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.