Near Relations



A rather skinny 19th century round tower found in the graveyard at Killeroran, County Galway. It was erected in 1867, ten years before his death, by Denis Henry Kelly who lived not far away at Castle Kelly (otherwise known as Aughrane Castle). Unfortunately long before he died, Mr Kelly was obliged to sell the house and it was then entirely demolished in 1919. Rising more than 90 feet, the tower carries an commemorative inscription in Irish, but beside it stands a more modesty-scaled tombstone recalling Mr Kelly’s two wives, ‘both English women, they set themselves to the duties of their Irish home, and lived beloved by all, high and low, & died universally lamented.’ The first is described as ‘the beautiful Mary Moseley’ and the second as ‘Elizabeth Diana, the lovely daughter of John Cator.’ Their husband was also very keen to record his spouses’ aristocratic connections, so Mary Moseley was noted as being ‘the near relative of the Earl of Stamford and of the Actons, now Lord Acton.’ Meanwhile, according to her husband Elizabeth Cator had the good fortune to be ‘the near relation of the Marquis of Sligo and of Sir Ross Mahon.’ However, despite these socially prestigious links, neither wife was permitted to share Mr Kelly’s monument. 


2 comments on “Near Relations

  1. Michael Thomas says:

    Rather like some family entries in Landed Gentry Guides saying that so and so was related to someone of good Family,as they would have liked to infer.Usually pretty distant !

  2. Emma Richey says:

    Hey ho, from the days when women were still regarded as the property of their fathers and husbands and a good marriage would have added to the husbands self importance and his bank balance too. Amusing that neither wife made it on to the memorial. It was quite common in many family trees for there to be limited information on daughters, sometimes not even their name!

Leave a Reply to Michael ThomasCancel reply