The New Zealand McKelvey Home Page

Hello everybody from the bottom of the South Pacific.
I am researching a number of family names in New Zealand including;

CAREY Eng Ssx
CLARK Sct Edinburgh
DEVERY Irl
DUTTON Can NS
HUTCHINSON Eng Ssx St Leonards
MCKELVEY Irl Cork, Aus Tas
WOODS Eng Sfk
WRATTEN.

I am particularly interested in tracing back the McKelvey Name.


Descendants of
John McKelvey and Margaret Owens

1. John McKelvey, born at County Cork, Ireland. He married Margaret (Owens) McKelvey, born at County Cork, Ireland.


Not much is known about John McKelvey and Margaret Owens. When his son James Edward was born he was stationed with the Army in Cork. The main area of the McKelveys today is in Northern Ireland and it is believed that John may have come from Belfast but there is no proof of this.
Second Generation

Generation 2

11. James Edward McKelvey (John1), born 1 Jun 1839 at County Cork, Ireland; died 25 Jan 1896 at Melville St, Dunedin, New Zealand; buried 26 Jan 1896 at Northern Cem., Dunedin, New Zealand. He married on 28 Apr 1863 at Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, Bridget Mary (Devery) McKelvey, born abt. 1842 at Clanloyne, Ireland; died 15 May 1926 at 21 Braemar St, South Dunedin, Dunedin, New Zealand, daughter of Patrick Devery and Bridget (Classey) Devery.

James was born in Cork in 1839. It is surmised that his father John was probably stationed at Buttevant north of Cork City but there is no evidence of this. Edward joined 40th regiment of Foot 2 (2nd Sommersetshire Regiment) May 1854. (Ireland Regimental No. 3353). and arrived at Hobart Depot in July 1859. Left Hobart 13 August 1863 for Auckland on "Isabella" and arriving 3 September 1863. Fought in Land Wars. Spent Jan 1864-May 1866 in Te Awamutu where he was discharged on 15 May 1866 with the rank of Drummer and returned to Tasmania. He was awarded the New Zealand War Medal. He subsequent occupation was in the police (Commissioner of Police Swansea Tasmania). He returned to Dunedin New Zealand before 1874 and was initially in the Armed Constabulary. On discharge he went into business as a Commission and Inquiry Agent in the firm McKelvey and Johnson (and later as McKelvey and Fisher) in Dunedin which operated, up to his in 1896

Bridgets place of birth is given as Clanloyne (Cloyne?) Ireland although the Cemetery records list it as County Ireland. Bridgets parents emigrated to Tasmania and died there last century, Patrick in 1893 and Bridget (nee Classey) in 1877. Bridgets unmarried sister Margaret lived with the family until her at Careys Bay at 49 years of age. Bridget was living at Melville St Dunedin until James in 1896





I would be pleased to exchange information