Richard
Kelly
Born about [location unknown]
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of
Elizabeth Brannigan
— married
[date unknown] [location unknown]
Descendants 
Father of
Charles Kelly and Mary (Kelly) McDonald
Died [date unknown]
[location unknown]
Profile last modified
| Created 17 Nov 2021
This page has been accessed 220 times.
Biography
The evidence for Richard Kelly being the father of Charles Kelly, born c.1827, was recorded on Charles death certificate of 1899; [1]
Based on the approximate year of birth of Charles Kelly, i.e., 1827 and the year of birth of Elizabeth Brannigan, Richard's wife, i.e., 1799, then Richard Kelly may have been born around the year 1797?
Charles Kelly and his sister, Mary Kelly, were both Roman Catholics. Mary's marriage was recorded in the Newtownards Roman Catholic Church in August 1863. It is reasonable to concur that Richard Kelly, their father would also have been a Roman Catholic.
As there appears to be a gap of around 11 years between the birth of Charles Kelly and his sister, Mary Kelly, it is reasonable to believe that there may have been other siblings?
The 1901 Census does record several Roman Catholic Kellys resident in Newtownards who may have been connected. Further genealogical or genetic research may provide an answer?
It should be noted that the RC Parish Registers for Newtownards do not begin until the 1850’s and of course there are no surviving early Census Records. The Tithe Applotment Books are not available for the Newtownards area.
Origins of Richard Kelly: Genetic, i.e., DNA evidence, points to Richard Kelly and/or Elizabeth Brannigan, i.e., the parents of Charles Kelly of Newtownards, as having originated in the south Armagh, south Down, or north Louth area, (see Memories Section).
Summary: There are proven genetic connections between descendants of Richard Kelly and, or Elizabeth Brannigan, with descendants of a Rice family whose origins appear to have been in south Armagh. There are also other independent genetic matches, with their roots in the south Armagh/north Louth area, e.g., the Toner, Hughes and O'Hanlon families. Areas highlighted, include the Parishes of Killeavy, Loughgilly and Creggans. The Toner family descendants also matching genetically with descendant of the Rice family.
There is also the circumstantial locational evidence of a Felix Brannigan being resident in Killeavy Parish, south Armagh, in the Flax Growers List of 1796, plus the documentary evidence of his descendants. These individuals may or may not have a connection with Elisabeth Brannigan?
For further information concerning the possible Brannigan connection, see Elizabeth Brannigan's profile.
The above genetic and historical information does not provide conclusive genealogical proof as to the origins of Richard Kelly and his wife, Elisabeth Brannigan, but may point in the right direction. It may be that further DNA matches or genealogical records will assist in answering this question.
Sources
- ↑ Death Registration; National Records of Scotland; Births Database,1899; Dailly, Parish Number, 585; Entry Number 23; Parents, Richard Kelly, Farmer and Elizabeth Brannigan
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Richard:
It may be possible to confirm family relationships. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Richard:
-
~3.12%
Charlie Kelly
:
23andMe, GEDmatch T814043 [compare]
+
AncestryDNA, GEDmatch T814043 [compare], Ancestry member belstonkelly
+
Family Tree DNA Family Finder, GEDmatch T814043 [compare], FTDNA kit #555571
+
MyHeritage DNA, GEDmatch T814043 [compare]
+
Living DNA, GEDmatch T814043 [compare]
-
~1.56%
Margaret Langan :
AncestryDNA
Featured Asian and Pacific Islander connections: Richard is 38 degrees from 今上 天皇, 31 degrees from Adrienne Clarkson, 25 degrees from Dwight Heine, 36 degrees from Dwayne Johnson, 28 degrees from Tupua Tamasese Lealofioaana, 32 degrees from Stacey Milbern, 33 degrees from Sono Osato, 46 degrees from 乾隆 愛新覺羅, 33 degrees from Ravi Shankar, 28 degrees from Taika Waititi, 25 degrees from Penny Wong and 27 degrees from Chang Bunker on our single family tree. Login to see how you relate to 33 million family members.
DNA tests involving two of Richard Kelly's direct male descendants reveal a pattern of autosomal DNA matches in the south County Down/South Armagh/North Louth area of south east Ulster.
Rice Family Connection: One of the descendants of Richard Kelly also took a Y DNA test, this revealed a number of high level matches with the surname, "Rice" also a number of matches named Gillespie but interestingly no close matches bearing the surname, Kelly.
On the Ancestry DNA website, a direct male descendant of Richard Kelly, shares autosomal DNA, with several descendants of members of the Rice family of Highland County, Ohio, i.e. Sarah Rice, born 1822 and Peter Rice, born 1829. In one case, 57cM of DNA is shared between this contributor and a direct descendant of Peter Rice.
Sarah, Michael, Bridget aka Biddy, and Peter Rice, (Rice-20709); were all born in County Armagh. They emigrated with their mother, Margaret from County Armagh to Ohio in 1836. They travelled on board the Lord Glenelg, from Liverpool, arriving in New York on 18th October 1836.
Hughes Family Connection: A family named, Hughes were resident in Highland County, Ohio when the Rice family arrived in 1836. The Hughes family moved into Highland County from Virginia in 1826. There appears to have been a relatively close connection between the Hughes and Rice family both of whom originated in County Armagh. We know that James Hughes, was born in Maytone Townland in Loughgilly Parish, south Armagh in 1783. This James Hughes, (Hughes-32061), moved to Virginia in 1817 before moving with his family to Highland County in 1826. Interestingly, Loughgilly Parish lies adjacent to Killeavy Parish in County Armagh, (see further information concerning Killeavy Parish below).
As well as genetic, i.e. DNA matches, both Ancestry, and My Heritage offer ethnic breakdowns of an individuals DNA, or more accurately confirm the bio-geographical genetic places of origin of ones ancestry.
Ancestry DNA in particular has highlighted the area around County Louth/County Monaghan as a geographical location where a reasonable proportion of this contributor's DNA originated. This is based on segments of DNA, which the contributor shares with a number of genetic matches. County Armagh and south County Down are within this area of interest.
The highlighting of the Louth/ Monaghan area as a major contributor to the contributors ancestral DNA, indicates there is a strong probability that the contributors Kelly and, or Brannigan ancestry have contributed to this genetic footprint.
As the amount of autosomal DNA inherited from a given ancestor decreases with each generation, it is possible that the shared DNA referred to was inherited solely from either Richard Kelly or Elizabeth Brannigan and not from both?
One of the DNA, i.e. genetic matches, named “O’Hanlon”, is shared in common (on a triangulated basis) with a Kelly 2nd cousin once removed who lives in Australia. This indicates that this match is connected to both the contributor and his cousin through their shared Kelly ancestry. The O’Hanlon DNA match has traced all their ancestries’ places of origin within north County Louth, which of course is within the contributors highlighted bio-geographical origins area. The DNA evidence provided by the various testing companies also indicates a large number of other genetic ancestral connections originating within the County Armagh area.
One DNA match in particular is worth mentioning, i.e. an individual with an ancestor from south County Armagh by the name of McElvenny (McIlvenny) whose family farmed in the Parish of Creggan in south Armagh near the town of Newry.
Toner Connection: Two of the genetic matches who share DNA with the two male descendants of Richard Kelly and who also share DNA with a descendant of Peter Rice have strong connections with the south Armagh/South Down area. In particular they have Toner ancestry from Drumcrow, parish of Lochgilly , which lies adjacent to Killeavy Parish. Again the surname Toner is quite frequently found in Killeavy Parish register. These matches also have Hughes ancestry from County Armagh. A further DNA match with the surname, Toner shares a triangulated segment with two direct descendants of Richard Kelly. This individual has two separate pairs of great great grandparents, both with the surnames, Toner and Hughes. The location of these individuals being the Crossmaglen/Cullyhanna area of Creggan Parish in South Armagh.
Killeavy Parish, South Armagh: The surname Kelly is to be found in the Baptismal entries for Lower Killeavy Parish, where Kelly’s were recorded as parents or sponsors, names included, John, James, William and Mary Kelly but no Charles or Richard.
In May 1833, a Charles Kelly was recorded, as a sponsor at a baptism in Killeavy Upper Parish. In April 1835, a Charles Kelly was also recorded as a sponsor. Whilst it is not possible to state whether there was any family connection to this Charles Kelly, his presence in Killeavy Upper Parish is worth noting.
It should also be noted that there were a significant number of individuals with the surname, Rice recorded in the Killevy RC Parish Register for the early 19th century.
Creggan Parish: In Griffiths Valuation of 1864, a Richard Kelly was recorded as tenant in a House in the Townland of Claranagh in the Parish of Creggan in south Armagh. It is not known if this Richard Kelly was connected to the family under question?
edited by Charlie Kelly
Kelly was and is a common name in County Down. Of particular interest is the fact that there were a number of Kelly family’s resident in the south County Down area particularly around the parishes of Kilcool and Drumgooland in the early 19th century. A Charles Kelly of Ballymagreehan Townland , Parish of Drumgooland was recorded in the Tithe Records of 1828.
A Richard Kelly was recorded in the Down Diocesan Wills for 1725 in the townland of Ballymacnegally (Ballygally?) near Downpatrick, 12 miles to the east of Drumgooland. It is not possible to say whether this Richard Kelly was connected to the Richard Kelly born c. 1800, i.e. the spouse of Elisabeth Brannigan? Further research is necessary.
Mary Kelly married Aeneas McDonald in Newtownards RC Church in 1863. They had five children i.e., Elizabeth (1864); Richard (1866); Susan (1868); Mary (1870) and Charles (1873). The commonality of the Christian names and shared religion, i.e. Roman Catholic indicate a possible connection between Mary Kelly and Charles Kelly, the son of Richard Kelly.
Mary (Kelly) McDonald of Mill Street, Newtownards, registered the death of an Elizabeth Kelley of Mill Street, Newtownards, a Widow aged 73, on 21st June 1872. This was presumably Mary's mother, i.e., Elisabeth Brannigan.
In December 2022, genetic evidence (DNA matches) was provided by My Heritage. This revealed that four direct descendants of Richard Kelly, including the author of this biography, matched a direct descendant of Mary Kelly with the surname, Leathem.
This confirmed that Mary Kelly was the daughter of Richard Kelly and Elizabeth Brannigan and therefore provided the proof that Mary and Charles Kelly were siblings.