Download - Kelleys and Lawrences 19th century
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7/29/2019 Kelleys and Lawrences 19th century
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Recollections of Gerald Finley Ballantine about his mothers family
The Lawrence side (Mothers dad), I think Bob has the family Bible. Anyway, they
first settled in the Neck section of Philadelphia, later moving up to the
Crescentville-Olney-Laivondale area. They then attended St. James Methodist
church on Tabor road and I believe some are buried there. Some of them divergedfrom truck farming to brick yard operation, or, like the Tanseys, to textiles. Our
great grandmother Lawrence was a Tansey (Elizabeth).
The Kelley side (Nanas) I have some garbled information that great grandfather
Kelly, Grandpop, born 18__, was the issue of William J. Kelley and Lucinda McFern,
she may or may not have had the middle name of McDowell, at any rate, that was
his middle name. He had a brother Phineas who is buried in a common grave in
Abington together with his father; they succumbed to smallpox. He had four sisters
Elizabeth, Amanda, Martha, and Sarah. I dont have any information on Elizabeth
but Amanda married a man by the name of Pouff. Dad and I came to know a
grandson Willard. He lived in the new development above Oxford Circle. Marthamarried a McMillan and was mother to Jerome, who became president of the
Southhampton Bank. Sarah never married and died before her mother. They are
buried in the cemetery beside the 1st Baptist Church in Davisville, in the old [east]
section; in front of the McFerns. (Nana spelled the name MacPherran.) Our cousin
John Kelly wound up with the Kelly Bible. It is not known whether his wife, Jane,
held onto it, or tossed it.
One more item in re: Grandpop Kelley. He enlisted in the Army at the time of the
Civil War. He was in Co. K, 138th Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry (PPNS #253557).
Later captured by the rebs, I think he remained a prisoner till the end of the war.
Far from shirking, he used every resource to try and supplement the family income,and those of us who remember his rheumatically crippled hands could not doubt
this. Since I was seven when he died, I might be considered to have this recall.
At this time (see Phineas) great-great grandfather William Kelley operated a farm, I
gather he was a tenant farmer, at either 3rd of 9th street and Gerard. I favor the
latter location since 3rd st was much closer to assimilation in the northern liberties
as part of the city than 9th street. After this time, Grandpops mother had the
responsibility of raising the remainder of their family.
Martha lived in Ivyland, I still remember one time mother took Grandmom K up
there to visit. She [Martha] apparently was face with the problem, as a widow, ofraising a family.