Person:Alexander Kelly (5)

Alexander Kelly was born on 20th August 1878 at Birkenhead in Cheshire, son of Catherine Kelly, formerly Ralston, and her husband Dennis Kelly, a boilermaker. Alexander was the eighth (but seventh surviving) of the couple's eleven children. Family tradition recalls that he was known as Sandy. The 1881 and 1891 census both find Alexander living at home in Birkenhead with his parents and siblings.

On 24th November 1897, aged 19, Alexander was married in Liverpool to Martha Dennis, who appears to have also been from Birkenhead. They returned to Birkenhead to live and had seven children, although five of their children died as infants. In the 1911 census Alexander and Martha were living in just one room at 24 Lord Street with their two surviving daughters, Martha and Mary. Alexander worked as a cattle drover and dock labourer.

Alexander died at the Birkenhead Workhouse Infirmary of enteria fever (typhoid) on 8th September 1911, aged just 33. Martha outlived him by 27 years, remarrying in 1924.

1. ↑ Birth certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   1878. Birth in the Sub-district of Birkenhead in the County of Chester
   No.205
   When and where born: Twentieth August 1878, 195 Market Street
   Name: Alexander
   Sex: Boy
   Father: Denis KELLY, Boiler Maker's Holder-up
   Mother: Catherine KELLY, formerly RALSTON
   Informant: C. Kelly, Mother, 195 Market St., Birkenhead
   Registered: Tenth September 1878

   
2. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 3577; Folio 7; Page 7, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 22 Eldon Street, Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Dennis Kelley, head, married, male, 40 [1840/1], General Laborer, b. Ireland
   Catherine Kelley, wife, married, female, 36 [1844/5], b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   William Kelley, son, unmarried, male, 18 [1862/3], General Laborer, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Bridget Kelley, daughter, unmarried, female, 14 [1866/7], b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Christina Kelley, daughter, female, 9 [1871/2], Scholar, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   John J. Kelley, son, male, 11 [1869/70], Scholar, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Edward Kelly, son, male, 7 [1873/4], Scholar, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Dennis Kelly, son, male, 4 [1876/7], Scholar, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Alexander Kelly, son, male, 2 [1878/9], Scholar, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   John Kenny, boarder, unmarried, male, 40 [1840/1], General Laborer, b. Ireland
   Catherine Kenny, sister, unmarried, female, 35 [1845/6], b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Patrick Lynch, boarder, married, male, 23 [1857/8], General Laborer, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Mary A. Lynch, wife, married, female, 23 [1857/8], b. Birkenhead, Cheshire

3. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 2880; Folio 83; Page 55, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 8 Eldon Place, Birkenhead, Cheshire
   4 rooms occupied
   John Kelly, head, married, male, 49 [1841/2], Dock Laborer, employed, b. Kildare, Ireland
   Catherine Kelly, wife, married, female, 45 [1845/6], b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Edward Kelly, son, single, male, 17 [1873/4], Dock Laborer, employed, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Dennis Kelly, son, male, 15 [1875/6], Dock Laborer, employed, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Alexander Kelly, son, male, 13 [1877/8], Scholar, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Frank Kelly, son, male, 10 [1880/1], Scholar, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Mary E. Kelly, daughter, 4 [1886/7], b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Peter Kelly, son, male, 3 [1887/8], b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Patrick A. Kelly, son, male, 7 [1883/4], Scholar, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   ~ [another household at same address]
   2 rooms occupied
   John Kenny, head, single, male, 49 [1841/2], General Laborer, employed, b. Newry, Ireland
   Catherine Kenny, sister, single, female, 40 [1850/1], b. Birkenhead, Cheshire

   Although the father's name in this household is given as 'John' rather than Dennis it is clear from the mother, children and Kennys in the same household that it is the same family as in the 1871, 1881 and 1901 censuses.

4. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 3388; Folio 159; Page 10, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 2 Brook Square, Birkenhead, Cheshire
   1 room occupied
   Alexander Kelly, head, married, male, 22 [1878/9], Cattle Drover, worker, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Martha Kelly, wife, married, female, 22 [1878/9], b. Birkenhead, Cheshire

5. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 21966; Schedule 5, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 24 Lord Street, Birkenhead, Cheshire
   1 room occupied
   Alexandra [sic] Kelly, male, 31 [1879/80], married 10 years, 7 children, 2 still living, Labourer (Dock), worker, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Martha Kelly, female, 30 [1880/1], b. Cheshire
   Martha Kelly, female, 9 [1901/2], School, b. Cheshire
   Mary Ann Kelly, female, 2 [1908/9], b. Cheshire

6. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   Registration District Birkenhead
   1911 Death in the Sub-district of Tranmere in the Counties of Chester, &c.
   No.	When and where died	Name and surname	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   494	Eighth Septemer 1911 Workhouse Infirmary, Tranmere, UD	Alexander Kelly	Male	32 years	Cattle Drover, of 9 George Street, Birkenhead UD	Enteria Fever, Certified by A.J. Richards, L.R.C.P.	Martha Kelly, Widow of deceased, 9 George Street, Birkenhead	Eighth September 1911	S.W. Swan, Registrar