Bible of Mary BIRD nee KELLAM

Jackie is my 4th cousin once removed and has shared with me some wonderful photos of the Bible that once belonged to my 3 x Great-Grandmother, Mary BIRD nee KELLAM.

Our most recent common ancestors are George Kellam born about 1772 at Waltham on the Wolds, Leicestershire, England and his wife Catherine Gregg born about 1768 Lincolnshire, England.
Catherine died on the 22nd of March 1825 and George died on the 12th of March 1858, both at Waltham on the Wolds.

Mary and her husband Mark BIRD both died rather young in 1834.  Mary aged 38 and Mark aged 46.

The Bible has been kept safe all these years by members of the KELLAM family.

We had a discussion in Facebook about the transcription of the writing and it was agreed that it read "George Kellam Bird

He was Bourn (born) February 3 1820 (Month unreadable but gleaned from parish records) 

5 Minnits Bee Four 4 Clouck (5 minutes before 4 o'clock)."

George Kellam Bird was a Wheelwright as was his maternal grandfather George Kellam.  

Jackie said that most of the village of Waltham on the Wolds had belonged to The Duke of Rutland and villagers were renting from him. The houses in the village were sold off to cover tax after WW1 which is when her grandfather purchased the house known as Wheelwrights in Waltham where the family had lived for generations.

Mary and Mark's youngest son Mark BIRD junior went to live with his grandfather George KELLAM after his parents died which is likely where the Bible also went.  Mark also became a Wheelwright.

The list of children has confirmed our genealogy  paper trail research.

KELLAM family DNA match

I have to say again that this genetic genealogy is a huge learning curve!

I think I have been lost for several months in FTDNA and GEDmatch websites trying to work out how I am related to those I share DNA with and watching for new matches.

I wrote about my first lucky break on matches to my KNIGHT family HERE AND HERE.

A few weeks later I sent an email to Ron who I later found out lives in Canada.
Ron and I shared a total of 25.7 centimorgans with me, the longest block being 20.5 centimorgans.
GEDmatch calculated our "Estimated number of generations to MRCA (most common recent ancestor) at 4.7

I was overjoyed at Ron's reply to my email in which I included my surname list.
He said "Hello Kerryn, how nice to hear from you, distant cousin! We scored!
Quick response is, it's the Kelhams, of Waltham on the Wolds, in North Leicestershire.
My paternal grand father's ancestors were Kelhams from there.  My grandfather and great grandfather came to Canada in 1905 from the Nottingham area in England. "

Ron attached a relationship chart.
We shared common 5th great grandparents.
My 3rd great grandmother, Mary KELLAM married Mark BIRD (although I have found no record of the marriage) They both died in 1834.

Their daughter, my 2nd great grandmother Catherine BIRD, emigrated to New Zealand with her first husband Thomas MUNTON and their two daughters.  Thomas died soon after arrival and Catherine remarried to my 2nd great grandfather William MUSSON.

Interestingly, Ron's 4th great grandfather Charles KELHAM married an Ann MUSSON at Waltham on the Wolds, Leicestershire in 1790.  I haven't yet found a link for Ann to my MUSSON line though.  Perhaps Ron and I are "double cousins".

My earlier paper trail genealogy research had found two other descendants of Mary KELLAM and Mark BIRD, Cathy and Corrinne, who share my passion for family history.
We have shared some great discoveries.

I would like to thank Corrinne for making it possible for me to take the FTDNA family finder test. XX

52 Ancestors - Week 32 - Mary KELLAM

The challenge of week 32 is to write about one of my 32 third great-grandparents.

Mary Kellam was born in 1796 in Lincolnshire, England, her father, George, was 24 years of age and her mother, Catherine nee Gregg, was 28 years of age. 
 They were married in 1795 at Somerby.

Mary was Christened on the 10th of January 1796 at St Mary Magdalene Church, Old Somerby, Grantham, Lincolnshire, England.

"St.Mary Magdalen's church, Old Somerby, Lincs. - geograph.org.uk - 130303" by Richard Croft. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

The surname in the Christening record was spelt Kelham. 

Her parents names were George and Catherine.

Mary had two younger sisters, Catherine and Ann and two younger brothers, George and Mark.

No marriage record has yet been found for Mary KELLAM and Mark BIRD but they went on to have five sons and two daughters between 1820 and 1832 all born at Foston.
George Kellam BIRD (1820-1885)
Elizabeth BIRD (1821 - ?)
John BIRD (1823 - ?)
James BIRD (1825 - 1886)
Catherine BIRD (1828 - 1904) my 2nd great-grandmother
Christopher BIRD (1829 - ?)
Mark BIRD (1832 - 1916)

Mary died in January 1834 in Foston, England, at the age of 38 and her husband Mark died in December 1834 at the age of 45.
They are buried at St. Peter's church Foston.

St. Peter's church, Foston, Lincolnshire.

At Mary and Mark's deaths, the children ranged in age from 14 years to 2 years.  
It isn't known where the elder children lived after their parents deaths but the youngest son Mark BIRD was found in the 1841 census living with his grandfather George KELLAM at Waltham-on-the-Wolds, Leicestershire.  
George KELLAM was a master wheelwright as was his son-in-law Mark BIRD and eldest grandson George Kellam BIRD.
Mark BIRD junior also went on to be a wheelwright - journeyman.

52 Ancestors Challenge 
  by Amy Johnson Crow at "No Story Too Small"