The Rev James Kelly
James Kelly born circa 1809 London was the son of Irish man Robert Kelly. He entered Trinity,
BA in 1828 and MA in 1841. He was ordained in 1832 and became curate of Donaghmore in
County Derry.
He arrived as the Incumbent of Stillorgan Parish Church in 1839, from Sandgate in Kent.
Shortly after his arrival he was in conflict with the National Board of education whom he
had heard were planning to build a national school in Stillorgan and he was at pains to find out
who had made such an application for his parish. They refused to entertain him, so he went
public, publishing the letters between himself and the Board in the newspaper which included
his caustic comments. Shortly after that, he clashed with the archbishop for not living in the
Glebe House. It transpired that he had taken alternative accommodation and rented The Glebe
House to a Samuel Hitchens and the Archbishop was none too happy and wrote saying that if
he did not live in The Glebe, then he had no licence to preach. This does not seem to have been
resolved as a letter was sent to the Churchwardens warning them not to allow an unlicensed
preacher to preach in Stillorgan church. Given that the churchwardens were an ex-Attorney
General, Mark Saurin and the eminent businessman - Matthew Pollock, the Archbishop must have
been quite angry to have gone to this length. Rev Kelly published a number of works including
‘The apocalypse interpreted in the light of the Day of our Lord’ & ‘Apocalyptic Interpretation’. He
also published his lectures on anti-popery. When a Dublin protestant hall was mooted to be
erected in 1841 he became one of the trustees.
He married Frances Minchin, daughter of Henry Minchin from Holywell in Hampshire at
Stillorgan Parish Church on 24 Nov 1841. Frances’s sister Georgina Minchin had married her
cousin William Minchin and were living at a house called Eversham which is at the corner of
Stillorgan Road (N11) and Newtownpark Avenue. When they married, Frances brought with her
a dowry of five thousand pounds. He resigned in 1845.
James was incumbent of Kiliskey parish from 1845 to 1848. He was minister of St Peter’s Chapel
Westminster from 1848 to 1869 and perpetual curate of St George’s Liverpool from 1863 to 1869.
The couple were separated in Nov 1869 after a spectacular divorce case in which his wife Frances,
sought a judicial separation and alimony based on mental cruelty. The Rev James was suspended
from duty and defended himself as he considered himself to be quite expert having brought
numerous libel cases against newspapers, who reported on his outcry when a Jew was elected
Mayor of Liverpool and a Roman Catholic was appointed chaplain to the local Gaol. The Judge,
Lord Penzance granted a judicial separation and alimony having heard that James had
squandered Mrs Minchin’s dowry plus another five thousand that had been bequeathed to her
by her sister. He also took into account that James was responsible for the estrangement of the
couple's son. Eccentric and refractory, the Rev James Kelly would spend the rest of his life
involved in litigation of some type, thinking that every single person he met was against him.
He died 2 Mar 1892 at Hatterly Street, Liverpool, his son at his bedside. He may have married
a second time as his obituary mentions a little daughter, but this may only refer to her diminutive
size. He was buried at Smithdown Road cemetery.
1 Son Kelly born 20 Aug 1842 at Stillorgan Glebe died 11 Sep 1842.
2 Francis J Kelly born 21 Feb 1844 at Southampton entered the legal profession before taking
holy orders in 1880. He married Hetty Louisa Sara Dines on 14 Aug 1873 at Warwick Square.
Hetty was the eldest surviving daughter of G Dines of Surbiton. Francis became the Vicar of
Farnborough, Beckenham, Kent in 1884 for 14 years. He was well liked and had many dear
friends and died on 11 Sep 1898.
1 Francis J M Kelly took holy orders.
©June Bow & Karen Poff January 2019
James Kelly born circa 1809 London was the son of Irish man Robert Kelly. He entered Trinity,
BA in 1828 and MA in 1841. He was ordained in 1832 and became curate of Donaghmore in
County Derry.
He arrived as the Incumbent of Stillorgan Parish Church in 1839, from Sandgate in Kent.
Shortly after his arrival he was in conflict with the National Board of education whom he
had heard were planning to build a national school in Stillorgan and he was at pains to find out
who had made such an application for his parish. They refused to entertain him, so he went
public, publishing the letters between himself and the Board in the newspaper which included
his caustic comments. Shortly after that, he clashed with the archbishop for not living in the
Glebe House. It transpired that he had taken alternative accommodation and rented The Glebe
House to a Samuel Hitchens and the Archbishop was none too happy and wrote saying that if
he did not live in The Glebe, then he had no licence to preach. This does not seem to have been
resolved as a letter was sent to the Churchwardens warning them not to allow an unlicensed
preacher to preach in Stillorgan church. Given that the churchwardens were an ex-Attorney
General, Mark Saurin and the eminent businessman - Matthew Pollock, the Archbishop must have
been quite angry to have gone to this length. Rev Kelly published a number of works including
‘The apocalypse interpreted in the light of the Day of our Lord’ & ‘Apocalyptic Interpretation’. He
also published his lectures on anti-popery. When a Dublin protestant hall was mooted to be
erected in 1841 he became one of the trustees.
He married Frances Minchin, daughter of Henry Minchin from Holywell in Hampshire at
Stillorgan Parish Church on 24 Nov 1841. Frances’s sister Georgina Minchin had married her
cousin William Minchin and were living at a house called Eversham which is at the corner of
Stillorgan Road (N11) and Newtownpark Avenue. When they married, Frances brought with her
a dowry of five thousand pounds. He resigned in 1845.
James was incumbent of Kiliskey parish from 1845 to 1848. He was minister of St Peter’s Chapel
Westminster from 1848 to 1869 and perpetual curate of St George’s Liverpool from 1863 to 1869.
The couple were separated in Nov 1869 after a spectacular divorce case in which his wife Frances,
sought a judicial separation and alimony based on mental cruelty. The Rev James was suspended
from duty and defended himself as he considered himself to be quite expert having brought
numerous libel cases against newspapers, who reported on his outcry when a Jew was elected
Mayor of Liverpool and a Roman Catholic was appointed chaplain to the local Gaol. The Judge,
Lord Penzance granted a judicial separation and alimony having heard that James had
squandered Mrs Minchin’s dowry plus another five thousand that had been bequeathed to her
by her sister. He also took into account that James was responsible for the estrangement of the
couple's son. Eccentric and refractory, the Rev James Kelly would spend the rest of his life
involved in litigation of some type, thinking that every single person he met was against him.
He died 2 Mar 1892 at Hatterly Street, Liverpool, his son at his bedside. He may have married
a second time as his obituary mentions a little daughter, but this may only refer to her diminutive
size. He was buried at Smithdown Road cemetery.
1 Son Kelly born 20 Aug 1842 at Stillorgan Glebe died 11 Sep 1842.
2 Francis J Kelly born 21 Feb 1844 at Southampton entered the legal profession before taking
holy orders in 1880. He married Hetty Louisa Sara Dines on 14 Aug 1873 at Warwick Square.
Hetty was the eldest surviving daughter of G Dines of Surbiton. Francis became the Vicar of
Farnborough, Beckenham, Kent in 1884 for 14 years. He was well liked and had many dear
friends and died on 11 Sep 1898.
1 Francis J M Kelly took holy orders.
©June Bow & Karen Poff January 2019