Hi Loren of Texas and Kellys everywhere, In response to your question, "Where is Mara Twp, Simcoe Co.?," it is located north of Toronto, on the northeast side of Lake Simcoe whereas your ancestors lived in Grenville Co. bordering Quebec, @ Ottawa . . . but then, what do I know about Canadian geography -- I'm a Michigander, eh! Forty-year old Martin Kelly came across from Dublin, Ireland, in 1842, and landed in Quebec with his two-year old son and his pregnant wife, Catherine Doolan Kelly, age 23. Hence, they waited until daughter Margaret was born in 1843 before traversing the wilds to Simcoe Co. Catherine Doolan Kelly's 19-year old brother, Martin Doolan, made the crossing with them and settled on the lot next to theirs in Mara Twp. The Thomas you write about had settled in Canada in 1835, before Martin Kelly, who was first listed in the Canadian Census of 1851 as a farmer in Mara Twp. By 1861, the Census shows Martin Kelly had eleven children. The two could have been brothers, but for that connection, we would have to find parish birth records in Dublin. Since my original message to the Kelley-L@rootsweb was lost before posting on the KELLY-L, here goes: > Hello Kell(e)ys: > My line descends from Martin Kelly b. 1802 Dublin, IRE and Catherine > Doolan b. 1819 County Roscommon IRE. I have them well documented after > the birth of their first son, Patrick, in 1840, Ireland, and their > immigration to Canada where a daughter, Margaret, was born in Quebec, > 1843. They settled in Mara Township and had nine more children: James > 1844, Catherine 1845, Michael 1847, Thomas 1849, Martin and John (twins) > 1851, Ann 1854, Edward 1856, and Mary 1857. Most of the Kelly brothers left Mara, > some settling in Michigan, Minnesota, and Montana. > For those of you who may have Kell(e)ys from Mara Township and who > need information, I do have the 885-p book, "They Came to Mara..." which > gives information on hundreds of families -- including Kellys from > Scotland. > Does anyone know the best way to begin looking for Kelly ancestors > in Ireland? > Kelly O'Leary