Hi Shanreagh... sorry I forgot what your comment said in full, so needed to go back and check..
1 John 'Pale' Kelly may have been to distinguish him from a John Kelly who was darker complexioned and from the same area/same age. He certainly looks, from the photograph, to have the bright but pale blue eyes that some Irish have. Incidentally, I feel sure I have seen that photograph before. Has it been restored on the Rootschat Photo restoration board?
Yes absolutely right, he does have a 'fresh' complexion and blue eyes according to his service records for the Crimea War.
2 'No more babies' it could have been that something happened to his wife, and Michael Kelly did not remarry ie he remained a widower. Often widowers married quickly after the death of a spouse as working plus bringing up children was difficult. Perhaps Catherine was the step mother.
I can't actually find Michael or Catherine.... so will have to explore more. Catherine and Michael are written as his parents on John's death certificate, and I have a feeling the families of Fox and Kelly knew each other for a long time, living in the same area. I am thinking its possible the father may have been military too, then went overseas for service, which would leave a wife at home with the two children. Also possible he was a convict.
3 when searching for relatives from Athlone Co Roscommon I was advised to search for records in Co Westmeath as well. The same advice may apply the other way and that there may be records in Co Roscommon.
Thank you, I have broadened my searches and included Galway, Roscommon and even Kings County... some of the names are popping up in registers further from Longford, but the locations of their 'dwelling' is showing as still being close to Athlone townland. Because we are talking about 1800... there were no cars, so the family would use their closest church, but if a baptism was going to include the bigger family, it may have happened in a church a little further from home, between the baby's home and grandparents who lived a little further away... because there were no cars. There would be family along the way between them anyway.
4 have the military papers got details of his parents ie names etc?
No, unfortunately not, the military papers were 1854, they have his name, approx age, which differs on the military papers, so we know its not correct... he can't be born on multiple days. There IS something about the military papers that I am 'confused' by.... the townland written on the original paper has been changed, I can see there are a few letters in the middle of the name of the townland which were altered... which makes me wonder if I am searching in the wrong place. The original location (changed to Moyvore) looks like Myvane.
5 you have spelt Aliese in a special way. Where has this spelling come from?
I have wondered too, I have NO documentation or record which shows her name, so I am unsure if its a descendant back in the 1800s who has recorded it like that, because they are unsure of the actual spelling. I think her name must be Alicia, possibly even Esther, based on John and Anna's children, but Alicia is the right position in the family to be the oldest sister of John. I will have to broaden my search for her too, with bigger name variants.
ETA
6 where has the information about John Kelly being baptised at Moyvore come from?
This came from his Crimea War paperwork, but we know there are errors on it, like his age. I also wonder, if John's parents were not around, and John living with an uncle or grandparents etc (unsure of his family situation)... then he wouldn't know his location for baptism, his family may have made a mistake with the location too. I have decided to explore a wider region for his baptism.
