A few days since we called upon Rev. John Kelley, just below Union Landing, for a talk, knowing that he was one of the early settlers of Lawrence County, and in our rambling conversation, drew out some facts that may not be without interest to our readers, and some of which are worthy of record. We will premise that Mr. Kelley is now in his 75th year, is hale and hearty for a man of his years, and seems to have a vivid and accurate recollection of past events.
The founders of the Kelley family of Lawrence County were Luke Kelley and Mary, his wife, the parents of Rev. John Kelley, who will be recollected by some of the older of our readers, and who died about thirty years since.
Luke Kelley was born in Shenandoah Co., Va., in what is now Page County, of Irish parents; Mary Keyser, his wife, was born in the same county, of German parents. Luke Kelley and Mary Keyser were both left orphans while quite young, were married at an early age, and started in life quite poor–with nothing except their integrity, industry, and energy.
After marriage, they lived for a year or two in their native country, where Rev. John Kelley, their first child, was born on June 3, 1780, but while he was still at the breast, the parents removed into Bath County, a few miles distant from the Warm Springs, where they remained nine years. In 1790, when John was ten years of age, they removed into Russell County, in South-western Virginia, into a frontier settlement on Clinch River, where they lived for several years during Indian wars and subsequently removed once more to the place below Hanging Rock, where they died.
The family of Luke and Mary Kelley consisted of John before spoken of as their first child; Elizabeth, deceased, the wife of Judge Nathaniel Davisson; Joseph Kelley, deceased, father of William D. Kelley and brothers and sisters, of Ironton; Charles Kelley, now living at Kelley’s Mills, whose sons are Wm. H. Kelley, of Union Landing, and Isaiah W. Kelley, of Ironton; Joshua Kelley, now living near Union Landing, the father of Rev. James M. Kelley, of Ironton; Mary, who married Vincent Powell, of Greenup County, Ky., and is now living in Tennessee, married the second time to Henry Hayes; and Reuben Kelley, now living at Plattsburg, Mo.
Rev. John Kelley married Abigail Lambert, daughter of Josiah Lambert, one of the early settlers of the County. She has been dead for some ten years. Their children were Mary, married to Thomas Dollarhide, soon left a widow and now living with her son-in-law in Indiana; Whitefield Kelley, Esq.; Darby, deceased two or three years since; Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Andre, near Powellsville; and Anna, wife of George Collins, with whom Mr. Kelley now resides, at his old homestead.
Note from Submitter
These Reminiscences were read to tape from old Ironton Registers in the Briggs Lawrence County Public Library on December 27, 1974, by Robert Davisson, formerly of Union Landing, Ohio, currently living near Delaware, Ohio. He is a descendant of the Davissons mentioned in this transcript.
To maintain the wonderful period flavor of the prose, the capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and overall format of the original newspaper account have been retained.
Dedication
This compilation of John Kelley’s Reminiscences is dedicated to the Kelley family, both past and present, and to all those pioneers whose endurance made possible the comforts we have become used to. But particularly, it is dedicated to the Indians, who met with dignity, bravery, and honor the injustice and upheaval they were powerless to prevent.
Lois Davisson Scherer, who compiled this book, was a lineal descendant of Luke and Mary Keyser Kelley through their older daughter, Elizabeth, who was married to Judge Nathaniel Davisson on October 5, 1802, by Kimber Barton, Justice of the Peace, at Haverhill, French Grant, Ohio–the first marriage of record in what is now Scioto County. The text was checked against the original newspapers by Phyllis Hamner of Briggs Library.
[Lois D. Scherer passed away in 1986. This electronic version was compiled from the printed booklet in the Summer of 1999 by Robert Davisson.]
Material that appears in square brackets, [xxxxx], was added to the document by transcribers to clarify words and give alternate spellings of names. These alternate spellings were obtained from sources contemporary with or earlier than the newspaper accounts transcribed here.
More Kelly and Kelley Family Research
The Lawrence Register has additional records and accounts to help readers follow this family’s history:
- Reuben Kelley Bible — Transcribed family births, marriages, and deaths, including entries for Luke and Mary, with examples of both Kelly and Kelley.
- Luke Kelley—Heirs to Sell Real Estate — A summary of a December 24, 1821, deed naming heirs and their spouses.
- Luke Kelley Cemetery Inscriptions — Transcriptions from the Kelley-Collins Cemetery for family research.
- Ohio Baptist Church History — Includes the Kelley family’s mills and John Kelley among the former pastors.
- Early Settlers in Lawrence County, Ohio — Recollections of Luke and his brother James preparing for the family’s move from Virginia in 1797–1798.
Related Reminiscences and Family Articles
- Early Settlers in Lawrence County, Ohio, by Luke Kelley
- Native Americans by Luke Kelley
- Bear Hunting by Luke Kelley
- Lawrence County, Ohio's mills by Luke Kelley
- Captain Harmon's Battles by Luke Kelley
- The Van Bibbers by Luke Kelley
- Richard Deering by Luke Kelley
- Mr. Musick by Luke Kelley
- Mary Bush and Indigenous History: Kelley’s Reminiscences
- Early Manners and Customs by Luke Kelley
- A Few Facts by Luke Kelley
- Facts and Incidents About Luke Kelley
- A Few More Facts About Luke Kelley
- Luke Kelley Cemetery Inscriptions
- Luke Kelley—Heirs to Sell Real Estate (1821)
Editor’s Note
This article is a transcription attributed to the Ironton Register, July 27, 1854. Although the series is labeled “Luke Kelley Reminiscences,” the opening identifies Rev. John Kelley, Luke and Mary’s son, as the person interviewed. The Kelly surname was also spelled Kelley in some records. Both spellings occur within this family, as noted in the Reuben Kelley Bible transcription. Researchers should search under both Kelly and Kelley when consulting census, cemetery, deed, church, and family records. The spelling used in the historical transcription has been preserved.
Obvious punctuation and capitalization errors have been corrected, including the broken name “Thomas. Dollarhide.” The sentence identifying compiler Lois Davisson Scherer has been clarified. The submitter’s statement about retaining original formatting is preserved as part of the transcription’s history; this web edition has been reformatted. The original newspaper page has not been independently compared for this edition.
References to people “now living” or having died a certain number of years earlier relate to the 1854 newspaper account, not the present day. The submitter’s residence and recording information refer to 1974; the electronic transcription note refers to 1999.
The reference to a move into Bath County around 1780 uses a later county name: the Library of Virginia dates Bath County’s formation to 1790. For records of the earlier residence, researchers should consult the appropriate predecessor county. Family relationships, dates, and the claim concerning Scioto County’s first recorded marriage have been retained as reported and have not all been independently verified.
Related articles may report different settlement dates. For example, the early-settlers recollections describe preparations in 1797 and the family’s arrival in August 1798, while the church history gives 1796. These dates have not been reconciled here; consult the underlying records before treating either date as settled.
Historical terminology in the newspaper account and dedication has been retained. Modern references use “Indigenous.” The article reflects the perspective and recollections of the settlers and compilers represented here.