Thomas Kelly-Kenny

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Sir

Thomas Kelly-Kenny
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Vanity Fair
in 1901.

GCVO (27 February 1840 – 26 December 1914) was a British Army general who served in the Second Boer War
.

Military and political career

Thomas Kelly was born on 27 February 1840 in

St. Patrick's College, Carlow (University of London). He assumed in 1874 the additional name of Kenny, under the will of his maternal uncle, Dr. Mathias Kenny, a survivor of the Peninsular War and the Battle of Waterloo.[3]

Kelly-Kenny was appointed

Abyssinia on the outbreak of war. He was in charge of the transport train and was mentioned by Lord Napier in despatches for "zeal, energy and ability". In 1875 he graduated at the staff college, and was promoted major in 1877.[6]

Kelly-Kenny took a keen interest in affairs in his native County Clare and in 1876 he was appointed Justice of the Peace for Clare (after he inherited his estates), as were his father Matthew Kelly, his uncle Mathias Kenny and his brother Matthew Butler Kelly.[7] In 1876 the then Captain Thomas Kelly Kenny held 5,736 acres in Clare.[8] He was patron of the school at Scropul near Treanmanagh founded by his uncle Dr Mathias Kenny.[9][10] His family had a strong history of involvement in politics and local government. His mother's first cousin Richard Kenny was Vice Provost for Ennis in 1827 and also served as a grand juror.[11] Another of their first cousins, Dean John Kenny of Kilrush and Ennis, was an active figure in political and social reform in those towns. His second cousin Fr Matthew J Kenny was one of the first two presidents of the Clare Farmers' Association and a founder member of the Land League.[12] His uncle Fr Timothy Kelly was an active campaigner for famine relief as parish priest of Kilrush in the famine years. In the late 1840s his father Matthew Kelly and other Gallery and Kenny relatives were poor law guardians.[11]

In 1879, the then Major Thomas Kelly-Kenny put his name forward for the April by-election in County Clare. He was opposed by the Catholic clergy, so withdrew his candidacy and did not go to the poll. Ignatius Murphy[12] recounts in his history of Killaloe diocese (p. 225) that Bishop Ryan and his priests met in Ennis to discuss the merits of the various potential candidates and did not endorse Kelly-Kenny. The Limerick & Tipperary Vindicator reported on 11 April that the Bishop and many curates were pro-Major Kelly-Kenny as he was Catholic, locally born and a local landowner. Against him were his Liberal politics. The majority of the curates voted against him and the Limerick and Tipperary Vindicator reported: "A strong adverse expression on behalf of the Catholic curates who constitute a large majority overwhelmed the scales against Major Kelly-Kenny who notwithstanding rumour to the contrary has withdrawn". The paper goes on to quote his resignation letter and also mentions that his (Unionist) cousin Matthew Kenny solicitor of Ennis was his conducting agent.[13][14] The clergy later supported the O'Gorman Mahon as a home rule candidate. He was narrowly elected. Some of the curates' sentiments are possibly expressed by Father Matthew J Kenny in his post-election address. He expressed a wish for the downfall of the Liberal and Tory parties in Ireland and the end of Landlord Tyrannies.[13]

Cecil Stacpoole Kenny recounts that Major Kelly-Kenny's name was one of the three on the roll that went to the Lord Lieutenant for the High Sheriff of Clare in 1880 but he did not succeed. This post was by appointment. He was later appointed Deputy Lieutenant for Clare in 1901. The papers confirming his appointment are in the Irish Jesuit Archives.[10]

Kelly-Kenny was promoted lieutenant colonel on 26 July 1881,

major-general.[17]

Second Boer War

In the

6th Division of the South African field force. He was twice mentioned in despatches and received the Queen's South Africa Medal with four clasps. He was involved in the relief of Kimberley, the battles of Paardeberg, Poplar Grove and Driefontein.[18]

At the battle of Paardeberg, Kelly-Kenny had a conservative plan to besiege General Cronje and bombard his Boer force from a safe distance with superior artillery. When Lord Roberts became ill, he appointed Lieutenant-General Herbert Kitchener as commander. He overruled Kelly-Kenny and ordered an assault on the Boer trenches. The result was 'Bloody Sunday' — an unnecessary sacrifice of hundreds of lives on the British side.[19]

War Office appointment

Kelly-Kenny in conversation with a German officer during the manoeuvres of 1902.

Kelly-Kenny was a close friend of King

The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) on 16 April 1902,[26] and served as such until his death.[27]

Later life

On 21 June 1904 Kelly-Kenny was made a

Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO). Documentation on his trip is held in the Irish Jesuit Archives.[10]

Kelly-Kenny became quite well known, appearing on cigarette cards commemorating his Boer War successes. He was friendly with several members of the Royal Family, including the Prince of Wales and

Empress Eugenie on a yachting tour around Ireland in 1909.[31]

Kelly-Kenny lived largely in Britain, where his clubs were

George V visited Doolough Lodge, as Prince of Wales in 1906[33] and that George V stayed at Doolough Lodge during his visit to Ireland in July 1911.[34]

Kelly-Kenny retired from the Army in 1907.

1909 Land Purchase Act in 1909.[36]

In his Bureau of Military History Witness Statement, Seán Fitzgibbon reports that at a meeting in Dublin on 3 August 1914, the day on which Britain declared war on Germany,

Sir Thomas Myles, who the previous weekend had landed a consignment of guns for the Irish Volunteers at Kilcoole, said he had a leader for the Irish Volunteers (who should take over the defence of Ireland and re-create Grattan's Parliament) in the person of Kelly-Kenny.[37]

Cecil Stacpoole Kenny records that one of the last things he did was to visit his cousin Lieutenant Bertram Maurice Kenny in hospital, where he was seriously wounded. Kelly-Kenny was proud of the family connection with Lieutenant Kenny's father William Kenny (judge, privy councillor and Unionist MP) to whom he left £1000 in his will.[36]

Kelly-Kenny died at Hove on 26 December 1914.[38] He is buried in Hove Cemetery having left strict instructions in his will that he did not want a military funeral.[39]

The executors of his will[40] included his nephews Matthew Devitt, a Jesuit priest, and Thomas O'Gorman, of Cahircalla, to whom he left the bulk of his large estate, with some small bequests to other family members. A collection of his personal papers inherited by Fr Devitt are now in the Irish Jesuit Archives.[10]

References

  1. ^ For confirmation of his birthplace, often misreported elsewhere, see, for example, New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2, 11 January 1900, Page 4 and manifest for his trip from Liverpool to Ellis Island on the Mauretania on 23–29 January 1909: [1][permanent dead link] [2][permanent dead link] (line 13, question 29).
  2. ^ Burke, Bernard; Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1912). A genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Ireland. Harrison. pp. 368.. See also Landed Estates Database. An incorrect name is given for his father in Kelly-Kenny, General Sir Thomas, G.C.V.O., Catholics Who's Who, F. C. (Francis Cowley) Burnand.
  3. ^ See Kenny's obituary in the British Medical Journal, 10 October 1874, p.480.
  4. ^ "The Taku Forts 1860". Queen's Royal Surreys. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  5. ^ The West Australian, 28 December 1914.
  6. ^ "No. 24517". The London Gazette. 30 October 1877. p. 5921.
  7. ^ "Return for each county, city and borough in Ireland of persons holding commission of the peace". UK Government. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  8. ^ "Return: Owners of one acre and upwards, Ireland". UK Government. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  9. ^ Scropul National School 1860–2012, published by Oidhreacht an Chláir.
  10. ^ a b c d "General Sir Thomas Kelly-Kenny". Irish Jesuit Archives. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  11. ^ a b Dunboyne collection of newspaper clippings on Clare, National Library of Ireland.
  12. ^ a b The Diocese of Killaloe, 1850–1904, by Ignatius Murphy (1994).
  13. ^ a b The Clare Elections, Kieran Sheedy, 1993.
  14. ^ Limerick and Tipperary Vindicator, 11 April 1879.
  15. ^ "No. 24999". The London Gazette. 26 July 1881. p. 3680.
  16. ^ "No. 25488". The London Gazette. 7 July 1885. p. 3120.
  17. ^ "No. 26720". The London Gazette. 10 March 1896. p. 1613.
  18. ^ "'General Kelly-Kenny's Infantry creeping on the Boers at Dreifontein - on the march to Bloemfontein'". National Army Museum. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Battle of Paardeberg, 18-27 February 1900". historyofwar.org. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  20. ^ King Edward VII, a Biography, Part II, Kissinger Publishing, 2004.
  21. ^ "No. 27360". The London Gazette. 1 October 1901. p. 6400.
  22. ^ "The Coronation Honours". The Times. No. 36804. London. 26 June 1902. p. 5.
  23. ^ "No. 27448". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 June 1902. pp. 4189–4190.
  24. ^ "Court Circular". The Times. No. 36837. London. 4 August 1902. p. 4.
  25. ^ "The German maneuvers". The Times. No. 36865. London. 5 September 1902. p. 6.
  26. ^ "No. 27435". The London Gazette. 20 May 1902. p. 3324.
  27. ^ "No. 29030". The London Gazette. 5 January 1915. p. 153.
  28. ^ "No. 27688". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 June 1904. p. 4007.
  29. ^ a b The Garter Mission to Japan, Lord Redesdale, Bibliolife, 2009.
  30. ^ Correspondence in National Archives of Ireland; correspondence in the Irish Jesuit Archives; and royal diaries in Royal Archives, Windsor.
  31. ^ "An Empress in Ireland". Trove. 2 September 1909. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  32. ^ Research by The Royal Archivist has confirmed that the Prince of Wales did not visit Ireland in 1906 and did not stay with the General in Ireland between 1903 and 1906 and that the Royal Archives contain no record of a visit in 1911.
  33. ^ "Visit to Doolough Lodge". Clare Champion. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  34. ^ Houses of Clare, Hugh W.L. Weir, Ballinakella Press, Whitegate, Co. Clare, 2nd edition, 1999, p.103.
  35. ^ "No. 27994". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1907. p. 966.
  36. ^ a b "General Sir Thomas Kelly-Kenny". Clare County Library. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  37. ^ "Bureau of Military History Witness Statement" (PDF). Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  38. ^ Obituary in The Times Monday, 28 December 1914; pg. 9; Issue 40736; col C. His place of death is incorrect in the New York Times of 27 December 1914 [3]
  39. ^ The Times, Wednesday, 30 December 1914; pg. 11; Issue 40738; col F; Court Circular.
  40. ^ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1915.

Further reading

  • Houses of Clare, Hugh W.L. Weir, Ballinakella Press, Whitegate, Co. Clare, 1986. (The references to the royal visit to Doolough Lodge in this book have not been verifiable from other sources.)
  • The Boer War,
    ISBN 0-7474-0976-5
    .
  • The Great Boer War, Arthur Conan Doyle, London, Smith, Elder & Co., 1902.
  • Mitford's Japan: The Memoirs and Recollections, 1866–1906, of
    Algernon Bertram Mitford
    , the First Lord Redesdale     by Mitford, Hugh Cortazzi, Algernon Bertram Mitford.
  • Genealogies of Kenny and Lysaght, Cecil Stacpoole Kenny, manuscript National Library of Ireland

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thomas Kelly-Kenny.
Military offices
Preceded by Adjutant General
1901–1904 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Colonel of the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
1902–1914 		Succeeded by
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