The story of the farm called Brighton began almost 300 years ago during a time of conflict between Native American tribes and encroaching English landowners. The English had arrived in Virginia armed with land grants from the British crown, along with dreams of settling along the fertile rivers of the Tidewater region. It was also a time when families came to the colonies searching for independence and the freedom to live in peace and prosperity.
While the original landowners of Brighton remain a mystery, Karen Kelly presents the stories of the families who lived there, based on tax records, land deeds and scraps of burned records recovered from several devastating fires at the King William, Virginia courthouse. Many of the family names-Byrd, Hill, Douglas, Pendleton, Haynes, Walker, Taylor-are well known in Virginia. In 1952, a young doctor, Claude Kelso Kelly, purchased the historic property known as Brighton. Though tragedy and heartbreak would shorten his time at Brighton, the Kelly family continues to maintain his vision for 'A Place Called Brighton.'
Author Biography:
Karen Leigh Kelly, an educational consultant, divides her time between homes in New Mexico and Greece. She is one of four surviving siblings who share vivid memories of growing up at Brighton. Born in 1955, Karen lived on Brighton farm in King William County, Virginia, with her parents, Claude and Nettie, and her Irish twin brother, Claude, Jr. (Kelso), who is ten months older. A sister, Paula, followed in 1956, and twins, Earl and David, in 1961. Karen's love of her Virginia home, Brighton, has deepened over the years, even as she moved to Colorado to attend college. In 1995, she earned a doctoral degree at the University of Denver and enjoyed many years as a university professor. In 1999 she received a Fulbright Scholar appointment to Cyprus to develop educational programs. From 2004 to 2019 she served as contributing faculty for Walden University while also advising state and international educational organizations, including the Department of Education in Colorado; the Supreme Education Council in Qatar; the Aga Khan Development Foundation, based in France; the World Bank, based in Washington, DC; and the Early Childhood Authority in the UAE. She and her husband, Jock, live near the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where they enjoy hiking the extensive network of BLM trails. As often as possible, they visit their extended family in Virginia, as well as their five adult children and spouses, and seven grandchildren who live in Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, and North Dakota.
