Elizabeth Dean(e) was likely born about 1730 but may have been born several years sooner or later.  She may have been of the Old English Irish born Deanes who lived at Galway since about 1300 AD.  She could have been born in Ireland or Virginia as a Elizabeth Dean appears on the 1749 Elphin Parish Census that records many Deans in Co Roscommon.  She may have married William Kelley in Ireland or Virginia and I think it is certain hers was not a marriage in which she had a voice but was an arranged marriage as was the custom of her day. In the time she lived  daughters were often treated not that much differently than a prize cow, they were married to men who brought power and wealth to their father's family. 

Nothing is known about Elizabeth Dean but I think because Charles and Mary named the first America born granddaughter Elizabeth (Betsy) Dean Kelley that it is certain that was her name.  Because Thomas Dean, Francis Dean, and Charles Dean appears as names in her descendents I think it is certain these names originated from her family and one was the name of her father a naming custom that appears to have been not considered by previous family researchers. 

There is also another newly discovered possibility as a Thomas and Elizabeth Deane arrived by ship in Virginia in 1703 and they settled on part of 4000 Acres in Henrico Co that the governor of Virginia granted to a group of Huguenots.  It is just as possible that they had a daughter or grand daughter that was also named Elizabeth Dean and she was married to William Kelley likely in Henrico Co or Lunenburg Co but there is yet still another possibility.  If William Kelley named his first born son Thomas it is likely he did so because his father was Thomas Kelley possibly the son of Thomas and Honora Kelly who came to America in 1690 and settled in Henrico Co on the plantation of John Pleasants.  It may be that Elizabeth married William Kelley's father thus creating the family tradition story of Thomas O'Kelley and Elizabeth Dean and she was the grandmother and not the mother of Thomas, George William, Charles, Benjamin and Francis.  There was also an Elizabeth Dean of English descent born to Richard Dean and Sarah Cox of Henrico Co Virginia and she may have migrated from Henrico Co Virginia to Halifax County which borders Mecklenburg Co today and what became of her is unknown but she may have married our ancestor as she had brothers named Thomas Dean, Charles Dean, and William Dean names common in our early ancestors.  Francis Dean is the only name that is missing from her family but that name could have originated with the O'Kelleys and the Dean name was added.    I have found records for Charles Dean in Halifax County so it seems unlikely that we could have these Deans so close to what was to become Mecklenburg and they not be the family of our Elizabeth Dean.