Biography:
A little over a year old when he died, Harry Clinton Kelly is buried in Ellsworth Cemetery.
He was born on the 29th of March 1862. Sadly, he died shortly after his first birthday in April of 1863. Young Harry was beloved. The inscription reads, “Thou hast taken me to thy self on account of my innocence”.
Unusually, no other Kelly’s are buried in Ellsworth. Since births and deaths were not recorded by the State of Maryland until the turn of the century, no record exists of his parents. His headstone is the only record of his life.
The census records for Carroll County show a number of women who might have been his mother. Ms. Mary Kelly was born in 1802 and was married to Mr. William Kelly. Ms. Betsy Kelly was born in 1825 and had four children who did not live to adulthood. Another woman, Lucinda Kelly, was also born in 1825 and living in Westminster in 1870. Unfortunately, no records show which woman was the grieved mother of this little boy.
Harry Kelly’s headstone has recently been cleaned as part of the restoration of Ellsworth Cemetery, near Westminster, Maryland.
Find additional information about Harry C. Kelly Family on FamilySearch.