William Kelley Sr (1758 - 1837)

Born 11 Jul 1758 in Union, District 96, Province of South Carolina

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Singleton) Kelley — married 1 Nov 1782 in Rutherford, North Carolina, United States

Descendants

Died 27 Dec 1837 at age 79 in Cass, Georgia, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Susan DeFoe [send private message], Laurie Wentz [send private message], and Debra Kelley [send private message]

Biography

Please consult with profile managers before making substantive changes to this profile. All changes must be properly sourced and cited.

Early Life

William Kelley was born in Virginia in 1758 to Richard Kelley and Susannah (Hoyt) Kelley. He is believed to have married Elizabeth (Singleton) Kelly in Rutherford, North Carolina in 1782; in the early years of their marriage, they moved to South Carolina, residing first in Spartanburg and later in Pendleton. He is listed, with a household of nine people, in Greenville County, South Carolina on the 1790 census enumeration.^[1] He found again in Greenville County during the 1800 and 1810 censuses, each time with a household of eight people.^[2][3] By 1820, the family lived in Pendleton, South Carolina.^[4] By 1830, he had relocated to McMinn County, Tennessee.^[5]

Military Service

According to military records, William served four terms with the military, enlisting as a private on the Continental Line, in Virginia.

While a resident of Union District, he enlisted during the spring of 1775 and served six months under Capt. James Steen and Col. John Thomas. He was in two engagements with Indians. Thereafter, he enlisted during the summer or fall of 1776 and served one month and ten days in the same unit. In the spring of 1779, he re-enlisted in the same unit (then under Col. Brandon) and served three months and ten days and was in the battle at Stono Ferry. During 1780, he served under Captain William Wood and Col. Roebuck. He moved to North Carolina and enlisted in a unit there. Moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina, then Pendleton, South Carolina, then to Tennessee and Georgia.^[6][7] He also served in both South Carolina and North Carolina.^[8] William Kelly was paid in 1785-1786 by Comptroller's Office in Columbia, South Carolina.^[citation needed]

There is some indication that William enlisted as a private in the U.S. Infantry in 1814, at the age of 54. He stated that he worked as a carpenter and was described as being 5'10" tall with grey eyes, black hair, and a dark complexion. He served five years with Maj. Morgan, stationed at Fort Independence. He was wounded and captured as a prisoner of war in 1818, and discharged in 1819.^[9]

William Kelly began receiving his veteran's pension on August 22, 1827, with the pension being transferred into his wife's name after his death.^[10]He was placed on the pension roll in December of 1827.^[11]

Children of William Kelly and Elizabeth

Bible information, naming children of William Kelly, in sworn statement found in 78 page pension file.^{[citation needed]}

• Joshua Kelly born 14 Aug 1783
• Rachel Kelly born 22 Sep 1785
• Nancy Kelly born 14 May 1787?
• Esther Kelly born 17 May 1787?
• Jane Kelly born 17 May 1791
• Judah Kelly born 14 Nov 1793
• Dinah Kelly born 24 Oct 1796
• Daniel Kelly born 30 Oct 1798
• William Kelly born 9 Jun 1802
• Richard Kelly born 21 Nov 1805
• Elizabeth Kelly born 1 May 1807
• Alsey Kelly born 16 July 18--?
• John Kelly age 38 (puts birth about 1796)
• Samuel Kelly
• unreadable entries

Later Life, Death & Burial

Beginning his war service in Rutherford County, North Carolina, William Kelly and and his family lived in several states after that, including in South Carolina, residing in both Greenville^[1][2] and in Pendleton.^[3] His war pension was paid for a time out of Columbia, South Carolina. By 1833, they had relocated to McMinn County, Tennessee,^[5] being recorded on tax records and receiving pension payments there. He and his family moved to Cass County, Georgia shortly before his death in 1837.^{[citation needed]} William Kelly passed away at the age of 78, residing in Cass County, Georgia, a county since dissolved, creating Gordon (1850) and Bartow counties (1861). His burial is not known; his FindAGrave memorial is a virtual memorial.^[12]

Research Notes

Susan DeFoe is still working on this profile. This William Kelly likely did *not* serve in Virginia but in Georgia or North Carolina. Some of he sources documented, both above and below, are likely conflated with another William Kelley. The William Kelly from Virginia appears to have a wife named "Lucinda Whitman," who appears as the former widow on his Revolutionary War pension documents. 5 Apr 2022

Need to be investigated and properly sourced:

U.S., Revolutionary War Pensioners, 1801-1815, 1818-1872 for William Kelly and spouse Elizabeth Kelly. Pension Office: Nashville, TN.

Last Pension Payment: 6 Apr 1838 in East TN. U.S., Revolutionary War Pensioners, 1801-1815, 1818-1872 for William Kelly, East Tennessee, page 260. Pd 6 Apr 1838.

Sworn statement: 23 Jan 1849 filed in Cass County, GA regarding pension improperly transferred to Georgia. Indicates Elizabeth Kelly was living in Cass Co, GA and then determined she should move back to Smith County, TN and arrived there about 27 December 1849. (Images #654, #655, #657)

Sworn statement: 14 July 1849 filed in Cass County, GA (involving pension) by Dennis Kelly regarding residence of Elizabeth Kelly, widow of William Kelly, filed in Cass County, GA on 14 July 1849. Recorded on 20 July 1849. (Image #640).

Widowed wife Elizabeth Kelly died: 22 Aug 1850 in Smith Co, TN having moved there 27 Dec 1849 from Cass Co, GA where she had lived for two years. Estate of Elizabeth Kelly: 6 Oct 1852 Smith County, Tennessee, USA. Note: annexed declaration and power of attorney... William Shoemake is still admin of the estate of Elizabeth Kelly deceased.

Sworn statement: 7 Apr 1853 regarding Elizabeth Kelly, deceased widow of William Kelly. Names surviving children; Samuel, Elizabeth, Judy, Dinah, William, Richard, Alsey and John Kelly are entitled. Department of Interior, Revolutionary War Pension Records.

Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900. William Kelly. Pension Year 1833. Application State: Tennessee. Applicant Designation: Widow's Pension Application. Applicant Name: Elizabeth Kelly. Second Applicant Pension Year: 1853. Second Applicant Application State: Tennessee. Archive Publication Number M804, Archive Roll #1467, Total Pages in Packet: 78.

Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900. William Kelly. Pension Year: 1833. Application State: TN. Second Applicant: Elizabeth Kelly. Second Applicant Pension Year: 1853. M804, Roll 1467. Pages in Packet: 78. Filed in McMinn County, TN.

U.S., Revolutionary War Pensioners, 1801-1815, 1818-1872 for William Kelly East Tennessee, page 260. Died 27 Dec 1837. Pd 6 Apr 1838.

1782 Name: William Kelly; State: NC; County: Rutherford County; Database: NC Early Census Index. Ancestry.com. North Carolina, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999. ^[13]

1811 Grand Jury Presentments, Greenville District, Presentment Requesting Funds To Repair The Jail. Greenville District, South Carolina, USA. Greenville District, Presentment Requesting Funds To Repair The Jail. (2 Pages) Date: 1811. 285051 People: Bower, Isaac; Cox, George; Davis, Jesse; Goodlett, James; Hamby, John; Howard, Joseph; Justice, John; Kelly, William; Matlow, John; Mckenzie, Reuben; Moon, John; Parker, Daniel; Steele, James; Walker, Samuel; Welch, William; Wood, William; Young, John. S.C. Dept. of Archives [1]

4 Mar 1831 Rev War Pension Enrollment Location McMinn Co TN. Pension enrollment date: 4 Mar 1831. Service Description: S. Carolina line. Rank: Private. Birth Year: abt 1755. Pension Residence: McMinn County, TN. Source: The Pension Roll of 1835. U.S., The Pension Roll of 1835 for William Kelly. The Pension Roll of 1835, Vol. III. 13 Tennessee. [2]

1833 Name: William Kelly; Pension Year1833; Application State: Tennessee. Applicant Designation: Widow's Pension Application File: Second Applicant Name: Elizabeth Kelly: Second Applicant Pension Year: 1853, Second Applicant Application State: Tennessee. Archive Publication NumberM804Archive Roll Number1467Total Pages in Packet78. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900. Author: Ancestry.com. Publisher: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.Original data - Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (NARA microfilm publication M804, 2,670 rolls). Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, [3]

Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution [4]

1836 McMinn Co TN. Tennessee, Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895; Author: Ancestry.com. Early Tax Lists of Tennessee. Microfilm, 12 rolls. The Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee. [5]

1831-1848 William Kelly; Pension Office Place: East Tennessee, Tennessee, USA. U.S., Revolutionary War Pensioners, 1801-1815, 1818-1872 for William Kelly. U.S. Pensioners, 1818-1872; Author: Ancestry.com. Publisher: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2007.Original data - Ledgers of Payments, 1818-1872, to U.S. Pensioners Under Acts of 1818 Through 1858 From Records of the Office of the Third Auditor of the Treasury, 1818-1872; [6]

1835-1850 William Kelly. Pension Office Place: Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Spouse: Elizabeth Kelly. U.S. Pensioners, 1818-1872. Author: Ancestry.com. Publisher: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2007.Original data - Ledgers of Payments, 1818-1872, to U.S. Pensioners Under Acts of 1818 Through 1858 From Records of the Office of the Third Auditor of the Treasury, 1818-1872; [7]

1848-1862 William Kelly. Pension Office Place: Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Spouse: Elizabeth Kelly. U.S. Pensioners, 1818-1872. Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2007.Original data - Ledgers of Payments, 1818-1872, to U.S. Pensioners Under Acts of 1818 Through 1858 From Records of the Office of the Third Auditor of the Treasury, 1818-1872;

U.S. Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783. William Kelly. State or Army Served: Continental Troops. Rank PRIV. [8]

William Kelly. Rank: Private. Age76. Birth Year: 1755. Pension Enrollment Date: 4 Mar 1831. Residence Place: McMinn, Tennessee, USA. Service Description: S. Carolina line. U.S., The Pension Roll of 1835. Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. [9]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKN-31K : accessed 27 December 2020), William Kelley, Greenville, South Carolina, United States; citing p. 93, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 11; FHL microfilm 568,151.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRC-MCS : accessed 27 December 2020), William Kelley, Greenville, South Carolina, United States; citing p. 247, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 47; FHL microfilm 181,422.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH23-6QM : accessed 27 December 2020), Wm Kelley, Greenville, South Carolina, United States; citing p. 505, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 62; FHL microfilm 181,421
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHG6-72C : accessed 20 March 2022), William Kelly, Pendleton, South Carolina, United States; citing p. , NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHP4-F7V : 20 February 2021), William Kelly, McMinn, Tennessee, United States; citing 192, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 178; FHL microfilm 24,536.
6. ↑ Patriot Index Supplement; A.A.4212; X1913.
7. ↑ "U.S. Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783," Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007.
8. ↑ "United States Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24Q-L2NG : accessed 30 August 2023), William Kelly, 04 Mar 1831; citing Tennessee, United States, NARA microfilm publication T718 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1962), roll 8; FHL microfilm 1,319,388.
9. ↑ Register of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M233, 81 rolls); Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1780’s-1917, Record Group 94; National Archives, Washington, D.C.Ancestry.com. U.S. Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Ancestry Record 1198 #1305354 with attached Image
10. ↑ Ancestry.com. U.S., The Pension Roll of 1835 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data:United States Senate. The Pension Roll of 1835. 4 vols. 1968 Reprint, with index. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1992. Ancestry Record 60514 #43507 with attached Image
11. ↑ "U.S., The Pension Roll of 1835,"United States Senate.The Pension Roll of 1835.4 vols. 1968 Reprint, with index. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1992.Ancestry.com. U.S., The Pension Roll of 1835 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Ancestry Record 60514 #43507 with attached Image
12. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #33445611
13. ↑ Ancestry Record 3566 #7549429 with attached Image