Benjamin Franklin Kelley

Family/Spouse: Thelma Lessie Donaldson. Thelma was born on 23 Sep 1901. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Thomas married Josephine Alice Glenn. Josephine was born on 25 Mar 1857; died on 10 Feb 1950. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

(Research):

Census Listings:

1860 Census
Texas, Newton County, PO Newton
Enumerated 25 July 1860
Page 8
52-52
Joseph Kelly 30 M Farmer 5000 5000 Ga
Martha Kelly 20 F Ga
George Ann Kelly 5 F Tx
Amanda Kelly 2 F Tx
MG Kelley 35 F Farmer 750 4100 Texa

Joseph married Martha Collins on 5 Apr 1852 in Decatur County, Georgia. Martha was born about 1840 in Georgia; died about 1868. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

He can be found on the 1840 Decatur County, Georgia Census as follows:
2 males 5-10
1 male 10-15
1 male 50-60
1 female 10-15
2 females 15-20
1 female 20-30 1 female 40-50

The next household enumerated was that of Hannah Morgan.

This is his listing in 1850 Decatur County, Georgia:

#520-520
Kelly,M.,64,male,farmer,property value $1,200 South Carolina
Kelly, Sarah,58,female, South Carolina
Kelly, Kizzy,26,female, Georgia
Kelly,Harriet,24,female, Georgia
Kelly, Joseph,20,male,laborer, Georgia
Kelly,Lumpkin,19,male,laborer,Georgia

Per www.rootsweb.com/~gadecatu

1850 Slave Schedule
John Kelly 9 slaves
M. Kelly 28 slaves
Mrs. Morgan 1 slave, 1 y/o black male

Nan McCoy Kittell of Jasper located a copy of the following deed of sale by the heirs of Malichi Kelly:

THE STATE OF TEXAS JASPER COUNTY

Know all men by these presents that we Dunkin Morgan & Eliza Morgan and Malichi Morgan and John McLemore of said State and County for and consideration of the sum of Five Hundred dollars to us in funds paid by Kizzie Kelly also of said State and County at and before the signing and delivering these presents the reciept of which we do hereby acknowledge we have granted bargain and sold and by these presents do grant bargain sell alienate transfer convey and confirm unto said Kizzie Kelly and to her heirs as assignees forever the following tracks lots or parcels of lands, described as follows, being situated in said State and County on Big Creek 9 miles southeast of Jasper. By virtue of presumption of Malichi Kelly and of Anthony Passeres (??) headright, we the AFORE SAID HEIRS OF MALICHI KELLYS ESTATE (emphasis added) do grant bargain and sell all of our right title and possession to the said Kizzie Kelly and to her heirs or assigns forever we here unto sign our names before witnesses on this the 14th day of January AD 1867.

Witness PresentSigned James R. LeeM. Morgan Moses LeeDunkin Morgan "X" his mark Eliza Morgan "X" her mark John MacLamore "X" his mark


On the same day, Malichi Morgan, John McLamore and Kizzie Kelly appear to also be selling land "situated on Big Creek 9 miles S E of Jasper" to "Dunkin Morgan and Eliza Morgan his wife," also for five hundred dollars. Perhaps they were partitioning the land?

Both of these were recorded in the Deed Records of Jasper County, Volume 24, page 576.

In a letter written on October 3, 1999, Nan notes however that "I have about decided that the one Kelley/McLemore clue I found is only a clerical error, therefore our Kelley connection my in fact be nonexistant....the deed Book H, p 241 in Jasper showing sale of land to Keziah Kelley from Eliza (Kelley) and Duncan Morgan, John McLemore and M. (Little Mal) Morgan mentions that "We...heirs of Malichi Kelley's estate" do sell, etc. [Eliza and Keziah are sisters, Little Mal Morgan a nephew] BUT the clerk could have misunderstood and added Grandpa's [John McLemore] name AS A HEIR when he merely had some ownership in the land being transferred. While there was no AFFADAVIT OF HEIRSHIP filed, there's a POWER OF ATTORNEY filed (Book F, p 141) which gives ALL the heirs of Mal Kelley and agrees to have brother Joseph Kelley and brother-in-law Randall McDonald act as "agents" to settle this estate. John McLemore is not on this list...bet I've spent at least fifty dollars on postage, copies, phone calls and gas, but think 'this dog won't hunt.'

Could Malachi be the father of Alexander Kelly? He and his family can be found on the FamilySearch transcription of the 1880 Census in Jasper. He was born in Georgia circa 1813-1814.

Could Malachi be the father of Daniel Kelly? Daniel is also listed on the 1880 Jasper County, Texas census as age 63 (born ca 1817) in Georgia. And could Elijah Kelley, father in law of Martha Jane Travis, fit into this family as well? He was born in 1825 in Decatur County, Georgia.

Malachi married Sarah Singletary in 1810 in South Carolina. Sarah (daughter of Joseph Singletary and Mary Martha Edwards) was born about 1792 in South Carolina; died about 1850 in Decatur County, Georgia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]