James Kelley Jr., the third son of Irish immigrants James Kelly and Elizabeth Daily, was born on the family farm located on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River about 2 miles north of Shawville, On April 2, 1847.
James helped out on his Dad's farm for several years after he finished public school around the age of twelve. He had 5 brothers and 3 sisters all living in the 2 story farmhouse which had only 3 bedrooms upstairs and 3 rooms downstairs.
When James got older, he worked for a logging company which cut red and white pine logs and floated them down the Gatineau River which empties into the Ottawa River at Hull, Quebec where the lumber mill was located. During one of the spring drives, he ended up in Cantley, Quebec, ten miles north of Hull, where he met Isabella Brown (1849-1928). They were married on October 17, 1871 at the Anglican Church in Alymer, Quebec, when he was 25 years old. His older brother William Kelly from Yarm, witnessed the signatures to the wedding, along with Isabella's sister, Anna Brown, from Cantley, Quebec.
Another one of James' brothers may also have attended the wedding as well because Henry became interested and eventually eloped with Isabella's sister, Anna Brown. They returned to live on the original Kelley farm in Yarm, Quebec with Henry's parents and to raise a family of 5 sons. (Because 2 Kelley brothers married 2 Brown sisters, their descendants are referred to as double cousins.)
After the wedding, James and Isabella returned to Shawville to live. James purchased a small parcel of land in Clarendon Centre (old name for Shawville) in 1874 at the age of 28 where a combination house and shoe-maker shop was built in partnership with John Daily, age 30, possibly his mother's brother. James may have been apprenticing at the time. Isabella had their first child in Clarendon Township, named Annie Maude Kelley.
The years from 1873-1878 were very difficult. Canada experienced the worst depression in its short history, with money almost disappearing. In addition, a fatal epidemic swept Clarendon Township killing nearly 50 people including James' daughter Annie Maude Kelley, and James' elder sister, Sarah Jane Kelley. They buried Annie in the Village Cemetery in downtown Shawville beside Sarah who predeceased her. Saddened and penniless by events beyond their control, James and Isabella left Shawville and his failing shoe-making business, and returned to working for the lumber companies on the log drives. He may have been the lumber camp harness-maker for their teams of horses that pulled the logs out of the woods.
Isabella may have been a lumber camp cook on the drives because their next 4 children were born in towns along the Gatineau River in Quebec (and because it was unusual for for women to be on long drives unless the worked for the company.) Thomas Brown Kelley was born in North Wakefield in 1874, James Horace Kelley was born in Victoria Farm in 1876, Andrew Hamilton Kelley was born in Alwin in 1878, and William Frederick Kelley was born in Kazabazua in 1879.
Around 1883 James & Isabella settled in Alymer, Quebec. James established a shoemaker's business. But as giant shoe manufacturers and retail stores made individual shoemaker's shops obsolete, James switched to the harness making business.
While they lived in Alymer. they had 5 additional children including David Hamilton Kelley in 1882 (nicknamed Hammy), Jessie Mable Kelley in 1884, Andrew Walter Kelley in 1887, Bella Ida Kelley in 1889, and George Douglas Kelley in 1890. They also had an adopted daughter, Jenny Kelley in 1888, making a total of eleven children.
About 1915, the harness business was sold by one of their sons, who was left in charge when James and Isabella took a long trip out West to visit their hockey-playing son, Hammy. They celebrated their Golden Anniversary in October of 1921 That same year the Great Alymer Fire swept through the mostly wooden structures in Alymer and destroyed one quarter of the town. During the fire, which started at noon and continued til midnight, one son stood on the flat roof of their home and used the garden hose to wet and save their residence. During the fire, the old harness shop burned down along with the church across the road. James died two years after the fire at age 76. His wife Isabella, died about 5 years later at the age of 79. The newspaper said she was buried at Conroy cemetery (now the privately-managed Bellevue Cemetery) in Alymer next to her husband.
All but six of their eleven children died in childhood. Of those that died in infancy, only Andrew Kelley (died in 1918 at age 1 year, 2 months) has the inscription "Hamilton Kelley" on the single Kelley tombstone in the Bellevue Cemetery. The others were buried in the small towns along the Gatineau River, where they were born.
Their eldest daughter, Annie Maude Kelley (1872-1883), died when she was 11 and is buried beside her grandparents, the original Irish immigrants, who she predeceased, in the Village Cemetery in Shawville, Quebec.
Among those that survived the hard times included Jenny and the five Kelley sons: Tom, Horace, Fred, Hammy and George.
(The above information is from excerpts of the book by Rob Kelley entitled "History of the Kelly/Kellie/Kelley Family"
(Ottawa Valley 1834-1999)
-----------------------------------------
The Alymer Quebec headstone for James Kelley and Isabella Brown in Bellevue Cemetery has all 4 sides engraved. Eight descendants are buried in the family plot including four full graves, one baby grave and three cremation urns representing four generations of Kelleys.
James helped out on his Dad's farm for several years after he finished public school around the age of twelve. He had 5 brothers and 3 sisters all living in the 2 story farmhouse which had only 3 bedrooms upstairs and 3 rooms downstairs.
When James got older, he worked for a logging company which cut red and white pine logs and floated them down the Gatineau River which empties into the Ottawa River at Hull, Quebec where the lumber mill was located. During one of the spring drives, he ended up in Cantley, Quebec, ten miles north of Hull, where he met Isabella Brown (1849-1928). They were married on October 17, 1871 at the Anglican Church in Alymer, Quebec, when he was 25 years old. His older brother William Kelly from Yarm, witnessed the signatures to the wedding, along with Isabella's sister, Anna Brown, from Cantley, Quebec.
Another one of James' brothers may also have attended the wedding as well because Henry became interested and eventually eloped with Isabella's sister, Anna Brown. They returned to live on the original Kelley farm in Yarm, Quebec with Henry's parents and to raise a family of 5 sons. (Because 2 Kelley brothers married 2 Brown sisters, their descendants are referred to as double cousins.)
After the wedding, James and Isabella returned to Shawville to live. James purchased a small parcel of land in Clarendon Centre (old name for Shawville) in 1874 at the age of 28 where a combination house and shoe-maker shop was built in partnership with John Daily, age 30, possibly his mother's brother. James may have been apprenticing at the time. Isabella had their first child in Clarendon Township, named Annie Maude Kelley.
The years from 1873-1878 were very difficult. Canada experienced the worst depression in its short history, with money almost disappearing. In addition, a fatal epidemic swept Clarendon Township killing nearly 50 people including James' daughter Annie Maude Kelley, and James' elder sister, Sarah Jane Kelley. They buried Annie in the Village Cemetery in downtown Shawville beside Sarah who predeceased her. Saddened and penniless by events beyond their control, James and Isabella left Shawville and his failing shoe-making business, and returned to working for the lumber companies on the log drives. He may have been the lumber camp harness-maker for their teams of horses that pulled the logs out of the woods.
Isabella may have been a lumber camp cook on the drives because their next 4 children were born in towns along the Gatineau River in Quebec (and because it was unusual for for women to be on long drives unless the worked for the company.) Thomas Brown Kelley was born in North Wakefield in 1874, James Horace Kelley was born in Victoria Farm in 1876, Andrew Hamilton Kelley was born in Alwin in 1878, and William Frederick Kelley was born in Kazabazua in 1879.
Around 1883 James & Isabella settled in Alymer, Quebec. James established a shoemaker's business. But as giant shoe manufacturers and retail stores made individual shoemaker's shops obsolete, James switched to the harness making business.
While they lived in Alymer. they had 5 additional children including David Hamilton Kelley in 1882 (nicknamed Hammy), Jessie Mable Kelley in 1884, Andrew Walter Kelley in 1887, Bella Ida Kelley in 1889, and George Douglas Kelley in 1890. They also had an adopted daughter, Jenny Kelley in 1888, making a total of eleven children.
About 1915, the harness business was sold by one of their sons, who was left in charge when James and Isabella took a long trip out West to visit their hockey-playing son, Hammy. They celebrated their Golden Anniversary in October of 1921 That same year the Great Alymer Fire swept through the mostly wooden structures in Alymer and destroyed one quarter of the town. During the fire, which started at noon and continued til midnight, one son stood on the flat roof of their home and used the garden hose to wet and save their residence. During the fire, the old harness shop burned down along with the church across the road. James died two years after the fire at age 76. His wife Isabella, died about 5 years later at the age of 79. The newspaper said she was buried at Conroy cemetery (now the privately-managed Bellevue Cemetery) in Alymer next to her husband.
All but six of their eleven children died in childhood. Of those that died in infancy, only Andrew Kelley (died in 1918 at age 1 year, 2 months) has the inscription "Hamilton Kelley" on the single Kelley tombstone in the Bellevue Cemetery. The others were buried in the small towns along the Gatineau River, where they were born.
Their eldest daughter, Annie Maude Kelley (1872-1883), died when she was 11 and is buried beside her grandparents, the original Irish immigrants, who she predeceased, in the Village Cemetery in Shawville, Quebec.
Among those that survived the hard times included Jenny and the five Kelley sons: Tom, Horace, Fred, Hammy and George.
(The above information is from excerpts of the book by Rob Kelley entitled "History of the Kelly/Kellie/Kelley Family"
(Ottawa Valley 1834-1999)
-----------------------------------------
The Alymer Quebec headstone for James Kelley and Isabella Brown in Bellevue Cemetery has all 4 sides engraved. Eight descendants are buried in the family plot including four full graves, one baby grave and three cremation urns representing four generations of Kelleys.
James Kelley Jr., the third son of Irish immigrants James Kelly and Elizabeth Daily, was born on the family farm located on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River about 2 miles north of Shawville, On April 2, 1847.
James helped out on his Dad's farm for several years after he finished public school around the age of twelve. He had 5 brothers and 3 sisters all living in the 2 story farmhouse which had only 3 bedrooms upstairs and 3 rooms downstairs.
When James got older, he worked for a logging company which cut red and white pine logs and floated them down the Gatineau River which empties into the Ottawa River at Hull, Quebec where the lumber mill was located. During one of the spring drives, he ended up in Cantley, Quebec, ten miles north of Hull, where he met Isabella Brown (1849-1928). They were married on October 17, 1871 at the Anglican Church in Alymer, Quebec, when he was 25 years old. His older brother William Kelly from Yarm, witnessed the signatures to the wedding, along with Isabella's sister, Anna Brown, from Cantley, Quebec.
Another one of James' brothers may also have attended the wedding as well because Henry became interested and eventually eloped with Isabella's sister, Anna Brown. They returned to live on the original Kelley farm in Yarm, Quebec with Henry's parents and to raise a family of 5 sons. (Because 2 Kelley brothers married 2 Brown sisters, their descendants are referred to as double cousins.)
After the wedding, James and Isabella returned to Shawville to live. James purchased a small parcel of land in Clarendon Centre (old name for Shawville) in 1874 at the age of 28 where a combination house and shoe-maker shop was built in partnership with John Daily, age 30, possibly his mother's brother. James may have been apprenticing at the time. Isabella had their first child in Clarendon Township, named Annie Maude Kelley.
The years from 1873-1878 were very difficult. Canada experienced the worst depression in its short history, with money almost disappearing. In addition, a fatal epidemic swept Clarendon Township killing nearly 50 people including James' daughter Annie Maude Kelley, and James' elder sister, Sarah Jane Kelley. They buried Annie in the Village Cemetery in downtown Shawville beside Sarah who predeceased her. Saddened and penniless by events beyond their control, James and Isabella left Shawville and his failing shoe-making business, and returned to working for the lumber companies on the log drives. He may have been the lumber camp harness-maker for their teams of horses that pulled the logs out of the woods.
Isabella may have been a lumber camp cook on the drives because their next 4 children were born in towns along the Gatineau River in Quebec (and because it was unusual for for women to be on long drives unless the worked for the company.) Thomas Brown Kelley was born in North Wakefield in 1874, James Horace Kelley was born in Victoria Farm in 1876, Andrew Hamilton Kelley was born in Alwin in 1878, and William Frederick Kelley was born in Kazabazua in 1879.
Around 1883 James & Isabella settled in Alymer, Quebec. James established a shoemaker's business. But as giant shoe manufacturers and retail stores made individual shoemaker's shops obsolete, James switched to the harness making business.
While they lived in Alymer. they had 5 additional children including David Hamilton Kelley in 1882 (nicknamed Hammy), Jessie Mable Kelley in 1884, Andrew Walter Kelley in 1887, Bella Ida Kelley in 1889, and George Douglas Kelley in 1890. They also had an adopted daughter, Jenny Kelley in 1888, making a total of eleven children.
About 1915, the harness business was sold by one of their sons, who was left in charge when James and Isabella took a long trip out West to visit their hockey-playing son, Hammy. They celebrated their Golden Anniversary in October of 1921 That same year the Great Alymer Fire swept through the mostly wooden structures in Alymer and destroyed one quarter of the town. During the fire, which started at noon and continued til midnight, one son stood on the flat roof of their home and used the garden hose to wet and save their residence. During the fire, the old harness shop burned down along with the church across the road. James died two years after the fire at age 76. His wife Isabella, died about 5 years later at the age of 79. The newspaper said she was buried at Conroy cemetery (now the privately-managed Bellevue Cemetery) in Alymer next to her husband.
All but six of their eleven children died in childhood. Of those that died in infancy, only Andrew Kelley (died in 1918 at age 1 year, 2 months) has the inscription "Hamilton Kelley" on the single Kelley tombstone in the Bellevue Cemetery. The others were buried in the small towns along the Gatineau River, where they were born.
Their eldest daughter, Annie Maude Kelley (1872-1883), died when she was 11 and is buried beside her grandparents, the original Irish immigrants, who she predeceased, in the Village Cemetery in Shawville, Quebec.
Among those that survived the hard times included Jenny and the five Kelley sons: Tom, Horace, Fred, Hammy and George.
(The above information is from excerpts of the book by Rob Kelley entitled "History of the Kelly/Kellie/Kelley Family"
(Ottawa Valley 1834-1999)
-----------------------------------------
The Alymer Quebec headstone for James Kelley and Isabella Brown in Bellevue Cemetery has all 4 sides engraved. Eight descendants are buried in the family plot including four full graves, one baby grave and three cremation urns representing four generations of Kelleys.
James helped out on his Dad's farm for several years after he finished public school around the age of twelve. He had 5 brothers and 3 sisters all living in the 2 story farmhouse which had only 3 bedrooms upstairs and 3 rooms downstairs.
When James got older, he worked for a logging company which cut red and white pine logs and floated them down the Gatineau River which empties into the Ottawa River at Hull, Quebec where the lumber mill was located. During one of the spring drives, he ended up in Cantley, Quebec, ten miles north of Hull, where he met Isabella Brown (1849-1928). They were married on October 17, 1871 at the Anglican Church in Alymer, Quebec, when he was 25 years old. His older brother William Kelly from Yarm, witnessed the signatures to the wedding, along with Isabella's sister, Anna Brown, from Cantley, Quebec.
Another one of James' brothers may also have attended the wedding as well because Henry became interested and eventually eloped with Isabella's sister, Anna Brown. They returned to live on the original Kelley farm in Yarm, Quebec with Henry's parents and to raise a family of 5 sons. (Because 2 Kelley brothers married 2 Brown sisters, their descendants are referred to as double cousins.)
After the wedding, James and Isabella returned to Shawville to live. James purchased a small parcel of land in Clarendon Centre (old name for Shawville) in 1874 at the age of 28 where a combination house and shoe-maker shop was built in partnership with John Daily, age 30, possibly his mother's brother. James may have been apprenticing at the time. Isabella had their first child in Clarendon Township, named Annie Maude Kelley.
The years from 1873-1878 were very difficult. Canada experienced the worst depression in its short history, with money almost disappearing. In addition, a fatal epidemic swept Clarendon Township killing nearly 50 people including James' daughter Annie Maude Kelley, and James' elder sister, Sarah Jane Kelley. They buried Annie in the Village Cemetery in downtown Shawville beside Sarah who predeceased her. Saddened and penniless by events beyond their control, James and Isabella left Shawville and his failing shoe-making business, and returned to working for the lumber companies on the log drives. He may have been the lumber camp harness-maker for their teams of horses that pulled the logs out of the woods.
Isabella may have been a lumber camp cook on the drives because their next 4 children were born in towns along the Gatineau River in Quebec (and because it was unusual for for women to be on long drives unless the worked for the company.) Thomas Brown Kelley was born in North Wakefield in 1874, James Horace Kelley was born in Victoria Farm in 1876, Andrew Hamilton Kelley was born in Alwin in 1878, and William Frederick Kelley was born in Kazabazua in 1879.
Around 1883 James & Isabella settled in Alymer, Quebec. James established a shoemaker's business. But as giant shoe manufacturers and retail stores made individual shoemaker's shops obsolete, James switched to the harness making business.
While they lived in Alymer. they had 5 additional children including David Hamilton Kelley in 1882 (nicknamed Hammy), Jessie Mable Kelley in 1884, Andrew Walter Kelley in 1887, Bella Ida Kelley in 1889, and George Douglas Kelley in 1890. They also had an adopted daughter, Jenny Kelley in 1888, making a total of eleven children.
About 1915, the harness business was sold by one of their sons, who was left in charge when James and Isabella took a long trip out West to visit their hockey-playing son, Hammy. They celebrated their Golden Anniversary in October of 1921 That same year the Great Alymer Fire swept through the mostly wooden structures in Alymer and destroyed one quarter of the town. During the fire, which started at noon and continued til midnight, one son stood on the flat roof of their home and used the garden hose to wet and save their residence. During the fire, the old harness shop burned down along with the church across the road. James died two years after the fire at age 76. His wife Isabella, died about 5 years later at the age of 79. The newspaper said she was buried at Conroy cemetery (now the privately-managed Bellevue Cemetery) in Alymer next to her husband.
All but six of their eleven children died in childhood. Of those that died in infancy, only Andrew Kelley (died in 1918 at age 1 year, 2 months) has the inscription "Hamilton Kelley" on the single Kelley tombstone in the Bellevue Cemetery. The others were buried in the small towns along the Gatineau River, where they were born.
Their eldest daughter, Annie Maude Kelley (1872-1883), died when she was 11 and is buried beside her grandparents, the original Irish immigrants, who she predeceased, in the Village Cemetery in Shawville, Quebec.
Among those that survived the hard times included Jenny and the five Kelley sons: Tom, Horace, Fred, Hammy and George.
(The above information is from excerpts of the book by Rob Kelley entitled "History of the Kelly/Kellie/Kelley Family"
(Ottawa Valley 1834-1999)
-----------------------------------------
The Alymer Quebec headstone for James Kelley and Isabella Brown in Bellevue Cemetery has all 4 sides engraved. Eight descendants are buried in the family plot including four full graves, one baby grave and three cremation urns representing four generations of Kelleys.
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