Born: 01 May 1712, Ireland or France
Entered: 11 October 1732, Bordeaux, France - Aquitaniae Province (AQUIT)
Ordained: 21 December 1745, Bordeaux, France
Final Vows: 02 February 1749
Died: 13 January 1762, Unknown
Distinguished talent - aptitude for all the sciences. Judgement and prudence beyond his years
1734-1739 Taught Grammar, Rhetoric, Humanities at Bordeaux College
1740 At La Rochelle College teaching
1743 At Bordeaux College taught Rhetoric, Humanities
1749-1761 At Poitiers teaching Rhetoric, Humanities - Talent and proficiency far above the average. Vice-Rector in 1762 at time of suppression
◆ Fr Edmund Hogan SJ “Catalogica Chronologica” :
1755 Professor of Rhetoric at Grand Collège Poitiers. He was also Vice-rector of the Seminary and of the Irish College. (cf Arrêt de la Cour du Parlement de Paris, 1763).
On 11 December 1755 he delivered an address with the view of proving that “To admit all prejudices is an excess of weakness; to reject them all is an excess of rashness” (Mercure de France, April 1756, Vil i, pp 118-120)
1762 Vice-Rector at Irish College Poitiers.
◆ Fr Francis Finegan SJ :
The fact that his name is never considered in correspondence for the Irish Mission, suggests that he was born or brought up in France of Irish parents but spoke neither English nor Irish.
1734-1736 After First Vows he was sent for Regency to Angoulême
1736-1738 He was then sent to Bordeaux for Philosophy studies, and received Minor Orders there 06 April 1737.
1738-1742 Sent to La Rochelle for further Regency
1742-1746 He was then sent to Bordeaux again for Theology where he was Ordained 1745
The next three years are a little unclear, but at the end of formation he was sent to Grand Collège Poitiers where initially he taught Rhetoric, but later Philosophy and Theology. He was still at Poitiers on the eve of the dissolution of the Society in France. With other Jesuit professors of the Grand Collège Poitiers he was accused by the Gallican and Jansenists on the faculty of Poitiers University of teaching false doctrines. On the death of Stephen Ussher the last Rector, he was briefly appointed Superior before the confiscation.
His name disappears from CATS after 01 February 1762
To judge from the estimates of his character and ability to be found in contemporary catalogi, James Kelly was a highly talented man with extraordinary intellectual ability.
◆ George Oliver Towards Illustrating the Biography of the Scotch, English and Irish Members SJ
KELLY, JAMES. I meet with him as Superior of his brethren in Ireland on the 2nd of October, 1684. He was then residing in Dublin. In the years 1697, 1698, 1699, he occurs Rector of the Seminary at Poitiers. In a letter of the 6th of April, 1714, it is stated in general terms that he had died abroad some time before, “indefcssus in Vinca laborator”.
