David was the second of four children of John Jelley, boring inspector, and Mrs. Elizabeth Stevenson Jelley who migrated to South Australia from Scotland around 1879, living initially in Wallaroo, then Port Adelaide, finally settling around 1884 at Stanley Street, Woodville. David was born in America during a visit by his parents, who returned to their native Scotland shortly after. They emigrated to South Australia around 1879 and David attended LeFevre's Peninsula and Port Adelaide State Schools for two years, and the Goodwood State School for five years. At the age of 13 the family moved to Woodville. David served an apprenticeship as ironmoulder with R. Lindsay at Port Adelaide, worked on Government bores south-west of Oodnadatta for three years, then worked at Fulton & Co.'s foundry at Kilkenny for another three, then was for seven years at Adelaide Steamship Company's Port Adelaide workshops.
Politics
He joined the Ironmoulders' Trades Society at 20 years of age, but it wasn't until around 1899 that he became a union official. He represented that union on the Trades and Labour Council, and was elected its President for one term. He also represented the Ironmoulders' Society on the Council of the United Labour Party for four years, and for over two years was on the executive council, and was President at the time of his death. In August 1906, as the Labor nominee, he won the Central district seat on the Legislative Council made vacant by the death of Henry William Thompson. He died from internal hemorrhage which followed a bout of gastric influenza. He had only attended the short December session of Parliament, but had shown great promise as a practical legislator.
Family
John Jelley and Mrs. Elizabeth Stevenson Jelley had four children:
eldest son Hugh
second son David Jelley married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Fee on 2 December 1896, resided at Sheridan Road, Woodville North, left a widow and three children, the fourth, a daughter, was born 13 April 1907
third son James Jelley was born in Scotland in 1873, and after arriving with his parents in South Australia in 1879 attended Lefevre Peninsula, Port Adelaide and Woodville Public Schools. He served an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker and joined the SA branch of the Furniture Trade Society of Australasia. He was elected to the Legislative Council in 1912 and retired in 1933 after serving in the Gunn and second Hill ministries. He married Alice Maud Whitwell on 11 February 1902, lived at 35 Park Terrace, Eastwood. See main article
