The Martin Kelly saga continues. We’ve gone from simple boardinghouse owner to prosperous land owner. And now, political operative? It appears so.
It all started with the mention of a divorce
First, I had no idea my Martin Kelly remarried after his first wife died 1872. After learning that he lived in Colma not San Francisco in the 1890s, it was surprised to find his second wife filing for divorce.
There was another tidbit of information on the tiny blurb that expanded my idea of who Martin Kelly was. It says he was a “well known politician of Colma”. Really? Well, that came out of nowhere!
But, it’s true. It’s him. He died soon after the divorce was filed. A year after his death, wife number two sued his estate. Thank goodness his daughter married Frederick Meincke because the less common surname allowed me to say without a doubt this is my Martin.
Margaret didn’t get that divorce finalized before Martin died, so she sued the executors of his estate, Patrick Canavan and Mary (Kelly) Meincke. After roughly 2 years of marriage, she wanted her expenses paid to the tune of $520.
Martin Kelly’s political career
I tried to find articles about his time as a politician, but I didn’t find much. The San Mateo Times Gazette was helpful.
I didn’t find any evidence he was elected to office. However, I did find evidence he worked in the background.
So, let’s see what I did find about his political career.
I found that he served on the Election Board for the Colma precinct.
And, he was a Democratic Party Delegate for Colma more than once.
Then, I found this sad little article in 1893 describing him as washed up. It doesn’t exactly sound like high praise. It calls him a political genius and ridicules his popularity all in the same sentence.
Although I can’t be certain, I believe this man who could “secure victory at polls for the man of his choice” is my ancestor.
Their were three Martin Kelly’s in politics
I want to make something clear. There were three politicians named Martin Kelly’s in the San Francisco area in the 1880s and 1890s.
One was quite popular in San Francisco, but died tragically of drowning in the Oakland Estuary in 1890, obviously not my guy.
One was a major political boss associated with a man named Phil Crimmins. They were caught up in a nasty corruption scandal in the early 1890s. He last ran for office in 1920, so definitely not my guy. Also, he was a Republican. My Martin was a Democrat.
The article sounds more like a man in his 70s who worked behind the scenes, but no longer wielded the influence he once had.
I would like to find something more definitive. I guess I could try to find this race for sheriff in 1876 and see if there are more references to Martin.
Now that I’ve established him as a political influencer, should I be looking for another marriage between 1872 and 1897 as well?
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This article written for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 5 Influencer
