John C. Shelly was born around 1806 in Pennsylvania. He married a woman named Catherine, and they had at least five children: Mary, born around 1832; Elizabeth, born around 1836; Joseph, born around 1841; John, born around 1844; Catherine, born around 1848. They lived in Richland, Pennsylvania, and Shelly worked as a shoemaker. By 1850, he owned $800 of real estate. A decade later, he owned $1,200 of real estate and $300 of personal property. He died sometime after 1862.