John and Jane's son Thomas is buried in Old Covenanter Cemetery in Marion County, Illinois, while their other son Rev. John Kell is buried with his wife in Archer Cemetery in Gibson County, Indiana. It is likely son Alexander Kell is also in Archer, though there is no record of it.
Thomas is linked to this memorial, and here is son Rev. John Kell's memorial:
Rev. John Kell (1772-1842)
NOTE FROM MCLAUGHLIN: This is one of the more legible stones in Paul's Graveyard, and is in what looks like the remnants of a family plot with his wife Jane, Thomas Morton, Elizabeth (Morton) Mays and Margaret Morten. I would not rule out that possibly his descendents came along later and put a newer stone here.
BIOGRAPHY
From: The Presbyterian Historical Society, 520 Witherspoon Building, Philadelphia, 7, PA:
"FIRST KELL in America. John Kell, who lived to age 83, married Jane P. Morton (1738-1817). They left Ireland in 1771, landed in South Carolina in 1772 and settled in the Rocky Creek District of Chester county, South Carolina. Both are buried in Paul's Graveyard, Chester County, SC.
John Kell came over with Rev. William Martin, who led a colony of Scottish Covenanters from the Kellswater Congregation in Ballymoney, Ireland. These Scottish Presbyterians had left Scotland for Ireland in search of religious freedom and again left Ireland for America.
John Kell and Thomas Morton were intimately associated in the Rocky Creek Congregation of Covenanters under Rev. Martin. Mr. Morton was made elder in 1789 and John Kell in 1791. In 1801, John Kell and David Stormont, elders, sat on a court with three covenanter ministers to banish slave holders from the Church.
It is not known what part John Kell had in the Revolution, but it was evidently displeasing to the British, who burned their home. Meanwhile, the mother hid her sons, including John and his little brother Thomas, in the bushes, lest the British harm them. Apparently the father (John) was away that day. The Scottish Covenantors in this Chester District hated all things British -- they were patriots, and were said almost to a man to have borne arms for the cause of the Revolution. To them, it was not only a war for their homes, but a war for religious freedom for which their fathers had been fighting the British Crown for over a century. Rev. William Martin was a patriotic leader, urging the men of his congregation to bear arms. Since John Kell was one of his first elders, he must have been one of the close followers of Rev. Martin. It is quite possible that further research may sometime give proof of John Kell's service in the Revolutionary War."
John Kell petitioned South Carolina for 350 acres of land which would indicate he had a wife and four children. Since we know he had only two children at the time, there must have been two other members of minor age in his household.
UPDATE: From page 350 of the book "Indiana DAR": Kell, John, b. 1736, Ireland, d. Nov 1819, Chester Co., S.C., m. 1756, Jane Tyler (Morton), b. 1738, Ireland, d. 28 Jan 1817, Chester Co., S.C. SERVICE: Chaplain, Private. CHILDREN: Thomas, b. 17 July 1774, m. Margaret Ann Gasten. DESCENDANT: RITTER, Jane Brooks (Mrs. Warren A.), No. 386963.
Thomas is linked to this memorial, and here is son Rev. John Kell's memorial:
Rev. John Kell (1772-1842)
NOTE FROM MCLAUGHLIN: This is one of the more legible stones in Paul's Graveyard, and is in what looks like the remnants of a family plot with his wife Jane, Thomas Morton, Elizabeth (Morton) Mays and Margaret Morten. I would not rule out that possibly his descendents came along later and put a newer stone here.
BIOGRAPHY
From: The Presbyterian Historical Society, 520 Witherspoon Building, Philadelphia, 7, PA:
"FIRST KELL in America. John Kell, who lived to age 83, married Jane P. Morton (1738-1817). They left Ireland in 1771, landed in South Carolina in 1772 and settled in the Rocky Creek District of Chester county, South Carolina. Both are buried in Paul's Graveyard, Chester County, SC.
John Kell came over with Rev. William Martin, who led a colony of Scottish Covenanters from the Kellswater Congregation in Ballymoney, Ireland. These Scottish Presbyterians had left Scotland for Ireland in search of religious freedom and again left Ireland for America.
John Kell and Thomas Morton were intimately associated in the Rocky Creek Congregation of Covenanters under Rev. Martin. Mr. Morton was made elder in 1789 and John Kell in 1791. In 1801, John Kell and David Stormont, elders, sat on a court with three covenanter ministers to banish slave holders from the Church.
It is not known what part John Kell had in the Revolution, but it was evidently displeasing to the British, who burned their home. Meanwhile, the mother hid her sons, including John and his little brother Thomas, in the bushes, lest the British harm them. Apparently the father (John) was away that day. The Scottish Covenantors in this Chester District hated all things British -- they were patriots, and were said almost to a man to have borne arms for the cause of the Revolution. To them, it was not only a war for their homes, but a war for religious freedom for which their fathers had been fighting the British Crown for over a century. Rev. William Martin was a patriotic leader, urging the men of his congregation to bear arms. Since John Kell was one of his first elders, he must have been one of the close followers of Rev. Martin. It is quite possible that further research may sometime give proof of John Kell's service in the Revolutionary War."
John Kell petitioned South Carolina for 350 acres of land which would indicate he had a wife and four children. Since we know he had only two children at the time, there must have been two other members of minor age in his household.
UPDATE: From page 350 of the book "Indiana DAR": Kell, John, b. 1736, Ireland, d. Nov 1819, Chester Co., S.C., m. 1756, Jane Tyler (Morton), b. 1738, Ireland, d. 28 Jan 1817, Chester Co., S.C. SERVICE: Chaplain, Private. CHILDREN: Thomas, b. 17 July 1774, m. Margaret Ann Gasten. DESCENDANT: RITTER, Jane Brooks (Mrs. Warren A.), No. 386963.
John and Jane's son Thomas is buried in Old Covenanter Cemetery in Marion County, Illinois, while their other son Rev. John Kell is buried with his wife in Archer Cemetery in Gibson County, Indiana. It is likely son Alexander Kell is also in Archer, though there is no record of it.
Thomas is linked to this memorial, and here is son Rev. John Kell's memorial:
Rev. John Kell (1772-1842)
NOTE FROM MCLAUGHLIN: This is one of the more legible stones in Paul's Graveyard, and is in what looks like the remnants of a family plot with his wife Jane, Thomas Morton, Elizabeth (Morton) Mays and Margaret Morten. I would not rule out that possibly his descendents came along later and put a newer stone here.
BIOGRAPHY
From: The Presbyterian Historical Society, 520 Witherspoon Building, Philadelphia, 7, PA:
"FIRST KELL in America. John Kell, who lived to age 83, married Jane P. Morton (1738-1817). They left Ireland in 1771, landed in South Carolina in 1772 and settled in the Rocky Creek District of Chester county, South Carolina. Both are buried in Paul's Graveyard, Chester County, SC.
John Kell came over with Rev. William Martin, who led a colony of Scottish Covenanters from the Kellswater Congregation in Ballymoney, Ireland. These Scottish Presbyterians had left Scotland for Ireland in search of religious freedom and again left Ireland for America.
John Kell and Thomas Morton were intimately associated in the Rocky Creek Congregation of Covenanters under Rev. Martin. Mr. Morton was made elder in 1789 and John Kell in 1791. In 1801, John Kell and David Stormont, elders, sat on a court with three covenanter ministers to banish slave holders from the Church.
It is not known what part John Kell had in the Revolution, but it was evidently displeasing to the British, who burned their home. Meanwhile, the mother hid her sons, including John and his little brother Thomas, in the bushes, lest the British harm them. Apparently the father (John) was away that day. The Scottish Covenantors in this Chester District hated all things British -- they were patriots, and were said almost to a man to have borne arms for the cause of the Revolution. To them, it was not only a war for their homes, but a war for religious freedom for which their fathers had been fighting the British Crown for over a century. Rev. William Martin was a patriotic leader, urging the men of his congregation to bear arms. Since John Kell was one of his first elders, he must have been one of the close followers of Rev. Martin. It is quite possible that further research may sometime give proof of John Kell's service in the Revolutionary War."
John Kell petitioned South Carolina for 350 acres of land which would indicate he had a wife and four children. Since we know he had only two children at the time, there must have been two other members of minor age in his household.
UPDATE: From page 350 of the book "Indiana DAR": Kell, John, b. 1736, Ireland, d. Nov 1819, Chester Co., S.C., m. 1756, Jane Tyler (Morton), b. 1738, Ireland, d. 28 Jan 1817, Chester Co., S.C. SERVICE: Chaplain, Private. CHILDREN: Thomas, b. 17 July 1774, m. Margaret Ann Gasten. DESCENDANT: RITTER, Jane Brooks (Mrs. Warren A.), No. 386963.
Thomas is linked to this memorial, and here is son Rev. John Kell's memorial:
Rev. John Kell (1772-1842)
NOTE FROM MCLAUGHLIN: This is one of the more legible stones in Paul's Graveyard, and is in what looks like the remnants of a family plot with his wife Jane, Thomas Morton, Elizabeth (Morton) Mays and Margaret Morten. I would not rule out that possibly his descendents came along later and put a newer stone here.
BIOGRAPHY
From: The Presbyterian Historical Society, 520 Witherspoon Building, Philadelphia, 7, PA:
"FIRST KELL in America. John Kell, who lived to age 83, married Jane P. Morton (1738-1817). They left Ireland in 1771, landed in South Carolina in 1772 and settled in the Rocky Creek District of Chester county, South Carolina. Both are buried in Paul's Graveyard, Chester County, SC.
John Kell came over with Rev. William Martin, who led a colony of Scottish Covenanters from the Kellswater Congregation in Ballymoney, Ireland. These Scottish Presbyterians had left Scotland for Ireland in search of religious freedom and again left Ireland for America.
John Kell and Thomas Morton were intimately associated in the Rocky Creek Congregation of Covenanters under Rev. Martin. Mr. Morton was made elder in 1789 and John Kell in 1791. In 1801, John Kell and David Stormont, elders, sat on a court with three covenanter ministers to banish slave holders from the Church.
It is not known what part John Kell had in the Revolution, but it was evidently displeasing to the British, who burned their home. Meanwhile, the mother hid her sons, including John and his little brother Thomas, in the bushes, lest the British harm them. Apparently the father (John) was away that day. The Scottish Covenantors in this Chester District hated all things British -- they were patriots, and were said almost to a man to have borne arms for the cause of the Revolution. To them, it was not only a war for their homes, but a war for religious freedom for which their fathers had been fighting the British Crown for over a century. Rev. William Martin was a patriotic leader, urging the men of his congregation to bear arms. Since John Kell was one of his first elders, he must have been one of the close followers of Rev. Martin. It is quite possible that further research may sometime give proof of John Kell's service in the Revolutionary War."
John Kell petitioned South Carolina for 350 acres of land which would indicate he had a wife and four children. Since we know he had only two children at the time, there must have been two other members of minor age in his household.
UPDATE: From page 350 of the book "Indiana DAR": Kell, John, b. 1736, Ireland, d. Nov 1819, Chester Co., S.C., m. 1756, Jane Tyler (Morton), b. 1738, Ireland, d. 28 Jan 1817, Chester Co., S.C. SERVICE: Chaplain, Private. CHILDREN: Thomas, b. 17 July 1774, m. Margaret Ann Gasten. DESCENDANT: RITTER, Jane Brooks (Mrs. Warren A.), No. 386963.
Inscription
IN MEMORY OF MR. JOHN KELL WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE NOVEMBER 2ND A.D. 1819 AGED 83 YEARS
In the year 1772 he emigrated From Ireland, s'tained a share in the troubles of the Revolutionary War. As a professor of religion he attached himself to the Reformed Presb' Church. He maintained his standing with firmness & manifested an integrity & zeal worthy of his profession; Faith made him look with triumph on the Tomb.
Family Members
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