Kelly Y-STR Group 10

Profile manager: J. R. Banta [send private message]

About the Project

This project page is dedicated to research relating to a subgroup of people with the Kelly surname. It is a sub-project of the Kelly Name Study. It is specifically dedicated to compiling research in an attempt to discover and document the origins of the Kellys of Haplogroup R-BY39571. These Kellys appear on the Kelley yDNA Project at FamilyTreeDNA.com as R1b Group 10. If you are a descendant of this family group, or if you suspect you may be a member, you are encouraged to have your DNA tested, and to join the study to contribute in compiling research to try and uncover the origins of our Kelly Clan.

Group 10

To date, Kellys of Kelly R1b Group 10 have been found living in County Mayo, Ireland, and the USA (Pennsylvania, Ohio, and farther west). Family lore has it that these Kellys are descended from the Uí Mhaine; however, yDNA analysis indicates this group to be distinct from other established Uí Mhaine Kelly paternal lineages.

Familial connections between Kellys are often difficult to prove, in no small part because the surname is ubiquitous and it is often difficult to disambiguate people with the same name. Research can be extremely difficult going, and we have relied on DNA as well as all the scraps of documentation we can find to try and piece the family tree together. We still have a lot of work to do in order to form a complete picture of this Kelly group. If you have any information that might help, please share it with the project members! It will be much appreciated.

DNA Timetable

Five Kelly men from this group have taken a Big-Y DNA test. These five Kellys all descend from a common ancestor who likely lived sometime in 1201-1504 CE (68% confidence). The nearest non-Kelly Big-Y tester is an American man of surname Coin who shares a common ancestor with the Kellys that likely lived sometime in 264-753 CE (68% confidence). The Coin/Coyne/Kyne surname is also known to have deep roots in County Mayo, Ireland. The Kelly name will have been adopted by this line sometime between the lifetimes of these two ancestors.

Families

Descendants of John Kelly (abt.1810-) of Westport, County Mayo including Princess Grace of Monaco

Princess Grace's profile is Grace Patricia (Kelly) de Monaco (1929-1982)

There are no SNP markers yet for this family. The descendants have only tested Y-37. Key kit number at FTDNA is ***334 This would be a high priority line to get upgraded to Big Y.

According to family legend as transcribed by the Rev V Kelly (copies attached as images) John's great grandfather was Maine (or Mhaine) O'Kelly of the Ui Mhaine. He sought refuge in Westport after the defeat at the battle of Aughrim.

Although this is a Kelly of the Ui Mhaine there is no paternal connection to Walter Lionel O'Kelly (1921-2017) who has a pedigree back to the descendants of Mhaine Mor.

Lloyd-4829 14:06, 22 November 2023 (UTC)

Descendants of Kellys who came to the USA in the 1700's, including President Ulysses S. Grant

Known SNP Markers for this family: R-BY55906, A467, FT195871

John and William Kelly, brothers, took the Oath of Allegiance at Northampton County, Pennsylvania on 30 June 1777. Recent research has shown John to be the great-grandfather of President Ulysses S. Grant, and the grandfather of LDS Pioneer Margaret (Cameron) Shirts. John's descendants exhibit DYS-572=11, the same as most other Kellys from Group 10. Their DYS-533 STR is not currently known as none have upgraded to the y-111 test. William had children but they are not proven at this time.

Several USA Kellys have the distinguishing STRs DYS-572=10 and DYS-533=11, which are unique to this cluster. They descend from the following progenitors:

• William Kelly Sr. Lived at Cross Creek in Washington County, PA in 1800, and later went to what is now Ashland County, OH. This may be the same William Kelly as above, but this is not proven.
• Leonard Kelly. Born in Pennsylvania in 1770-1775 and died in Licking County, OH in 1832.
• Lewis Kelly. Born in Jefferson County, OH in 1806 and died at Paw Paw, IN in 1862.

Descendants of Leonard and Lewis have taken Big-Y tests; their common ancestor is not yet known but is estimated to have lived in 1597-1808 CE (68% confidence). Banta-570 17:40, 27 November 2023 (UTC)

Categories

• Kelly-10 - A catchall for profiles related to the project

Related Surnames and Surname Variants

• Kelly
• Kelley

If you would like to get in touch with our project members, please post a comment here on this page, in G2G using the project tag Kelly-10, or send me a private message. Thanks!