Kelley or Kelly

Hi Michelle
There is a baptism record of Bernard Kelly born around 1840 + - 5years in Donegal on www.rootsireland.ie/ (subscription site)
Bernard Kelly Date of Birth:
Date of Baptism: 31-Mar-1836
Address: Screeby Parish/District: LIFFORD
Gender: Male County Co. Donegal
Denomination: Roman Catholic
Father: Francis Kelly Mother: Nancy Mayne
Occupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1: William McCarron Sponsor 2 /
Informant 2: Eliza McCarron
The issue is whether he was from Donegal or near it as there are many other records from other northern counties for Bernard Kelly.
There are 3 marriages of Bernard K to a Mary in Donegal but Screeby Lifford isn't mentioned as his the address for any.
Col

Michelle:

Co. Donegal is probably the most difficult county to find Catholic church records pre-1864 when civil registration started. For some reason, almost all the churches do not have records back to the first half of the 19th century. Only three have records back to 1840: Killygordon, Culdaff and Lifford where Col found a Bernard Kelly record. Kelly is a very common surname in Co. Donegal particular on the east side of Donegal where it borders Co. Tyrone.

Without some additional information from American records, I think it would be very difficult to ascertain where Bernard came from in Co. Donegal.

You may want to consider DNA testing specifically the autosomal DNA test which may find a match where the other person has a more detailed family tree on the Kellys.

Let us know if you have questions.

Roger McDonnell

Hello,

It is to my understanding that my family is of the Protestant faith. Where Bernard Kelly is concerned his fathers name may have been Samuel Kelly and his mother Annie Riddle however I am unsure about this.

Michelle:

The C of I and Presbyterian churches in Co. Donegal were a little better with record keeping compared to the RC churches. However, there were still a number of parishes particularly C of I that did not have records back to 1840.

As Col pointed out, he searched from 1835-1845 for Bernard Kelly/Kelley and there was only one record on Roots the 1836 RC record in Lifford. I went back to 1830 and still no additional records.

Roger

Pretty sure that this particular Bernard and his entire family (Francis Kelly, Ann/Nancy Moyn(e) and children) all migrated to Philadelphia at once.
If my hunch is correct, then this Bernard died at 15 y/o of smallpox in Philadelphia. I believe that I am descended from his brother James. There are only two years of baptisms microfilmed for Lifford/Clonleigh parish.  A shame since a longer stretch would have yielded more siblings and more surety.