Patrick Dennis Kelehar - An Irish ditch digger comes to Georgia

Patrick D. Keleher, b. abt 1813 in Ireland

In Bulloch county Georgia (area now part of Jenkins county) 1841, purchased 400 ac of land from John Fletcher, bordered by Scull's Creek and on other sides by land of John Fletcher and William Fletcher. (Note: probably in area known as "Four Points", Elam Church

I don't see him in the US 1840 census.

Married Sarah Ann Allen, eldest daughter of William Allen (since she married before the 1850 census, this information was verified by school records) and Deborah Williams Allen (she was the daughter of Samuel Williams and Delilah Neville)

Had three children: Julia 1844, Dennis 1847, and Mary Ann 1849

Per 1850 mortality census, he died Oct 1849 after being ill for 40 days with fever. Occupation given as Ditcher. Keleher was spelled Kelleher.

He may have been a laborer engaged in building the railroad near Millen. It is not known if he continued with that employement after also becoming a farmer but it was included on the mortality census.

In the 1850 census, their are several Irish born families living in a cluster in nearby Waynesboro and they were working for the Railroad.They had children as old a 13 who had been born in Georgia, so they would have been in the state since about 1837.I'm not sure they are connected but think probably so, at least by employment.

A couple irish born men of similiar age had married into local families.There were also two young Irish born men men employed as teachers and living with neighbors (and one with a relative of Patrick's wife)It was the custom of the times for school teachers to "board" with local families if they were unmarried.

Ditchers were hard working and sometimes not treated very well.

The Irish that came to the US during this time were not fleeing the potato famine. That came just a bit later. In Ireland, they were not allowed to own their own land. Some were successful farmers, but farming only on the good inclinations of the estate managers and owners. British rule brought many unfavorable taxes and other hinderances to making a living for the Irish lower and middle classes. Many of them left Ireland for other parts of the world to make a better life. I should imagine that owning land would have been an important goal for him, and he was successful in that regard. While he would not have been wealthy, he was above subsistence and making a fair living. An estate valued at over $1000 was pretty good for the times!

His estate was appraised at $970.56, not including the land. He did not have a will. Belongings(both household items, farm implements and livestock, agricultural products) was auctioned at public outcry, with his widow retaining a good part of the goods (technically she bid on the items she wanted to keep). Many of the buyers were family members and others--evident later--were good friends. Neighbor Seaborn Benjmain Cowart and widow set bond of $500.00 in order to settle the estate (uniform requiement when a family was left, to ensure that the children inherited) He was co-guardian of children.

In 1851, Sarah petitioned the court for guardianship of her children and she was assisted in this by a neighbor.

In 1852, near the time when Sarah Ann Allen Keleher married for the second time (Allen Phillips) her grandfather, Samuel Williams, filed the deed for the land. Patrick and John Fletcher had apparently conducted the sale in 1841 but had not filed the deed. Mr. Fletcher attested before the court that Patrick D. Keleher had purchased the land in 1841 and paid him for it, the sum of $150.00. Technically, the conveyance was to Samuel Williams, and in the next entry, Samuel Williams conveyed the property to Patrick D. Keleher and his heirs.

Dennis Keleher married the daughter of Seaborn B. Cowart, Rebecca. I have detailed information on Dennis and Julia, I only know that Mary was still living with her mother in 1870.

I have seen records that showed S. B. Cowart paying for Julia's schooling.

Sarah Ann Allen Keleher made her mark on the legal documents and likely, as with many other women of the times, could neither read or write. Among the estate items were two books, a dictionery and an atlas. An expert in Irish History at a university (I teach there) said probably Patrick could read but had to learn English, with Gaelic probably being his first language.

The Williams, Allens, Cowarts, and most of the families around were Primitive Baptist. They were a plain People (someone described them once as like the Amish but with a sense of humor). The did not "hold" with dancing, cards, drinking or swearing. They were stern but caring for others.