia, and without the assistance of antibiotics she died.  She is buried in Biggar.  We have located and visited her unmarked grave.

The photo to the left is of brothers Joe (R) & Paddy (L) outside the Canadian hospital just after their mother passed away. In the background is their father John with daughter Judy in his arms. Look how handsome and well cared for the family was - you did a fantastic job Minnie)

 UK Incoming Passenger Lists 1878 - 1960 list John and the three boys John (Jackie/Joe), Paddy and Michael travelling as British passengers on the ocean liner Steamship "Letitia" from the Anchor Line. The manifesto shows Montreal as the port of embarkation and Belfast as the port of landing.  They traveled in 3rd class.  Their address was given as Dungarvan, Co Kilkenny. IFS. (Irish Free State).  Date of arrival is shown as 21 July 1934.

John’s brother Joseph, returned to Ireland also.  Joseph’s twin brother Thomas remained in Biggar, married and had a family.

Peggy had remained at Castlecomer when at the age of 11 years she was reunited with her father and saw her brothers for the first time.  At this stage she had not met her sisters who were still in Canada.  Peggy then assisted in looking after Michael on the Cass family farm.  Records were found showing Peggy attended the Lisnafunchin School, Castlecomer, from May 1929 – May 1937; and Michael from May 1940 to May 1943.  This was the same school her mother attended.  We have a picture dated 1910 of Minnie and her older sister Julia, in a class photograph.  We have visited the school and classrooms where they were all taught.

John and the three boys lived with Minnie's parents in Castlecomer but they were not too keen on the children staying with them so John (Joe/Jackie) and Paddy were put out on the streets.  They were picked up by the Garda and put into orphanages.

We have visited and obtained records from the St Patrick’s Orphanage/Industrial School.  They show John (Joe/Jackie) and Paddy's date of admission as 5 Feb 1935.  Note, this is only 7 months from arriving back in Ireland from Canada.  They would have been 9 years and 4 years old respectively.  They were charged with ‘’Wandering and having a parent who does not provide proper guardianship’’.  Their general health is listed as very delicate.

Paddy was transferred to St Joseph’s Orphanage/Industrial School, Clonmel on 24 June 1941. Being older, John (Joe/Jackie) would have transferred earlier.  Records are still pending from both these institutions.  We have visited and walked around these places where the boys spent their early lives.  It was extremely emotional.  We don’t appreciate how well off we are till we see what these young lads went through in their formative years.

After returning to Ireland John would eventually settle in Liverpool, England where he remarried to Maggie O’Neill around 1940 and was later joined by Peggy and John (Jackie/Joe).

When John (Joe/Jackie) was 16 years old he and Paddy were picked up from St Joseph’s by their new step-mother.  This was the first time they had met her.  They were taken to a house in Stoneyford which we have seen from the outside.  Peggy and Michael came to live at Stoneyford as well.  John (Joe/Jackie) would start learning his new trade as a tailor at ‘Woods the Tailor’ in the main street of Thomastown.  He stayed in his apprenticeship for two years.  We have visited the shop which is still in the main street and saw the bench he worked on.

Peggy and John, with his new wife then moved to Ennisnag Lane, Ennisnag where they lived with Michael also.  Maggie (permanently) and Michael (transiently) resided here until they died   Maggie died in 1974 and is buried with her parents and sister at St Peter’s Church, Ennisnag.  We located and visited the gravesite.

John died in 1961 in Kilkenny. He is buried in an unmarked grave at St Michael’s and David’s Catholic Church in Dungarvan, three graves along from his parents.  We have located and visited the gravesite.

Peggy (nee Kelly) Walsh (b 1923 d 1999)

Peggy remained in Thomastown and married Thomas Walsh (b 1904).  Thomas worked for the large estate Mount Juliet.  This is an iconic feature of the area.  We visited it and were very impressed.  Peggy and Thomas had five children – Walter (Wally) (b 1954), John (Johnnie) (b 1956), Joan (b 1958), Mary (b 1960), and Thommy (Maish) (b 1962).

In 1977 Peggy and family in Thomastown were visited by John and his wife Mary Ann from New Zealand.

In 1983 Peggy visited New Zealand for Susan’s wedding.

In 1984 Paddy and his wife Margaret (Peggy) visited the family in Ireland.  They stayed with Peggy and Paddy ‘gave away’ Joan at her wedding in Thomastown.

Peggy died in 1999 and is buried in Thomastown.  We visited her grave in which she lays with her husband and brother Michael.

In 2007 Maish, his wife Mary, and daughters Sarah and Katie, visited New Zealand and met the New Zealand family.

John (Joe/Jackie) Kelly (b 1925 d 2000)
John (Joe/Jackie) was very unsettled and upset with his step-mother so left Thomastown to join the RAF.  After training he was dispatched to Japan till the end of the war in 1945.

John (Joe/Jackie) returned to Liverpool where he was demobbed in 1946.  His father was also back in Liverpool and they lived together again.  John (Jackie/Joe) emigrated to New Zealand in 1950 with Dunlop’s, the tyre makers, and settled in Upper Hutt.

He married Florence (Flo) Moran (b 1925) who had emigrated from London.  They had eight children – John (b 1953), Patrick (b 1954), Gerard (b 1955), Christopher (b 1958), Majella (b 1960), Anthea (b 1963), Peter and Paul (b 1965).  John (Joe/Jackie) died in 2000 in Otaki, New Zealand and is buried with Flo who died in 2009.

  

Nellie (nee Kelly) Godiksen (b 1927 d 2011)
Nellie remembers being brought up on the farm at Biggar.  After her mother died she, along with her twin sister Ricky, Kitty and Judy, were taken to St Theresa's convent in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  At the time Judy was 18 months and Kitty 30 months old.  The boys initially went into an orphanage [John (Jackie/Joe), Paddy and Michael] but were taken out to return to Ireland.

It was always the understanding that the girls would be called for and returned to Ireland to be with the family.  As history would have it, this never happened, much to the disappointment of the girls.

Nellie left the orphanage when she was going on 14 years old.  Judy left at about 17 and Kitty at around 16/17 years old.  This was an extremely difficult period for the girls.  There is no comparison between what these girls endured during their early days and how the young live today.

Nellie worked for the Canadian Air Force until the end of the war.  She married Wilfred Shaw (b 1914), and had three children – Patrick (b 1950; d 2000), Kitty (b 1953; d 1965), and Wanda (b 1955).  She later married Chresten Godiksen and had two children – Karen (b 1965), and Margaret (b 1969).  Nellie died in 2011.

Nellie with her two oldest children, Paddy and
in her arms Kitty

Nellie visited New Zealand in 1996 with her daughters Wanda and Karen.  They reunited with her brothers John (Joe/Jackie) and Paddy.  She had been separated from John (Joe/Jackie) for 62 years.  It was the first time Wanda and Karen had met their New Zealand cousins.

In 1997 Nellie, with her daughter Margaret and her husband Ron, visited Biggar where they met up with Thomas and Wilma and visited the graves of her mother, Patrick and Uncle Thomas.  As a result of this visit Thomas gave details of the family living in Chilliwack. A family gathering was arranged later that year at Wanda’s home in Vancouver.   Nellie and Judy reunited with their cousins.  They had not seen each other since leaving Biggar.  John, his wife Mary Ann and family were also present.

In 2006 Wanda and her daughters Kelly and Katie visited New Zealand, meeting many of the family for the first time.

Ricky (nee Kelly) Lucio (b 1927 d 2011)

Ricky (b 1927) married Joseph Lucio, where they lived in California.  Ricky, Nellie (b 1927) and Judy (1932) all had relocated to Canada and their families now live in Vancouver.  Ricky passed away in 2009.

Kitty (nee Kelly) Shores (b 1929 d 1998)

Kitty had a daughter Elizabeth (b 1955) who was raised by adopted parents.  Elizabeth lives in Hawaii with her husband and two children.  Kitty married Raymond Shores.  They had five children – Patrick (b 1956), Raymond (b 1958), Charles (b 1960; d 1978), James (b 1962), and Norma (b 1964).

In 1980 Kitty met up in Los Angeles with Paddy and his family who had travelled from New Zealand.  Nellie and Judy met up with them in San Francisco.  Prior to her death Kitty was visited in Las Vegas by John and his wife Mary Ann from New Zealand.  Kitty died in 1998.

In 1997 Jamie and Norma visited New Zealand.  This was the first time they had met their Uncle John (Joe/Jackie) and some of their first cousins.
 

Paddy Kelly (b 1931 d 2005)
Paddy moved from Stoneyford when he was 15 to enlist in the British Army.  He went to Belfast for training and was posted to India, Hong Kong and Malaya.  He served from 1946 - 1948 including active service in World War II.  Paddy was an infantryman and was rapidly promoted to Lance Corporal at 16 1/2 years.  He was a full Corporal by 17.  He sat his exams in small arms, map reading and compass bearings passing them all which assisted his promotion prospects.  He served in Lahore, India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaya.

On coming out of the Army Paddy went to Liverpool.  He applied for a Canadian passport and travelled to Vancouver to find his sisters Kitty, Judy and her girlfriend in a flat.  Nellie at that time was living in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, where he visited her a year later. Paddy lived in Vancouver from 1951 - 54 and worked as a bar steward.  He planned a holiday to New Zealand to visit John (Jackie/Joe) and Flo.  He never intended staying in New Zealand but was very taken with the quietness and pace of New Zealand when compared with Vancouver and the States.  He decided to stay on.

Paddy married Margaret (Peggy) Boland (b 1928) and had three children – Brian (b 1958; d 1998), Susan (b 1960), and Judith (b 1963).  In 1980 the whole family went to California to catch up with Kitty and her children in LA and with Judy and Nellie in San Francisco. Over the years following Paddy and Peggy made a few trips back overseas, returning to Ireland and Canada.   Paddy passed away in Upper Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand in 2005.

The photo to the left is of Paddy and Peggy' Wedding 1956.. The happy couple are flagged by Joe and Flo with sons John, Patrick and Gerard - such a lovely happy photo

Judy (nee Kelly) Coady (b 1932)
Judy repositioned in Vancouver in 1950.  She married William Coady (b 1922) and had four children – Matthew (b 1955), James (b 1957), Patricia-Ann (Patty-Ann) (b 1959) and Brian (b 1962; d 2003).

In 1988 Judy was visited by Paddy and Peggy from New Zealand.  They also met up with Nellie and Ricky.

She visited New Zealand in 1993, with her son James and daughter-in-law Mary, and reunited with her brothers John (Joe/Jackie) and Paddy.  She had been separated from John (Joe/Jackie) for nearly 60 years.

Michael Kelly (b 1934 d 2001)

Michael, enrolled in his Gaelic name – Miceal O’Cellaig, went to the Stoneyford National School from May 1943.  Michael never married. In 1984 Michael and his brother Paddy reunited. Michael was always in touch with his sister Peggy. Patrick (b 1954) from New Zealand attended Michael's funeral in 2001.  He is buried with his sister Peggy.

 Paddy (20 years) and Michael (16 years) when Paddy leaves Ireland to find his sisters in Canada in 1951

RECAPPING

Thomas (b 1864) and Margaret (b 1870), the third generation Kelly’s had 13 children.  They included John (b 1896) and Thomas (b 1907).  John fled to Biggar and called for his wife Minnie and brother Thomas. 


Thomas Kelly
John returned to Ireland in 1934, while Thomas stayed on and married Laudie (Lottie) Markowsi (b 1909) from Poland and had seven children – Thomas (b 1931), Joseph (b 1933), Margaret (b 1935), Julia (b 1937), Patrick (b 1938), Walter (b 1941) and Jacqueline (b1943).  All were raised in Biggar.

Thomas (b 1931) was to remain in Biggar all his life.  He married Wilma Dehr and had two children – Gregory and Sharon.

Joseph (b 1933) advises all his siblings were born at Biggar's old hospital.  When Jacqueline (Jeannie) was born there was no one to look after the family so the four boys (Tom, Patrick, Martin and himself) were taken to an orphanage in Prince Albert.  They were there for about 1 ½ years.  His mother's sister took in Marty and Pat.  They did not like their stay in the orphanage, which was run by the brothers.  They used to deliver meat and milk supplies to the Carmelite nuns in the convent

The family home had no electricity or running water.  The waterman would call once a week.  When the barrels froze over they had to break the ice to get at the water.  Even the barrels in the kitchen by the stove froze over, giving an indication of just how cold it would get.  There was nothing in the way of treats for the children.  They didn't celebrate birthdays because they couldn't afford it.  They didn't always celebrate Christmas.  One year the children got a box of Crackerjacks (popcorn) each.

Joseph married Elizabeth (Betty) Allen (b 1937).

Julia (b 1937) married Cecil Wells (b 1954) and had one daughter Charlene (b 1954).  She died at Biggar in 2002.

Patrick (b 1938) left Biggar in 1952.  He married Barbara McKay (b 1961) and had two children – Steven (b 1970), and Kimberly.  He was involved in the horse industry with racing and breeding.  He died in Chilliwack, Vancouver in 1998.

Walter (b 1941) married Jermaine Peterson (b 1943).  He was also very keen on horses.

Jacqueline (Jeanie) (b 1943) was 9 years old when she left Biggar for Chilliwack.  She married Ray Taylor and had two children – Deborah (b 1960), and Robert (b 1961).

The 7th generation
This now brings us to the younger Kelly’s – the seventh generation with the eldest of this generation being Phillip (b 1978) currently living in New Zealand.  Each individual can trace their roots back to 1835 by referring to their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents – John (b 1896), great-great-grandparents – Thomas (b 1864), great-great-great grandparents - John (b 1835), and great-great-great grandparents (John???).

But wait there is more!

The seventh generation are continuing the family name and we now have record of 14 eighth generation of Kelly direct descendants.

Welcome to the Kelly Blog

Hello everyone,

We thought we would set up this blog to help us keep in touch, share and store information about the Kelly Reunion in 2015.

In August Wanda emailed (to those we have email addresses for) the following:

"I want to update you on the Kelly/Cass family reunion for 2015. It appears July is the favourite month for the reunion. The reunion will be 5 to 6 days long but you might want to arrive at least one to two days early in order to get settled in after your long trip to Ireland.

Accommodations will be in downtown Kilkenny. We are currently negotiating with two hotels for the best price. These hotels are located across the street from one another. At this time they can only supply prices for 2013, rooms can range from 70 to 129 Euros per night based on double occupancy, and this includes breakfast. Both the hotels have a common area where the family can meet up. The hotels are in a great location close to activities and the night life.

Susan will be setting up a blog site and she will alert everyone as soon as it is up and running. We will post all updates as we have more information on the family reunion.

Looking forward to the reunion and seeing everyone. Any questions please feel free to e-mail me."

So here is the blog.. feel free to comment about anything.. We'll be adding things like new and old photos, reunion details, travel tips, and transport timetables etc...

Can't wait to see you all

Susan