Samuel W. Kelly, ~1840/45-1895 and Rachel (Forkum) Kelly, 1849-1892

 

SAMUEL W. KELLY was born sometime between 1840 and 1845 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to unknown parents (both of whom were born in Ireland, per the 1880 census).[1] A record of Samuel’s life before 1871 has not been located, so no information of his birth or childhood is available. (The research for this time period is ongoing – his common name and different spellings of Kelly/Kelley increase the difficulty of research.)

On 30 December 1871, he was a probationer at Scott Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia (previously located at 8^th & Dickinson Streets near his home locations listed above), but was dropped in less than a year, on 20 July 1872.[2] His future wife, Rachel FORKUM, was also a member in 1872 here,[3] and his future daughter Clara May would later be baptized at this church.[4]

Samuel spent his career working on the railroad. The Philadelphia city directories include Samuel for a number of years, with his occupation shown as “flagman,” and he listed the same occupation on his marriage license.

On 04 February 1874, Samuel married RACHEL FORKUM at the Pitman Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Samuel listed his age as 33, which put his birth about 1841.  Rachel was 24, born about 1849 in Middletown, Delaware.[5]

Rachel was born about August 1849 to parents Silas FORKUM and Mary (RUSSELL) FORKUM.[6]  She grew up in St. Georges Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware until she was in her early 20s.[7]  Rachel had five siblings – three brothers and two sisters.  Unfortunately, two of the three brothers died young (both were 12 years old at the time of their deaths).[8]

Sometime after the 1860 census was taken, Rachel moved to Philadelphia and was a probationer at the Scott Methodist Episcopal Church on 07 January 1872.[9]  Her time as a probationer would have overlapped with the time that Samuel was also a probationer there, possibly indicating where they met.

A little over nine months after Samuel and Rachel married, their daughter Clara May Kelly was born on 25 November 1874.  She was baptized at the Scott Methodist Episcopal Church on 14 March 1875. [10] The family lived at 1147 S. 13^th Street in Philadelphia in 1880, and continued to live in the South Philadelphia area. Clara May was the only child the couple had.

Rachel died young, on 18 March 1892, of “general debility” at 42 years old.[11] On 24 December 1894, Samuel signed a consent to marriage for his daughter Clara from Philadelphia Hospital.[12]

Samuel died just 2 weeks after signing the consent form, on 07 January 1895, of “posterior sclerosis, valvular heart disease and nephritis” at 55 years old.[13] Both Samuel and Rachel are buried in Fernwood Cemetery, section 19, lot 68, north side – there is no headstone to mark their grave.[14]

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[1] Pitman Methodist Episcopal Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Marriage Record, Samuel W. Kelley and Rachel F. Forkum, married 04 February 1874; imaged, "Pennsylvania and New Jersey, U.S., Church and Town Records, 1669-2013," Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2451/images/40355_267300-00109 : accessed 13 December 2020) > PA - Philadelphia > Philadelphia > Methodist > Pitman Methodist Episcopal Church >  image 110.

[2] Scott Methodist Episcopal Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Probationer's Record, Samuel W. Kelley, received 30 December 1871; imaged, “Pennsylvania and New Jersey, U.S., Church and Town Records, 1669-2013,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2451/images/40355_267304-00194 : accessed 06 February 2024) > PA – Philadelphia > Philadelphia > Methodist > Scott Methodist Episcopal Church > image 139.

[3] Scott Methodist Episcopal Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Record of Members in Full Connection, Rachel S. Forkum, received 07 January 1872; imaged, “Pennsylvania and New Jersey, U.S., Church and Town Records, 1669-2013,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2451/images/40355_267304-00317 : accessed 30 May 2026) > PA – Philadelphia > Philadelphia > Methodist > Scott Methodist Episcopal Church > image 262.

[4] Scott Methodist Episcopal Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Record of Baptisms 1875, Clara May Kelly, born 25 November 1874, baptized 14 March 1875; imaged, "Pennsylvania and New Jersey, U.S., Church and Town Records, 1669-2013," Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2451/images/40355_267304-00370 : accessed 25 November 2020) > PA - Philadelphia > Philadelphia > Methodist > Scott Methodist Episcopal Church > image 315.

[5] See fn 1.

[6] In 1850 census, taken in July 1850, Rachel was listed as 11/12 years old.  See 1850 U.S. census, New Castle County, Delaware, population schedule, St. Georges Hundred, fol. 190r, dwelling 81, family 82, Silas Forkum household; NARA microfilm M432, roll 54.

[7] 1860 U.S. census, New Castle County, Delaware, population schedule, St. Georges Hundred, Middletown post office, p.  149, dwelling 1002, family 998, Sylas Forcum household; NARA microfilm M653, roll 96.  See also fn4.

[8] See narrative for parents Silas FORKUM and Mary (RUSSELL) FORKUM.

[9] Scott Methodist Episcopal Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Record of Members in Full Connection, Rachel S. Forkum, received 07 January 1872; imaged, “Pennsylvania and New Jersey, U.S., Church and Town Records, 1669-2013,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2451/images/40355_267304-00317 : accessed 30 May 2026) > PA – Philadelphia > Philadelphia > Methodist > Scott Methodist Episcopal Church > image 262.

[10] Scott Methodist Episcopal Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Record of Baptisms 1875, Clara May Kelly, born 25 November 1874, baptized 14 March 1875; imaged, "Pennsylvania and New Jersey, U.S., Church and Town Records, 1669-2013," Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2451/images/40355_267304-00370 : accessed 25 November 2020) > PA - Philadelphia > Philadelphia > Methodist > Scott Methodist Episcopal Church > image 315.

[11] City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Return of a Death no. 20742 (1892), Rachel Kelly, died 18 March 1892;  imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DBR7-DR8 : accessed 24 November 2020); citing FSL microfilm 004009745, image 296.

[12] Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, Orphans' Court Files, File no. 73615 (1894), Consent to the Marriage of a Child or Ward, Samuel B. D. Paul and Clara M. Kelly, married 24 December 1894; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DKTS-7N9 : accessed 13 December 2020); citing FSL microfilm 004287335, images 54.

[13] City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Return of a Death no. 13573 (1895), Samuel W. Kelly, died 07 January 1894; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6717-JLV : accessed 24 November 2020); citing FSL microfilm 004009702, image 682.

[14] Fernwood Cemetery (Yeadon, Pennsylvania), "1894-1904," page 220, Saml W. Kelly (1895); image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2451/images/40355_267579-00625 : viewed 25 Nov 2020), image 626.

Fernwood Cemetery (Yeadon, Pennsylvania), "1887-1893," page 352, Rachel Kelly (1892); image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2451/images/40355_267579-00390 : viewed 25 Nov 2020), image 391.