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My concern is that we are claiming all Peter Kellys as ours - I think it was a fairly common name. Is it likely he would have switched from labourer to grocer then back again? Perhaps he tried to "better himself" but it didn't work.

He definitely switched from Grocer to labourer- definitely the same man. Same wife/ area listed on the children's births, just occupation changed. The article states he was new to the business.

We know the children from different mothers are linked. Elizabeth B the witness on Margaret's marriage also had mother's maiden name Ellison, as did James on his marriage.

Both Elizabeth and James are listed at Annie's address (Shrine Place) on at least one record, and we know Annie's mother's maiden name was Carr.

There are quite a few other records linking these children to the Peter Kelly we have. The frustrating part is that we don't have daughter Margaret's birth reg, but I suspect this was due to his swift move to Ireland.

Also, Margaret's children were John, James, Joseph, Elizabeth and Margaret, and her first child Annie (who started this all off), was possibly named after Annie Scullion, who brought Margaret up after her own mother died when she was only 8. I wonder who her last child, Dennis, was named after.

Just to recap-

1903 3rd Feb- Birth of Elizabeth (later Elizabeth Bridget- I suspect middle names were added at Baptism or Confirmation). Father listed as Peter Kelly, Grocer, Ballygawley- mother Margaret Ellison

1904 7th November- Birth of John Patrick. Father listed as Peter Kelly, Farmer, Ballygawley. Mother Margaret Ellison

1907 2nd April- birth of Ellen. Father listed as Peter Kelly, labourer, Ballygawley. Mother Margaret Ellison.

1909 March- birth of Alice. Father listed as Peter Kelly, labourer, Balleygawley. Mother Margaret Ellison

Could Dennis have been named after his father's family? Naming patterns were not hard rules (less so in the 20th century), and often children were named after ministers or someone from the wider family (brother in laws etc), or just because it was a liked name.

S***, not sure what to make of this.

Just looking at dates again- I haven't found out what happened to Alice (daughter born 15th March 1909). I'd assumed that her mother had died shortly after birth and perhaps Alice had been adopted out.

HOWEVER, Margaret died January 16th 1909 - so something's not right, unless Peter fudged the dates of Alice's birth to avoid a late registration?

Yesterday I posted this :

Name: Peter Kelly
Arrival Age: 30
Birth Date: abt 1862
Port of Departure: New York, New York, United States
Arrival Date: 11 May 1892
Port of Arrival: Liverpool, England
Ship Name: City of Paris
Official Number: 96289

Listed as Labourer, accompanied by Mary Kelly aged, 8, also Dennis Kelly aged 26.

Today, I queried who Margaret's youngest son Dennis could have been named after.

Trying to find Peter on a USA census between 1883 and 1901

"1903 3rd Feb- Birth of Elizabeth (later Elizabeth Bridget- I suspect middle names were added at Baptism or Confirmation). Father listed as Peter Kelly, Grocer, Ballygawley- mother Margaret Ellison"

I remember being as school with a Roman Catholic girl, who said that at her confirmation she had to choose another name - she chose Cecilia, and later hated it.

Perhaps Alice was baptised on the 15th May

No, it is a birth registration of Alice (birth: 15th March 1909, registered 26th April) not baptism:

The original image on this site:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/civil-search.jsp

I have to go out now, I'll try and have another look at passenger lists later

On that travel record, Dennis is actually listed as age 36, not 26.
It's 36 on the image:

Denis Kelly
in the UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960
Name: Denis Kelly
Arrival Age: 36
Birth Date: abt 1856
Port of Departure: New York, New York, United States
Arrival Date: 11 May 1892
Port of Arrival: Liverpool, England
Ship Name: City of Paris
Official Number: 96289


Not that that helps much!

I hadn't spotted that, well done :) Its the same shipping line as the one Peter went out on, where the baby was born en route, don't know if there is any significance in that.

Unfortunately, Peter and Mary Kelly are such very common names.

I know information on records isn't always correct - but Mary in the Durham family in 1901 and 1911 was born c1890, whereas the one on board "City of Paris" in 1892 was born c1884.

Yes, I saw that - clutching at straws?

I wonder if this could be Mary Kerr/Carr:

Name: Mary Kelly
Age: 30
Birth Year: abt 1865
Death Date: 10 Oct 1895
Death Place: Manhattan, New York, USA
Certificate Number: 35322

The only way to find out is to buy a copy of the cert.

£15 (plus £7 postage) from here:

https://www1.nyc.gov/dorforms/deathCertificate.htm

I doubt my friend would spend that much on a step-great grandmother, but thanks for the link.

I had another look through passenger records and cant identify any records that are definitely our Peter.

I did wonder if this was daughter Mary in 1911 (she's not with her father on 1911 census), but this is only a maybe:

1911: Residents of a house 7 in Kilcootry (Seskinore, Tyrone)
Kelly Anne 70 Female Head of Family Roman Catholic Tyrone - Single
Kelly Mary Jane 19 Female Niece Roman Catholic America - Single

That certainly looks possible - now trying to find how Anne Kelly 70 is connected to Peter.

I still haven't found the family in any American census, which seems rather strange.

I'm also trying to find a connection between Peter Kelly and the Ann McCartney, born Ireland, with whom they were all lodging in the 1901 census. It seems reasonable that, returning from America with 2 small daughters, he would have gone to stay with family.

At the moment I'm putting together a "Kelly Family Saga" for Anne, listing everything we have found so far in narrative form, which I think will be easier for her to follow.

DELETED -
I was talking rubbish.