HISTORY: Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia, Chapter 7, Kelly, Dauphin County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/dauphin/ http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/dauphin/runk/runk-bios.htm _______________________________________________________________ Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers. Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, pages 124-128. _______________________________________________________________ THE KELLYS OF LONDONDERRY. I. PATRICK KELLY, b. 1709, in the north of Ireland; d. June 27, 1769, in Londonderry township, then Lancaster county, Pa.; came to America in 1734, and took up a large tract of land in the Swatara region, where he lived and died; his wife Rachel, b. in 1708, in Province of Ulster, Ireland; d. August 5, 1782, in Londonderry, and with her husband buried in old Derry church graveyard. They had issue: DAUPHIN COUNTY. 125 Portrait: William Calder 126 HISTORICAL REVIEW [blank page] DAUPHIN COUNTY. 127 i. Rachel, b. 1735; m. William Forster. 2. ii. George, b. 1737; m. and had issue. iii. Anne, b. 1739; d. prior to 1806; m. _____ Patrick; and left Mary, m. Thomas Nicholson. 3. iv. John, b. February, 1741; m. Sarah Polk. v. Patrick, b. April 28, 1843; d. October 28, 1826, in Londonderry; unm. vi. Thomas, b. 1747; of whom we have no further record. 4. vii. James, b. 1749; m. Elizabeth Forster. 5.viii. Mary, b. 1751; m. John Duncan. II. GEORGE KELLY (Patrick), b. 1737, in Londonderry township; d. prior to 1806, and left issue: i. Andrew. ii. Thomas. iii. Rachel, d. prior to 1806; m. James Snodgrass; and left Sarah, Mary, Margaret, Rosina, Rachel, Elizabeth, William, George, James, and Thomas. III. JOHN KELLY (Patrick), b. February, 1741, in Londonderry township, Lancaster, now Dauphin county, Pa.; d. February 8, 1832, in Buffalo Valley. After the Indian purchase of 1768, he settled in the Buffalo Valley, enduring all the hardships of pioneer life. At the age of twenty-seven he was a captain and major on the frontiers, and at the outset of the Revolution was ready for the conflict; he was a member of the convention of July 15, 1776, and subsequently entered the army, having previously assisted in organizing the associators, being appointed major in Col. James Potter's battalion. After the battle of Princeton, when Cornwallis by a forced march arrived at Stony Brook, General Washington sent an order to Colonel Potter to destroy the bridge at Worth's Mills in sight of the advancing British. Colonel Potter ordered Major Kelly to make a detail for that purpose, but the latter said he would not order another to do what some might say he was afraid to do himself; he took a detachment and went to work. The enemy opened upon him a heavy fire of round shot; before all the logs were cut off, several balls struck the log on which he stood, and it breaking down sooner than he expected, he was precipitated into the stream; his party moved off, not expecting him to escape. By great exertions he reached the shore, through the high water and floating timbers, and followed the troops. Encumbered as he was with his wet and frozen clothes, he succeeded in making prisoner an armed British scout, and took him into camp. During the summer of 1777, Colonel Kelly commanded on the frontier, and continued in that service almost to the close of the Revolution. The record of his adventures during those troublesome times reads like a romance. Colonel Kelly was appointed agent for confiscated estates May 6, 1778, and in 1780 was chosen to the Assembly. He was one of the magistrates of Northumberland county from August 2, 1783, for upwards of twenty years. He married Sarah Polk, daughter of James Polk, of the valley, d. January 2, 1831. They had issue: i. James, removed to Penn's Valley, and died there; was father of James K. Kelly, U. S. senator from Oregon, 1872-1878. ii. John, removed to Penn's Valley. iii. William, m. a daughter of Archibald Allison, of Centre county, and died there January 27, 1830. iv. Andrew, b. 1783; d. September 24, 1786; unm. v. Samuel, removed to Armstrong county, Pa. vi. Elizabeth, m. Simeon Howe. vii. Maria, d. January, 1861; m. John Campbell, of Lewisburg. viii. Robert, b. 1798; d. April 12, 1865. ix. Joseph, b. 1793; d. March 2, 1860. x. David-H., b. 1803; d. February 11, 1875; was county commissioner of Union county. IV. JAMES KELLY (Patrick), b. 1781, in Londonderry township, Lancaster, now Dauphin county, Pa.; d. February 10, 1813; m. Elizabeth Forster, daughter of James Forster and Elizabeth Moore; b. 1759, in Londonderry township; d. September 7, 1822, in Londonderry, and with her husband buried in old Derry church graveyard. They had issue, but we have not been able to secure their names. V. MARY KELLY (Patrick), b. 1751; d. prior to 1816; m. John Duncan. They had issue (surname Duncan): i. Samuel. ii. William. iii. Battana. iv. Mary. v. Rachel, dec'd; m. William Smith, and left Mary and Rachel. vi. Margaret, m. Hugh Dempsey. 128 HISTORICAL REVIEW vii. James, m., and left James, John, Andrew, and Elizabeth. viii. Thomas. ix. David. x. Rebecca, m. William Elliott.