John Kelly (scholar) facts for kids

John Kelly (1750 – 12 November 1809) was a very important scholar and church leader from the Isle of Man. He is best known for his amazing work in translating the Bible into the Manx language. He also wrote important books about Manx grammar and created a dictionary. His efforts helped to save and understand the Manx language better.

John Kelly's Early Life and Learning

John Kelly was born in Douglas, on the Isle of Man, in 1750. He was the only son of William Kelly, who was a wine cooper and a farmer, and his wife Alice Kewley.

School Days and Higher Education

Young John went to the Douglas Grammar School. There, he was taught by Reverend Philip Moore. Later, he went to St John's College, Cambridge, a famous university in England. He earned a special degree called an LL.D. in 1799. This degree showed he was a very learned person. In 1776, he became a clergyman, which means he was a leader in the church. He married Louisa Dolland in 1784.

Translating the Bible into Manx

Even when he was a teenager, John Kelly started working on a huge project. He joined his former teacher, Reverend Moore, and other Manx scholars. Their goal was to translate the Bible into the Manx language. This was a very important task for the people of the Isle of Man.

Kelly's Role in the Bible Project

John Kelly helped a lot with this translation. He worked on revising parts of the Old Testament. He also helped to copy the text and oversee the printing of both the Old and New Testaments. The printing happened in a town called Whitehaven. To make printing and moving the books easier, the Bible was split into different volumes.

A Close Call: Saving the Manuscript

One day, something very dramatic happened. John Kelly was traveling by boat from Douglas to Whitehaven. He had a very important part of the Old Testament translation with him. Suddenly, the boat hit rocks and was shipwrecked! Kelly managed to save the precious manuscript. He held it above the waves for five hours until he was rescued. This shows how dedicated he was to his work.

Why the Manx Bible Was Important

The translation and printing of the Bible in Manx was a big deal. It helped to make the Manx language's spelling and writing rules more consistent. This was very important for keeping the language alive.

Manx Grammar and Dictionary Work

While working on the Bible translation, John Kelly realized something important. He found it hard to translate because there were no good grammar books or dictionaries for Manx. He said he had "nothing to aid him in his translation except for the four Gospels." This inspired him to create his own language tools.

Writing a Manx Grammar Book

His hard work led to a book called A Practical Grammar of the Ancient Gaelic or Language of the Isle of Man, usually called Manks. This book was published in 1804. It helped people understand how the Manx language worked.

Kelly's Big Dictionary Project

John Kelly's most important work was a huge dictionary. It was called A Triglot Dictionary of the Celtic Language, as spoken in Man, Scotland, and Ireland, together with the English. This dictionary aimed to connect Manx with Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic, as well as English.

Challenges with the Dictionary's Publication

Sadly, the publication of this dictionary faced a big problem during Kelly's lifetime. A fire destroyed many of the printed copies and even part of his original handwritten work. Because of this, the full dictionary was not published until much later. The Manx Society eventually prepared and updated it. They used the two parts of the manuscript that survived the fire. The dictionary was finally published in 1866.