St George's Church Liverpool (no date) demolished in 1897
The Rev James Kelly of The Glebe, Stillorgan
James Kelly born circa 1809 in London was the son of Irish man Robert Kelly. He graduated from
Trinity College Dublin and took Holy orders. He was ordained in 1832 and was appointed curate
of Donaghmore in County Derry before he was appointed a curate to Liverpool.
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 who 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 on behalf of his parish. They refused to entertain him, so he
went public, publishing open letters, and the letters between himself and the Board in the
newspaper which included his caustic comments. Shortly after that, he clashed with
Archbishop Whately for not living in the Glebe House. It transpired that he had taken
alternative accommodation and rented The Glebe House to a Samuel Hitchens. 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 then sent to the
Churchwardens warning them, not to allow an unlicensed preacher to preach in Stillorgan church.
Given that the churchwardens were Mark Saurin, an ex-Attorney General, and Matthew Pollock,
an eminent businessman, 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 protestant hall was mooted to be erected in Dublin in 1841, he became one of the
trustees. During his time in Stillorgan he entered into a hostile and disparaging correspondence,
which was subsequently published, with John Nelson Darby, a bible teacher and one of the original
Plymouth Brethren.
He married Frances Minchin, daughter of Henry Minchin from Holywell in Hampshire at
Stillorgan Parish Church on 24 Nov 1841. Frances’ sister Georgina Minchin had married her
cousin William Minchin and were living at a house called Eversham (corner of Stillorgan Road
and Newtownpark Avenue). When they married, Frances brought with her a dowry of five
thousand pounds. James resigned from Stillorgan in 1845 and moved to Charlotte Chapel
ministry in Pimlico. He was minister of St Peter’s Chapel Westminster from 1848 and perpetual
curate of St George’s, Liverpool from 1863. After one of his sermons, the Liverpool Mail referred
to him as 'Donnybrook Kelly.., an Irish nuisance... a rampant antinomian ... and a crazy apostle of
hyper Calvinism'. His response was to take a libel action against the owner of the newspaper
seeking 5k in damages. He won the case and was awarded a negligible single farthing in
damages. At the same time, he had an ongoing legal action against his church warden for libel,
and another with a solicitor for neglect of duty. He had public spats with the choir and
frequently verbally abused the organist during service. His diatribe on Gladstone caused public
outcry when he referred to him as a robber, a liar and a hypocrite.
The couple were separated in November 1869 after a spectacular legal case in which his wife
Frances, sought a judicial separation and alimony based on mental cruelty. The Rev James was
suspended from duty and he 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.
An ardent Calvin follower, he at times lived in the vestry with few domestic comforts. He covered
the walls of the church with posters of dire warnings. Frances died 21 Dec 1877 at Waltham on
Thames. Her son Francis was her solicitor and her executor. Rev James sued the firm for not
informing him of his wife's death in a timely manner.
1 James Kelly born 20 Aug 1842 at Stillorgan Glebe died 11 Sep 1842.
2 Frederick Jessop Kelly born 21 Feb 1844 at Southampton graduated Trinity College, Dublin
and entered the legal profession. He was a partner in Webb and Kelly of Chancery Lane.
He married Hetty Louisa Sara Dines on 14 Aug 1873 at Warwick Square. Hetty was the
eldest surviving daughter of George Dines of Surbiton. The partnership was sued by his
father as they had not informed him of his wife's death. He missed the funeral and
deprived him the opportunity of offering words to sooth her spirit. The case was dismissed
on the basis that as he did not speak or eat with his wife when they lived together, that he
allowed her no money or to leave the house unless accompanied by him that he was hardly
entitled to have the last word on the poor lady.
Frederick took Holy orders in 1880 and was appointed Vicar of Farnborough, Kent in 1884
and Hetty taught Sunday School. He was well liked, had many dear friends and died in
office on 11 Sep 1898. Hetty died on 28 Dec 1906, Innocents Day.
1 Francis George Minchin Kelly only son born 1880 in Hersham, Surrey took Holy
orders. He never married and died in Camberwell on 6 Nov 1938. His will
provided for a bronze plaque to be erected at Farnborough Church in memory of
his parents. He is buried at St Giles' Churchyard with his parents.
As a widower James secondly married Mary Lockie Hopkins on 6 Aug 1879 at St George's,
Liverpool. Mary was the daughter of Joseph Hopkins and was over 30 years his junior. They were
living at Richmond Vale, Bootle when he summoned his wife for assault in 1882. She threw the
contents of a glass of wine at him when he attempted to seize a letter she was writing. He applied
for the protection of the court as she had told the maid she hated him and would poison him if
she got the opportunity. They separated and James got custody of their daughter. He took his
wife to court again in 1887 to have their marriage settlement rectified, he lost the case with costs
for his behaviour towards his wife. He ejected his wife and another lady from the Good Friday
service (there were only 7 attendees including the rector and clerk) at St George's in 1888. There
were 14 at the Easter Sunday service and he called the police to have his wife and her lady friend
ejected again. James died 2 Mar 1892 at Hatterly Street, Liverpool, his son was summoned to
his dying bedside. He is buried at Smithdown Road Cemetery.
Mary was admitted to Bethlem Hospital in August 1892 by her brother Joseph and sister Ellen and
was then transferred to Peckham House. She was suffering from 'melancholia caused by religion
and believed that Satan had given her away in marriage'. She was in Wotton Lunatic Asylum in 1901
where she died on 12 Dec 1903 aged 68.
3 Grace Kelly born 1881 in Bootle baptised 8 Sep 1881 at St George's Church, Liverpool. Grace,
her mother and aunt Ellen were boarding in Churchdown, Gloucester in 1881. She was living
with her father in Liverpool in 1891. She trained to be a nurse and was working at Kings
Norton in 1901.
©June Bow & Karen Poff - June 2026
Return to Stillorgan Glebe page
James Kelly born circa 1809 in London was the son of Irish man Robert Kelly. He graduated from
Trinity College Dublin and took Holy orders. He was ordained in 1832 and was appointed curate
of Donaghmore in County Derry before he was appointed a curate to Liverpool.
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 who 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 on behalf of his parish. They refused to entertain him, so he
went public, publishing open letters, and the letters between himself and the Board in the
newspaper which included his caustic comments. Shortly after that, he clashed with
Archbishop Whately for not living in the Glebe House. It transpired that he had taken
alternative accommodation and rented The Glebe House to a Samuel Hitchens. 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 then sent to the
Churchwardens warning them, not to allow an unlicensed preacher to preach in Stillorgan church.
Given that the churchwardens were Mark Saurin, an ex-Attorney General, and Matthew Pollock,
an eminent businessman, 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 protestant hall was mooted to be erected in Dublin in 1841, he became one of the
trustees. During his time in Stillorgan he entered into a hostile and disparaging correspondence,
which was subsequently published, with John Nelson Darby, a bible teacher and one of the original
Plymouth Brethren.
He married Frances Minchin, daughter of Henry Minchin from Holywell in Hampshire at
Stillorgan Parish Church on 24 Nov 1841. Frances’ sister Georgina Minchin had married her
cousin William Minchin and were living at a house called Eversham (corner of Stillorgan Road
and Newtownpark Avenue). When they married, Frances brought with her a dowry of five
thousand pounds. James resigned from Stillorgan in 1845 and moved to Charlotte Chapel
ministry in Pimlico. He was minister of St Peter’s Chapel Westminster from 1848 and perpetual
curate of St George’s, Liverpool from 1863. After one of his sermons, the Liverpool Mail referred
to him as 'Donnybrook Kelly.., an Irish nuisance... a rampant antinomian ... and a crazy apostle of
hyper Calvinism'. His response was to take a libel action against the owner of the newspaper
seeking 5k in damages. He won the case and was awarded a negligible single farthing in
damages. At the same time, he had an ongoing legal action against his church warden for libel,
and another with a solicitor for neglect of duty. He had public spats with the choir and
frequently verbally abused the organist during service. His diatribe on Gladstone caused public
outcry when he referred to him as a robber, a liar and a hypocrite.
The couple were separated in November 1869 after a spectacular legal case in which his wife
Frances, sought a judicial separation and alimony based on mental cruelty. The Rev James was
suspended from duty and he 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.
An ardent Calvin follower, he at times lived in the vestry with few domestic comforts. He covered
the walls of the church with posters of dire warnings. Frances died 21 Dec 1877 at Waltham on
Thames. Her son Francis was her solicitor and her executor. Rev James sued the firm for not
informing him of his wife's death in a timely manner.
1 James Kelly born 20 Aug 1842 at Stillorgan Glebe died 11 Sep 1842.
2 Frederick Jessop Kelly born 21 Feb 1844 at Southampton graduated Trinity College, Dublin
and entered the legal profession. He was a partner in Webb and Kelly of Chancery Lane.
He married Hetty Louisa Sara Dines on 14 Aug 1873 at Warwick Square. Hetty was the
eldest surviving daughter of George Dines of Surbiton. The partnership was sued by his
father as they had not informed him of his wife's death. He missed the funeral and
deprived him the opportunity of offering words to sooth her spirit. The case was dismissed
on the basis that as he did not speak or eat with his wife when they lived together, that he
allowed her no money or to leave the house unless accompanied by him that he was hardly
entitled to have the last word on the poor lady.
Frederick took Holy orders in 1880 and was appointed Vicar of Farnborough, Kent in 1884
and Hetty taught Sunday School. He was well liked, had many dear friends and died in
office on 11 Sep 1898. Hetty died on 28 Dec 1906, Innocents Day.
1 Francis George Minchin Kelly only son born 1880 in Hersham, Surrey took Holy
orders. He never married and died in Camberwell on 6 Nov 1938. His will
provided for a bronze plaque to be erected at Farnborough Church in memory of
his parents. He is buried at St Giles' Churchyard with his parents.
As a widower James secondly married Mary Lockie Hopkins on 6 Aug 1879 at St George's,
Liverpool. Mary was the daughter of Joseph Hopkins and was over 30 years his junior. They were
living at Richmond Vale, Bootle when he summoned his wife for assault in 1882. She threw the
contents of a glass of wine at him when he attempted to seize a letter she was writing. He applied
for the protection of the court as she had told the maid she hated him and would poison him if
she got the opportunity. They separated and James got custody of their daughter. He took his
wife to court again in 1887 to have their marriage settlement rectified, he lost the case with costs
for his behaviour towards his wife. He ejected his wife and another lady from the Good Friday
service (there were only 7 attendees including the rector and clerk) at St George's in 1888. There
were 14 at the Easter Sunday service and he called the police to have his wife and her lady friend
ejected again. James died 2 Mar 1892 at Hatterly Street, Liverpool, his son was summoned to
his dying bedside. He is buried at Smithdown Road Cemetery.
Mary was admitted to Bethlem Hospital in August 1892 by her brother Joseph and sister Ellen and
was then transferred to Peckham House. She was suffering from 'melancholia caused by religion
and believed that Satan had given her away in marriage'. She was in Wotton Lunatic Asylum in 1901
where she died on 12 Dec 1903 aged 68.
3 Grace Kelly born 1881 in Bootle baptised 8 Sep 1881 at St George's Church, Liverpool. Grace,
her mother and aunt Ellen were boarding in Churchdown, Gloucester in 1881. She was living
with her father in Liverpool in 1891. She trained to be a nurse and was working at Kings
Norton in 1901.
©June Bow & Karen Poff - June 2026
Return to Stillorgan Glebe page
