About the Kellys

Arthur Kelly, FGBS 

Arthur has been transcribing and indexing New York State source records since 1968. A graduate of Cornell University, he studied Biology and Chemistry and brings the scientist's zeal for accuracy and detail to his work in genealogy.

For 30 years, he taught high school science in Germantown, NY, the area originally known as the East Camp of the 1709 Palatine settlement of German immigrants. His interest in genealogy led him to examine the early church records of that area.

Family history researchers know that New York, unlike the New England states, has few published civil vital records. Therefore, genealogists have come to rely heavily on church records of baptisms, marriages and deaths to assemble family information.

Realizing this, Mr. Kelly decided to begin a project of organizing and publishing records to make them available for research. 

Mr. Kelly gained the confidence of local ministers so that he was allowed to work with the original records, and with his knowledge of old German Script, began the project of transcribing the records, publishing them and indexing them, according to item number.

Transcripts were made from original church records so future researchers could compare them with the Vosburgh transcripts which the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society had prepared some fifty years earlier.

He has published over 300 volumes of church, cemetery, newspaper and other records through Kinship.

 

Nancy Kelly, FGBS

Nancy has always had an interest in history and genealogy.

She was a charter member of the Rhinebeck Historical Society and the Dutchess County Genealogical Society and is currently the Rhinebeck Town Historian.

Articles she has written include: "Researching Palatines in NY State", The Palatine Immigrant, Vol. X, p.3-21. "Rhinebeck Transition at the End of the Eighteenth Century", Hudson Valley Review and Contributions to The Capital and The Columbia, quarterly publications of Kinship.

She is the author of two books, A Brief History of Rhinebeck published by the Wise Family Press in 2001 and Rhinebeck's Historic Architecture published by History Press in 2009.

Nancy has given talks at many conferences:

  • New York State Genealogical Conference, 1983
  • Eastern Ontario Genealogical Society
  • Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society
  • Central New York Genealogical Society
  • Michigan Palatines to America Society
  • National Palatines to America Society
  • Many Florida Genealogical Societies
  • Local Historical and Genealogical Societies and D.A.R. Chapters

She is a graduate of Cornell University and majored in education but currently is devoting all of her efforts to Kinship.

She manages the various publishing projects and enjoys the aspects of research and computing necessary to complete each publication. 

The Kelly's have four children; Kathleen Rozolis, Clyde A. Kelly, Clare Kelly, and Susan Fitzgerald.

Research Services

The Kelly's offer a Professional Research Service, which is available at $25 per hour. There is a $50 minimum.

You may instruct them to contact you before exceeding the minimum if you wish.

The Kelly's have a large private library of unpublished manuscripts and a great deal of indexed material which, combined with their experience in researching families may help you to solve your family history problem. The Kelly's specialize in Hudson, Mohawk and Schoharie Valley genealogical problems.

Please email kinshipny@nygbs.org with all related inquiries.