John Kellet

John Kellet is listed in the 1871 Census as a 23 year-old Irish born baker. His young wife had just given birth in February to a baby girl. He may thereafter have moved to Lindsay as he appears to have moved to Fenelon Falls from Lindsay in the spring of 1877. In March 1877 John Elliot opened a new bakery and confectionery establishment with “John Kellet of Lindsay” acting as baker [CP 30 March 1877; 3]. Kellet worked as a baker for other store owners as well. He pulled the first batch of bread from the newly built oven in Samuel S. Johnson’s general store in May of 1883 [FFG 5 May 1883; 2].

By April 1884 Kellet appears to have set up his own small establishment for he is mentioned among those burnt out in the great fire of that year [FFG 3 May 1884; 2]. He was renting a store from William Jordan, and his uninsured losses were $100. After the fire Kellet built a small shop under Ingram’s Hall along with L. Macdonald, the watchmaker [VW 9 May 1884; 8]. There he dealt in such things as groceries, ice cream, and cooling drinks. Kellet moved into Samuel Johnson’s old stand in the Jordan Block in October 1884 [FFG 1 Nov 1884; 2], but the move did not improve his business. Kellet fades from the directories and local news after this date. 1 He is certainly not listed in the 1891 Census of the Village or Fenelon Township.