Kelly Family in India

[EBrand]

Hi all,

We all know what family lore is like, right? Often things are exaggerated so much that really the truth is tiny in proportion. I've got a similar situation here.

My ancestor Thomas Kelly, from Dunlavin, Co. Wicklow, Ireland c.1819 joined the British Army under the 53rd Foot Regiment and was sent to India and modern day Pakistan, where he then joined the 10th Foot Regiment. He was in India from c.1840-1860, until he was medically discharged in Chatham, Kent and went back to Carlow and Dunlavin, Ireland. Eventually they moved to Western Australia, Australia in 1862 due to the health of their children.

At some point between 1839 and 1846, he married Catherine (maiden name unknown). We are not sure if the marriage took place in Ireland or India.

Here's the funny part. Thomas and Catherine (by family lore) are said to have had 16 children, of which only 3 survived. I have managed to find the baptisms of 5 of their children in India and Pakistan, but nowhere near 16.

What I have found so far:

Mary Ann Catherine KELLY- born   11 Aug 1846, baptised 16 Aug 1846 in Meerut, Bengal, India
Thomas Patrick KELLY- born 30 Aug 1848, baptised 16 Sep 1848 in Lahore Garrison, Lahore, Bengal, India (modern day Pakistan)
John KELLY- born 1 Oct 1850, baptised 1 Oct 1850 in Wuzeerabad Garrison, Wuzeerabad, Bengal, India
William Henry KELLY- born 23 Nov 1851, baptised 23 Nov 1851 in Wuzeerabad, Bengal, India
Bernard KELLY- born 9 Apr 1854, baptised 23 Apr 1854 in Lahore, Bengal, India (modern day Pakistan)

(These records are indexed on FindMyPast)

Usually I would think 16 is a bit of an exaggeration, however there were a few things that made me think otherwise.

Two of Thomas and Catherine's children, John and Thomas Patrick, died young. On their burial records (FindMyPast index) it has listed:
John Kelly, died and buried 1 Oct 1850. Occ: No.7 H.Ms 10' Regt. Ft.
Thomas Patrick Kelly, died Nov 1852. Buried 27 Nov 1852. Occ: Child 6 Co. H.M. 10' Ft.

Does this 'No.7' and 'Child 6' correspond to the amount of children born to the couple? I couldn't figure out what else it could mean. If it does, it means there are at least two more children I haven't yet discovered.

The second point is the Golden Wedding newspaper article of Bernard (Barney) Kelly and his wife, where it mentions Barney's father Thomas:
"When at last the military were disbanded Sergeant Kelly settled in the New Norcia district. There he reared eighteen children."
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253221192?searchTerm=barney%20kelly%20golden%20wedding

This article was written in 1932 when his son Barney was still alive, so surely Barney would have an inkling at the number of children his parents had? However, this news article states that Thomas and Catherine had their remaining 13 children after their arrival in Western Australia. Unfortunately I cannot find any registered births for the couple following their arrival in WA.

Honestly, I'm a bit perplexed at where to go from here and unsure whether to just leave it as a myth or continue on searching.

Thank you for taking the time to read 
EB

[ShaunJ]

Thomas Patrick Kelly, died Nov 1852. Buried 27 Nov 1852. Occ: Child 6 Co. H.M. 10' Ft.

The record I can see is for Thomas Kelly aged 6, child of Sergeant Thomas & Catherine Kelly, No. 6 Company, 10th Foot

[Neale1961]

From the Dictionary of Western Australians:

KELLY, Thomas, b. 1819, d. 14.1.1888 (Guildford), arr. 29.1.1862 per "Lincelles" as an Enrolled Pensioner Guard with wife Catherine Ann b. 1822 d. 19.7.1875 and the surviving three of sixteen chd. born to them in India. Chd. Mary Ann b. 1849 d. 1887, William Henry b. 1656 d. 1944, Bernard b. 1858 d. 1934.
Formerly Sgt. 1st Batt. 10th Regt. he spent 21 yrs in India. serving in 100 battles. received 4 medals with bars & Veteran of Lucknow.
Lived at Perth Pensioner's Barracks & bt. South Perth Loc Sub 95/5 acres in 1863. After discharge c.1870, he took up land near "Bindoon in Victoria Plains & signed a petition in 1877 regarding discrimination against ex-pirees. Employed 8 T/L men at: South Perth 1863- 1871 & 12 T/L men at V ictoria Plains 1868-1870.
RC .


There are various public trees which give his wife's name as Catherine Ann FARRELL.

Possible birth and baptism here
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6VT1-J5L4

[Neale1961]

There is this marriage in Agra, Bengal. Without seeing the the actual image, it is not possible to know if it is the right man.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGVT-42X

[ShaunJ]

There is this marriage in Agra, Bengal. Without seeing the the actual image, it is not possible to know if it is the right man.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGVT-42X

Looks like HM 59th or 39th Foot. Wife's surname does not look like Trophy to me but it's hard to decipher

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=BL%2FBIND%2F005138055%2F00093&parentid=BL%2FBIND%2FM%2F159717%2F1

[EBrand]

ShaunJ,

Thank you! I wasn't sure if the 6 referred to his Company or the number of children, but the Company is definitely more likely.

[EBrand]

From the Dictionary of Western Australians:

KELLY, Thomas, b. 1819, d. 14.1.1888 (Guildford), arr. 29.1.1862 per "Lincelles" as an Enrolled Pensioner Guard with wife Catherine Ann b. 1822 d. 19.7.1875 and the surviving three of sixteen chd. born to them in India. Chd. Mary Ann b. 1849 d. 1887, William Henry b. 1656 d. 1944, Bernard b. 1858 d. 1934.
Formerly Sgt. 1st Batt. 10th Regt. he spent 21 yrs in India. serving in 100 battles. received 4 medals with bars & Veteran of Lucknow.
Lived at Perth Pensioner's Barracks & bt. South Perth Loc Sub 95/5 acres in 1863. After discharge c.1870, he took up land near "Bindoon in Victoria Plains & signed a petition in 1877 regarding discrimination against ex-pirees. Employed 8 T/L men at: South Perth 1863- 1871 & 12 T/L men at V ictoria Plains 1868-1870.
RC .


There are various public trees which give his wife's name as Catherine Ann FARRELL.

Possible birth and baptism here
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6VT1-J5L4

Thank you for this info. Yes a lot of the family history compiled says "16 children" but I'm having a hard time actually locating the birth/death info apart from the other five I have found.

Thank you for that possible birth and baptism of Catherine, this is definitely a possibility to be my Catherine.

[EBrand]

There is this marriage in Agra, Bengal. Without seeing the the actual image, it is not possible to know if it is the right man.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGVT-42X

Looks like I may have to get a FindMyPast subscription to view that image, by 1843 he was in the 10th Foot Regiment so if it says 59 or 39 Foot it's unlikely to be him. I have seen that marriage indexed before and hadn't seen much else in regards to a Thomas/Catherine marriage around that time in India so I thought possibly he married in Ireland before he left?

Honestly I'm not too sure.

[ShaunJ]

My ancestor Thomas Kelly, from Dunlavin, Co. Wicklow, Ireland c.1819 joined the British Army under the 53rd Foot Regiment and was sent to India and modern day Pakistan, where he then joined the 10th Foot Regiment

He attested for the 53rd in February 1839 and volunteered to transfer to the 10th In April 1842. Between Feb 1839 and March 1842 he would have served in the UK home islands. The 53rd didn't go to India until 1844. See https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Historical_Records_of_the_British_Army_I/LfuJG3feW-MC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA27&printsec=frontcover

He would have been in Scotland when he transferred to the 10th Regiment on 1 April 1842. This was the time that the 10th was moving to India, elements of the regiment having been based in Glasgow for several months. So it looks like he volunteered for service in India.

So marriage in Scotland is a possibility.