Jane Kelly was born by most accounts in County Antrim, Ireland.  The day was 12 October 1749. Her parents were Matthew Kelly and Jane Brown. The Kelly Family and Widow Hutchison with her children made a perilous journey together by ship and secured drinking water by hanging out their blankets.  A grandson, Joseph Hutchison wrote an account of the Family history which claims that the Families arrived in 1754, but not very clear on whether that is true or if a ship's manifest has been found.  I do believe that the two families traveled together.  They first landed and settled in York County, Pennsylvania where in 1776 Jane Kelly and James Hutchison were married.  They became the parents of 10 children with 8 surviving to adulthood.  From York County, they removed to Westmoreland County where in 1810, Matthew Kelly died.  Not is much known of the Kelly Family or the other Hutchison Family members.  James served in the Revolutionary War in a Militia Unit.  From about the very early 1800's they moved to Ohio, to Wayne County.  James passed away in 1817 and Jane lived with family members until the day she died 15 April, 1845.  Their descendants are many and there are several of them researching.

I find this obituary a real treasure and found this last year.  It tells about her countenance and this is something you don't find too often.  I hope someday to be able to extensively research this family and learn more about their life in Pennsylvania.    

1 comments:

Heather H said...

Wow. Delia, you're obviously quite a good researcher. I've never seen this obit anywhere. Jane was my 5th great grandmother (and incidentally who I was looking up information for when I stumbled across your information on Daniel, Jr. earlier. Thank you for posting this. You've made my day.