Hello Ken,

Almost everyone with IOM ancestry would have a Kelly somewhere in their family tree (hence the number mentioned in the archives of this BB), but very few would know anything about a Kelly in the USA, especially one who arrived there during the 1700s or before. So I'm afraid you will be disappointed by the response to your questions.

The usual way of seeing a connection is in a will when a parent mentions a son or daughter "beyond seas", sometimes with a full address, or when letters back to the IOM (or to America) have been kept, but these are rare, usually from the 1800s or later, and you would have to know his name!

It would be especially difficult to link him to any IOM family when your known ancestor Edward Kelley was born in the US. You really need to find out more about him on the spot (e.g. wills, gravestone inscription, land and other local records) and look for IOM ancestry only when you have more details. Does Edward's marriage record give his parents' names? Was there an obituary for him which gives his background? Is he recorded (with wife and children) among early pioneer families from the area?

Sue