There are a number of founding fathers of Everton F.C.
who played a part in building the club to its position of prominence in the
English game but when it comes to the creation of Goodison Park Benjamin Kelly
has a special place for it was his building firm which did much of the work to
create the world’s first purpose-built football stadium.
Born in Liverpool on 21st April 1854, the son of
bricklayer Richard Kelly, his early life was spent in Walton Village and 399 Rice
Lane L4. Along with his father and his brothers he grew the family business to
an extent that in May 1892 Everton’s committee agreed that much of the building
work at Mere Green Field for the new stadium to be Goodison Park would be
undertaken by Kelly Bros. contractors. Clearly the contractor performed
satisfactorily as by 1894 Benjamin Kelly was a director of the club and in 1901
he was elected as Chairman.
The business must have been of some import as they won
contracts for such major works as the new hospital on Smithdown Road.
On October 19th 1882 Benjamin Kelly married Emily
Elizabeth Clarke at St. Peter’s Church Walton.
His address at the time was 6 Helena Street L9. In 1891 they were living
at the location of the family business at 75 Rice Lane, later living at 11
Chapel Avenue L9 (1901) and Dunvant Lodge, 1 Orrell Lane L20 (1911), this house
being named after his wife’s birthplace at Dunvant, Swansea.
Benjamin Kelly died on 5th October 1918 and was buried
at Bootle Cemetery, Linacre Lane.
