KELLY, JOHN, was born about 1783, in Rutherford county, North Carolina. He was there married to Mary Whitesides, had five children there, and moved to Illinois in the fall of 1818, first stopping on Macoupin creek. In the spring of 1819 he moved to what is now Springfield, and built the cabin in which the first court of Sangamon county was held, in May, 1821. It stood at what is now the northwest corner of Second and Jefferson streets. It was the first building of any kind erected within the city limits of Springfield. In September or October of that year Mrs. Kelly died. Mr. Kelly had business unsettled in North Carolina, and returned for that purpose. While there he married, in the fall of 1821, to Margaret Waldrup, and brought her at once to his new home. She never had any children. Of his five children -

Jonathan, born Sept. 19, 1808, in Rutherford county, N.C., married Sept. 8, 1831, in Fayette county, Ill., to Sarah Cook, who was born Dec. 3, 1812, in Tennessee. They had eight children in Sangamon county, namely: William W., born Feb. 11, 1833, married Mrs. Almeda McMurray, whose maiden name was Davis. She had two children by her first marriage, and they have two, Thomas J. and Sarah E., and live with his mother, near Curran. Mary F., born June 10, 18934, married Wm. B. Cobb. They had eight children. Mr. Cobb and two of the children died. The widow and six children live in Gardner township. John C., born March 27, 1837, married Emily J. Kellums, had four children, Cassius E., Ida B., Mary E. and Lydia A., and Mrs. Kelly died, and he married Mary J. Woods; have two children, Emma L. and John H., and live in Hancock county, Ill. Elizabeth A., born Oct. 5, 1839, married Oct. 10, 1872, to Charles A. Jackson, of new York, and live in Nebraska. Harriet L., born Jan. 20, 1842, married William D. Kelly. See his name. Benjamin F., born April 12, 1848, married Margery S. Hibbs, of Mason county, and live two miles north of Curran. Melissa E. died in infancy. Sarah Ellen lives with her mother. Jonathan Kelly died June 23, 1873, and his widow resides one and three-quarter miles north of Curran. - 1874.

Sarah married Ewell Rigg. See his name. She died July 16, 1854.

Elizabeth married Henry Robertson, and had thirteen children. Mr. R. and seven children died. The widow lives two and a half miles east of Loami.

William R. married Florella M. Alford, have six children, and live near Edinburg, Ill.

Mary M. married William S. McGinnis. See his name. Their son, John, married Sarah F. Vestal, in Missouri, and lives in Loami township.

John Kelly died about 1823, in Springfield, and was buried north of Hutchison cemetery, where his first cabin was built. His widow married Zachariah Peter. See his name.