Hi all,
Wonder if anyone is researching this family - there is a second marriage I can't pin down, and they seem to change their names and move around quite a bit. I'd be really interested to hear from anyone connected to the family or anyone who fancies checking that I'm not going mad!
William Kelly was born in 1848 in Berwick St John. He first appears in the 1851 census living on Church Street, with his parents, William, an agricultural labourer, and Emily. William has a younger brother, Charles, and a sister, Mary, who is just five months old.
By 1861, there have ben several additions to the family with William, Charles and Mary now having other younger siblings: Henry, Ann, Ruth, and Emily. William, aged thirteen, is shown as working as an agricultural labourer.
William married Mary Hilier on 28 July 1869.
In 1881 he is living with wife Mary in Bristol and working as a chocolate maker. The couple live at 10, Wells Street, which they share with four members of the Davis family.
Between 1881 and 1884, Mary died. William later married and with his second wife had children William, Ruth, John, Jake, and Ambrose. His second wife is caled variously Amelia, Mary, and variations, with her place of birth varying from 'at sea' to not known.
The 1891 census shows the family back in Berwick St John, with Willian an agricultural labourer, wife Amelia, and Lilian, William, and Ruth.
The 1901 census reveals a significant change for the family who are now in London and living at 167, Stamford Street, Lambeth.
The census return shows William as a labourer. His wife, listed here as Amelia, is a sick nurse, and son John, a shop errand boy. The various birth places of the family matches their movements in the previous censuses, with son William born in Wiltshire, Ruth in Sutton, Surrey, and Ambrose in London.
By 1911 the family have moved again, and are now in Devizes.
William is a farm labourer; Amelia is still a nurse, and both sons, John and Ambrose, are at home.
In 1921, Ambrose is at home with his parents, who are still living in Devizes.
However, their son John's service records show the family at Mill House, Melksham, and William and his wife feature in a newspaper article in 1911 also at that address but she is now called Mary, but still noted as a nurse.
