3. James Kelso (Joseph , James ) was born 16 Jan 1788 in , Cumberland, Pennsylvania. He died 1 Feb 1867 in Elklick, Somerset, Pa.
Name Suffix:
Sr
Ltr from Sanuel S. Kelso to Isaac C. Kelso - Jun 10 1901
"Toward the closing years of the 18th century, there lived in the southwest border of Huntingdon County, Penn and near the Bedford County line, a family composed of Sarah and Joseph Kelso, parents and 2 children named Isaac and Mary ages 2 and 4 years respectively. On Jan 16 1788 another heir and son were born to these parents whom they in due time, named James for and in honor of this grandfather, James Kelso - who had immigrated from Scotland to America just 30 years before the birth of this grandson....Through-out the educational means at command, James was enabled to read, write and have fair knowledge and partial mastery of the branches of geography, arithmetic and grammar....Even as uncertainas the subscription schools, were: James, in his 13th year was denied any burther benefits from the, for several years to come.
His father, by the loss of his store by fire, and other losses, was compelled to sell his memaining property and seek a new home. The new home was found and located some 40 miles northand west of the former home, and in a dense wilderness at the southern base ofthe Allegheny mountains. Here, in his parent's new home, James was intorducedto all the hardships and laborious toil incident to frontier life. He assistedhis father in clearing and preparing the ground for the plow and crop. Thus from year to year his labor and services were given, that comfort and ample livelihood could be assured to this father's family. In addition....James was required to watch the crops and the stock from the depredation of the wild and ferocious animals...On one of these occasions when James and his younger brothers were acting as guard for the rop of corn at night, he shot and killed a mommouthbear, which had been the terror of the farmers for 21 years. Young James withnone of the power or strength of a David or a Sampson, yet he succeeded in slaying this animal of 1600 pounds which had baffled expert hunters for years to give him a fatal shot. After his father's removal to his new home 4 1/2 miles northwest of Bells Mills, two short terms of school had to complete his education as far a scholastic training permitted. And thus indifferently and poorly equiped, he entered manhood and the duties of life with a resolution and prupose,that largely overcame his defect and deficiency in an elementary education"
James married Susannah David Hardman on 1812. Susannah was born 1791.
They had the following children:
+ 16 M i Jacob Kelso 17 M ii James Kelso 18 M iii Ephraim Kelso 19 F iv Mary Kelso died before 1866. Mary married William McClain. 20 M v Daniel Kelso 21 M vi John Kelso 22 M vii Samuel Kelso 23 F viii Rebecca Kelso died 31 Oct 1889. Rebecca married David Provance. 24 M ix Joseph Kelso 25 M x Jonathan Kelso was born about 1824. He died 7 Dec 1906.
Jonathan died at 82yrs. 10 mths, 27 days26 M xi Solomon Kelso 27 M xii David Kelso 28 F xiii Hannah Kelso 29 M xiv Emanuel Kelso