Genealogical and Family History
of the
STATE OF MAINE

Compiled under the editorial supervision of George Thomas Little, A. M., Litt. D.

LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
New York
1909.

[Please see Index page for full citation.]

[Transcribed by Coralynn Brown]

[Many families included in these genealogical records had their beginnings in Massachusetts.]

KELLY Many English surnames are derived from towns, villages and parishes, and it is also a well-known fact that communities were named in honor of influential families. The ancient parish of Kelly in Devonshire may have taken its name from a family, or vice versa. It has been the manorial seat of the family from the time of Henry II, and was originally spelled Kelleigh. In Scotland the name appears to have undergone a slight change in its orthography, the earldom of Kellie deriving its title from a district in Fife, anciently called Kellie-shire. In Ireland the name of Kelly or O'Kelly is said to have been derived from the Gaelic word Ceallach, meaning strife or war, and it is claimed by Irish antiquarians that its pedigree can be traced backward through sixty-five generations to one Milesuius of Spain, whose line of descent is traceable quite directly to Adam. The name Kelly is decidedly a modern innovation. Those of the name about to be mentioned are undoubtedly the posterity of the Devonshire Kellys. (I) In 1635 John Kelly, said to have come from Newbury, England, settled in Newbury, Mass., and resided there until his death, which occurred Dec. 28, 1644. His original land grant appears to have been unsatisfactory to him, as instead of using it for a house lot he erected his dwelling on the north side of Oldtown Hill, quite a distance from the settlement, where he was exposed to the attacks of wild beasts and the savages. This action displeased his fellow colonists, who passed an act of remonstrance in town meeting declaring that in case of disastrous consequences "his blood should be on his own head." He insisted in remaining where he was, however, depending upon his ability to defend himself, and it is related that on one occasion, when a wolf entered his sheepfold in the night, he attacked the animal with a club and killed it. The records of Newbury state that John Kelley was granted a house lot and a planting lot of four acres each, located on the neck, and their boundaries were defined. There is a story current in the family that their immigrant ancestor possessed considerable property, and that he brought with him from England two chests containing valuable goods. Coffin's History of Newbury says, in reference to John Kelly, that he was the son of an Irishman who went to Newbury, England, became enamored of a lady of rank and, having proved his courage and worth by preventing her father's house from being robbed, was permitted to marry her. This story has never been coroborated by any record. The Newbury records do not give the maiden name of John Kelly's wife. He had a daughter Sarah and a son John, and the former, whose birth took place Feb. 12, 1641, probably became the wife of John Belconger, April 12, 1666. (II) John (2), only son of John (1) Kelly, the immigrant, born in Newbury, July 2, 1642, died in West Newbury, March 21, 1718. He acquired by inheritance the homestead on Oldtown Hill, also the house lot originally assigned to his father, and received grants of land from the town. He was admitted a freeman in 1669, and joining the first church he supported its pator, Rev. Thomas Parker, in the latter's long contest with some of its members. About 1694 he removed from Oldtown to the "Upper Woods" (now West Newbury), and was one of the original members of the church organized there in 1698. He was the authorized ferryman at Holt's Rocks. He married, May 25, 1663, Sarah Knight, born March 23, 1648, daughter of Richard Knight. She died prior to March 15, 1716, when he married (second) Lydia Ames, of Bradford. Children: Richard, John, Sarah, Abiel, Rebecca, Mary Jonathan, Joseph, Hannah and Abigail. (III) Abiel, third son and fourth child of John (2) and Sarah (Knight) Kelly, was born in Newbury, Dec. 12, 1672. In 1696 he, with others, made known their desire to have the church in West Newbury located on "Pipe Stave" Hill instead of on the plains, and in 1718 he, his brother Jonathan and eight others were granted eighty rods of the flats above Holt's Rocks for a fishing ground, on condition that they each give one salmon annually to Rev. Mr. Tappan and the Rev. Mr. Tufts. In 1728 he removed from West newbury to the North Parish of Methuen, which is now Salem, New Hampshire, acquiring by purchase eighty acres of land on Spicket Hill and two hudnred acres lying partly in Haverhill and Methuen. In 1729 he united with the church in West Newbury. In 1738 he was chosen parish clerk, and in the following year furnished some of the materials for erecting the meeting house. He also served upon the committee which laid out the North Parish cemetery. The entry of his death in the Salem records reads as follows: "Abiel Kelly desest on June ye 18, 1750." He was mararied Jan. 16, 1697, to Rebecca, daughter of Samuel Davis, of Haverhill. Children: Richard, Abiel, Mary, Abigail, Hannah, Mehitable and Ruth, the two last named twins. (IV) Captain Richard, eldest child of Abiel and Rebecca (Davis) Kelly was born in West Newbury Oct. 24, 1697. He purchased jointly with his father a tract of land in Amesbury (West), where he resided until removing with his parents to Methuen, and in 1738 he was a member of a committee formulated for the purpose of providing building material for the meeting house. He was baptized Jan. 21, 1728, and admitted to the church in Haverhill, from which he was dismissed the following year in order to unite with the North Parish Church of Methuen. His military title of captain was acquired by services as such in the provincial militia. Sept. 28, 1721, he married Susannah, born in Amesbury Feb. 20, 1697, daughter of William Hoyt, and great-granddaughter of John Hoyt, one of the first settlers of that town. Children: Rebecca, William, Richard, Sarah, Samuel, John and Susannah. (V) John (3), fourth son and sixth child of Capt. Richard and Susannah (Hoyt) Kelly, was born in the North Parish of Methuen, April 8 or 28, 1735. He established his home in the North Parish (Salem) upon sixteen acres of land which he purchased of Joseph Haynes, and his death occurred at about the beginning of the nineteenth century. He was a stonemason by trade and followed that occupation in connection with farming. He served in the revolutionary was as drummer in Capt. James Jones' company, according to its pay roll dated after the Concord fight. May 8, 1759, he married Catharine Langley, of Andover, daughter of an Englishman who, after his marriage with a Miss Sinkley against the wishes of her parnets, fled with his bride to New England. Mrs. Catharine Kelly died in Kennebunk, Maine, about the year 1825, aged ninety-five years. Children: Langley (participated in the battle of Bunker Hill), Lucy Porter, Phineas Tyler, Isaac, John, Catharine, Abiel, Mary (Polly), Joseph and Susanna. (VI) Phineas Tyler, second son and third child of John (3) and Catharine (Langley) Kelly, born in the North Parish of Methuen July 27, 1764, died suddenly in 1904. He settled in Saco, Maine, being the first to engage in the manufacutre of hats in that town, and a considerable portion of the wealth he acquired in this business he invested in shipping. For his first wife he married Charlotte Warren, of Saco, who bore him two sons; she died Aug. 18, 1796, aged twenty-six years, of spotted fever, which was brought to the town by one of her husband's ships. Mr. Kelly afterward married her sister Elizabeth. Children: Foxwell, who died in infancy. John. (VII) John (4), youngest son of Phineas T. and Charlotte (Warren) Kelly, born in Saco, April 24, 1789, died April 10, 1865. He was a lifelong resident of that town. He was married, Feb. 12, 1812, to Azubah Hutchins, born in Conway, New Hampshire, Nov. 7, 1793, died July 10, 1867. Children: 1. Phineas, born in Conway, N. H., April 5, 1814, died in Augusta, Maine, Sept. 27, 1847. 2. James F., born Jan. 3, 1816, died March 29, 1866. 3. Charlotte E., born June 20, 1818, died Sept. 23, 1848. 4. Mary Francis, born Nov. 19, 1820. 5. John A., born July 16, 1825. 6. Abel H., see succeeding paragraph. 7. Harriet V. A., born Aug. 8, 1831. 8. Henrietta, born Sept. 2, 1833. 9. Martha, born Sept. 20, 1834, died Oct. 7 of the same year. (VIII) Abel H., fourth son and sixth child of John and Azubah (Hutchins) Kelly, was born in Saco, July 27, 1828. He completed his education at Thornton Academy, and having learned the carpenter's and pattern-maker's trades, he entered the service of the Saco Water Power Company. A close application to his calling brought on a pulmonary affection, necessitating a change of employment, and he secured the position of keeper of the town jail. He continued in that capacity until his death, which occurred Feb. 7, 1864. He married Emma C. Dyer, of Sebago, Maine, Feb. 19, 1854. Children: 1. Melville Hutchins, who will be again referred to. 2. Emma D., born Aug. 28, 1856, died Aug. 28, 1879. 3. Cora A., born Dec. 3, 1860, died in infancy. 4. Abel H. Jr., born May 12, 1863, died in infancy. (IX) Melville Hutchins, eldest child of Abel H. and Emma C. (Dyer) Kelly, was born in Standish, Maine, at the home of his grandfather, Mr. Dyer, Feb. 17, 1855. After concluding his attendance at the Saco high school, he secured a position with G. A. Carter, local agent for the Western Union Telegraph Company and the Eastern Express Company, acquiring a good knowledge of telegraphy and the express business. He acted as telegrapher and clerk of both corporations until the Eastern Express Company was merged into the American Express Company, when he and Mr. Carter established an insurance business, which they carried on in conjunction with the local express agency. In August, 1884, Mr. Kelly severed his connection with Mr. Carter in order to accept a clerkship in the Saco and Biddeford Savings Institution, and in the following May was advanced to the position of treasurer, in which capacity he is still (1908) serving. The Saco and Biddeford Savings Institution was chartered in 1827 and is therefore one of the oldest corporations of its kind in the U. S. At the present time its deposits amount to over three million six hundred thousand dollars, considerably more than half of which has been acquired since Mr. Kelly assumed the treasurership. In addition to his duties at the Savings Institution Mr. Kelly has acted as treasurer of the Provident Association for nearly twenty-five yeras, and is also secretary and treasurer of the Mutual Fire Insurance Company. For two years he served as city auditor, and was for a similar length of time a member of the board of aldermen. In politics he is a Republican and a Prohibitionist. He is one of the prominent members of the Free Will Baptist church, having been identified with its Sunday school from his youth to the present time and in the latter has served in various capacities, including that of superintendent. He has also served as church treasurer. On Sept. 6, 1880, Mr. Kelly was united in marriage with Georgianna, daughter of Major James H. Cutts, of Farmington, Maine; she died Aug. 22, 1886. Children of 1st wife: Cora Hill, born Aug. 11, 1882, clerk in the Saco and Biddeford Savings Institution. Albert Henry, born May 3, 1885, died in infancy. Mr. Kelly's second wife, whom he married Dec. 14, 1887, was Ella M., daughter of Samuel W. Lunt, of Biddeford. In common with the majority of this name in New England she is a descendant of Henry Lunt, who was a passenger from England in the ship "Mary and John" in 1630, and settled in Newbury, Mass., in 1635. The name LUNT is in all probability of Scandinavian origin, and was established in England prior to the Norman conquest. Children of 2d wife: Josephine Lunt, born Dec. 5, 1888, graduate of Thornton Academy. Ernestine Chase, born Feb. 25, 1890, graduate of Thornton Academy. Kathryn Brewster, born July 26, 1891, a student at Thornton Academy. Dorothy Madison, born June 26, 1894, a student at Thornton Academy.