MARGARET GREY
Margaret Grey was born about 1765. I do not know when or where or who her parents were.
The Old Swedes Church records of Wilmington Delaware show that Lawrence Girelius officiated at the marriage of Samuel Kelley to Margaret Grey on September 4, 1787... The original Records Book of Old Swedes was taken back to Sweden by the first pastor, Rev Eric Bjork.
We know that Samuel
Kelley married first Rebecka English
because in 1802 there was a court battle over the property
left to the children of Samuel
Kelley. It can be found in the Recorder of
Deeds. There was a final settlement in 1859,
found in Recorder of
Deeds, Book G 7, page 201. The gist of the story
is that Samuel
and Rebecka lived
on a farm in Mill Creek Hundred of New Castle
County that was inherited from Rebecka's
father. His name and purchase of the property still
needs to be found. Rebecka
died in 1783. Samuel remarried in 1787 and then he
died in 1796. One of Rebecka's daughters, Elizabeth was left out
of his will and she sued after she married Robert Higgins. There
were at least four other daughters that were listed in the
will. They must have been Margaret's but I
don't have that confirmation.
Margaret and Samuel had a son William Kelley born according to his tombstone in White Clay Presbyterian Cemetery in 1785. He inherited the property.
I know Margaret
was the Executor of Samuel's will in 1796. I
assume she was the target of the suit in 1802. I
will try and get a copy of the litigation and get a
clearer picture of the family.
from Manumissions in the Mirror of the Times and
General Advertiser, dated Aug 15, 1801 as printed in the
Delaware Genealogical Society Journal, Oct. 2016 is
the simple statement "1799 Margaret Kelly
manumitted John Jackson". I don't know
that this is our Margaret, but her husbands inventory
noted "comfortable slave dwelling". So it
certainly may be. Samuel had died a few years
before.
I believe that most of the children were Margarets
because of the 1800
Delaware Census, Mill Creek hundred, page 201. It
lists the family as
Marg Kelly- head
of house hold - female 26-45
1 male 10 - 16,
3 females under 10
2 females 10-16
It is not known when Margaret died, but from 1810
every Census of
William Kelly had
an older woman, up through 1840, that listed a woman
70-80. She was probably buried in the old White Clay
Cemetery on the hill with her husband Samuel Kelly.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
If you know the answer please CONTACT US
1. Where was Margaret from?
2. Who were her parents?
3. Get a copy of the will of Mr. English, Rebecka's
father.
4. Get a copy of Samuel Kelley's will.
5. Get a copy of the 1802 litigation.
6. Check the 1820, etc Census to try and track Margaret.
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Doc; gdgre010.html
Date created: 3/5/2007
Date updated: 12/31/2014
Date edited 11/6/2021