Meet the people of the KellyGang story
I was Born in Ireland, in County Antrim. Catholics in the midst of a community
of Scottish Presbyterians.
The family migrated to Melbourne in 1841 on the ship England.
Dad got work as a porter and took up a small farm on Mooney Ponds Creek near
Brunswick. Later the family lived on a larger property at Broardmeadows.
When the family lived near Wallan Wallan James Quinn
met Red Kelly in a pub at Donnybrook.
Red and I were married in November 1850
at St Francis Catholic Church in Lonsdale St, Melbourne by Father Gerald
Ward. Patrick Kennedy and Ellen Ryan were the witnesses.
See [JJK)
In February 1851 my first child, Mary
Jane was born at Wallan. She
was baptised at Kilmore and
died soon after. Next to be born in November 1853
was Anne. She was born while Red was off gold
mining
In 1860 we moved from Beveridge
to Avenel and rented a 40 acre
farm. Avenel was a new start for us and in June 1861 Dan
Kelly was born there. A little later that year Annie, Ned
and Maggie begin school at Avenel
Common School. In 1863 Kate was born and in
August 1865 Grace while we were at Avenel.
1866 was a big year for us, my son Ned saved Richard Shelton
from drowing in the Avenel River and the year ended with the death of my husband,
Red Kelly. That happened soon after he had been
hounded by the law.
In April 1867 soon after my husband died I was fined £2 in Avenel for abusive
language and threatening behaviour after a disagreement with my sister in
law Anne Ryan. A few months later
I was back before the court charged with using abusive language against Anne's
landlord. That was the last straw for me, so I packed up the family and we
went off to Greta
In 1868 I was living in an old pub at Greta with my children. My brother in law, James Kelly was drunk when he set fire to the place. He was charged with arson and sentenced to death by Judge Barry in Beechworth.
After this I moved to Eleven
Mile Creek.
Soon after I was reported by the police to be running a sly grog shop at her
home at Eleven
Mile Creek. (RC3255)
Const Flood made the following assessment of the way our family lived,'They seemed to have a very miserable way of living, and the general impression was that what they got they did not get by honesty. They were suspected of stealing sheep from neighboring squatters. (RC12603)
Bill (William) Frost was a traveller who came to stay after my dear husband died. He had some good qualities but you had to look to find them. When I told Bill Frost that I was pregnant he decided to leave. He had been drinking heavily about this time and just could not stay around to help look after Ellen. I had her birth registered as Ellen Kelly. I would not let Bill Frost get away with it and I used Mr McDonnell, the solicitor in Benalla to take out proceedings against him. I found out that my Bill was about to marry another local girl. My claim was heard before the Magistrate, Mr Butler on 17 October 1870. Bill was found to be the father and ordered to pay me 5/- shillings per week for two years and £7 2/- shillings in costs. Bill was also ordered to put up 2 securities of £20 each to make sure that I got paid. I am sure that he never thought that I would take him to court
Jane Graham and I were charged with stealing a saddle at Winton (Ensign8/11/1872)
We got off the charge (Ensign15/11/1872) (Ensign22/11/1872)
I was prosecuted for being drunk and assaulting Mrs Clancy of the Stat Hotel in Wangaratta (Ensign22/11/1872)
Were we sued by James Dixon for debt as pay back (Ensign7/3/1873)
Married George King
I married George King on 19/2/1874
in Benalla. We were married by Rev William Gould of the Primative Methodist
Church
In January 1876 there was a strange
incident. A warrant was issued in Oxley
for Ned for horse stealing of a chestnut mare and foal. The horses were owned
by Ned's uncle John Quinn. Later Michael
Woodward was arrested for the same offence. He had been working as a farm
help for Mrs Kelly.
In 1877 while Ned was 'working' with his uncles and having problems with Whitty, police including Assistant Commissioner Nicolson started visiting Mrs Kelly's looking for Ned. This is his description of Mrs Kelly's home:
'I visited the notorious Mrs Kelly's on the road from hence to Benalla. She lived on a piece of cleared and partly cultivated land on the road-side, in an old wooden hut, with a large bark roof. The dwelling was divided into five apartments by partitions of blanketing, rags, &c. There were no men in the house, only children and two girls of about fourteen years of age, said to be her daughters. They all appeared to be existing in poverty and squalor.' (RC1024)
By late 1877 the police persecution of all my friends was out of control. My husband poor George King had to take himself off to save himself. I was pregnant with his dear daughter Alice
Const Fitzpatrick came to the Kelly
home at .. to arrest Dan Kelly. After talking
to Kate and I for some time Dan arrived back home and asked Const Fitzpatrick
if he could have dinner before they left home. It is suggested by some writers
that during this time there may have been some disturbance, perhaps Fitzpatrick
had made some advances towards Kate. There
is also a suggestion that Mrs Kelly used a shovel. See also (RC12822)
While Ned Kelly denied being at home it is suggested by most authorities that
he came in at about this time and fired a revolver at Fitzpatrick and hit
him in the wrist. Soon after Fitzpatrick left and reported that he had been
shot by the Kellys.
See also (Argus22/4/78) [JJK) and (CHC)
Apart from Dan and Ned and their younger brothers
and sister and I, Brckey Williamson,
the next door neighbour was present. Fitzpatrick also said that my Maggie's
husband Bill Skillion, was present.
Some writers suggest that Bill had been mistaken for Joe
Byrne. The KellyGang
set out my side of these events in the Cameron letter.
Sgt Steele and Const Strahan arrested me with my baby Alice on the morning of 17/4/1881. Jimmy Quinn was with me. (RC8821)(Argus18/4/78)
I was taken from my beloved home. My selection, which I had had for about 5 years was mortgaged to the Land Credit Bank. (Argus16/10/80) (Argus19/10/80)
My daughter and I were taken to Benalla
on the 17th. From there we were taken to Beechworth
Goal then back to Benalla for their committal on 17 May.[ 25/4/1878
??? I was in Court in Benalla on charge of aiding and abetting Ned Kelly.]
On 9 October 1878, with Sir Redmond
Barry as the judge, Skillion, Williamson and I were found guilty of attempted
murder and on 12/10/1878, I was sentenced to 3 years and Skillion and Williamson
6 years hard labour. I was 46. (RCApp10)
(Argus14/10/78) (Argus30/10/78) (Argus10/8/80)
Const McIntrye saw Const Fitzpatrick
give his evidence. (Age9/8/1880)
Soon after the trial I was moved to the Melbourne Gaol and stayed there through the rest of the troubles
Ned Kelly expressed his feelings about all of
this in the Cameron Letter.
My son said:
' .. This sort of cruelty and disgraceful conduct to my brothers and sisters
who had no protection coupled with the conviction of my Mother and those innocent
men certainly made my blood boil as I don't think there is a man born could
have the patience to suffer what I did....'
Mr Wyatt thinks that Wild Wright and one of the Quinns could have assisted the police at about this time; offering to bring the KellyGang in if the Government would liberate me. (RC2265)
Maggie went to see me in Pentridge. She took her youngest sister home. (Argus3/6/79)
Life in the old Melbourne Gaol was no fun. I was away from my children and the only news I got was that the boys were having fun going from bad to worse. My poor girls had to struggle on by themselves with the world against them.
After a time I Maggie came down to Pentridge and took dear Alice home. Gaol was no place for a little girl. (Alexandra7/6/1879)
As for this place; the constant druggery of the wash room was one of my few consolations
Rev Aylward from the cathedral came to see me with the dreadful news of Glenrowan. For one moment please stop and imagine how a mother must feel when she hears that her son Dan was dead, that Ned was in the hands of the law in prison in this terrible place, that their brave friends Joe Byrne and Steve Hart are also dead and that all is lost (Argus30/6/80)
The news that dear Ned was in a cell just a few feet away in the men's part of this Gaol was almost intolerable. They had shot at him and just managed to keep him alive for their pleasure. It did not help that I had dreamt that the police would win the battle at Glenrowan. I was taken to see Ned. (Herald30/6/80) (OMA1/7/80)
Some time later Mr Castieau,
the Governor of the Gaol let me see Ned for half an hour. (MDTel1/7/80)
This was before
they took my dear Ned up to Beechworth for the beginning of his committal
hearing.
Hear what they tried to do to my home while I was in Gaol. The Judge called it justice. (Age16/10/1880)
I visited my son, Ned Kelly, the day before they killed him (Age11/11/80)
The Royal Commissioners came to my place and saw me. What did I look like and what did I have to say. (Argus16/5/81)
Hannah Barnett used to visit me and we would have a cup of tea and a gossip. We were both Irish. Hannah had been married to Christian Asquith when he was a stockman on Hedi and later she married John Barnett who had a farm down Thirteen Mile Creek, near Hansonville.
In 1911 the jounalist BW Cookson visited me. He described me and my home. (BWC) He also refered to my grandchildren. I was looking after a number of them, particularly Kate's at the time. By then Maggie and Kate had died. (BWC) (BWC)
| Ellen Quinn b1832 d1923 m1850(1) John (Red) KELLY b d 1865 |
Bill Frost |
m19/2/1874 George King |
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| Mary Jane Kelly b1851 died in infancy |
Anne Kelly b1853 d1872 m1869 Alexander GUNN b1841 d 1925 |
Edward (Ned) Kelly b1854 d11/11/1880 |
Margaret (Maggie) Kelly b1857 d1896 m (1)William Skillion b d (2)Thom Lloyd b d |
James Kelly b1859 d1946 |
Dan Kelly b1861 d28/6/1880 |
Kate b1863 d1898 m25 Nov 1888 William Henry "Harry or Bricky" Foster b d |
Grace b1865 d1940 m Edward Griffiths b d |
Ellen Frost b1871 d1872 |
Ellen |
John King b 1875 d? m1905 Violante Annie Victoria Knight b1883 |
Alice King b1878 d1963 m Walter Henry Knight b1876 d1957 |
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7children | |||||||||||||
| Ellen Skillion b d |
James Skillion b d |
Edward John (Ned) Lloyd b1879 d |
Anne Lloyd b1882 d m Russell Cook |
Catherine Lloyd b1883 d |
John Lloyd b1885 died in infancy |
Thomas Lloyd b1886 died in infancy |
Mary Lloyd b1887 d m ? |
Maude Lloyd b1888 d m ? |
Lilian Lloyd b1890 d m A Hayes b d |
Rosaline Lloyd b1891 d m ? b d |
Mildred Lloyd b1892 d m ? b d |
Albert Lloyd b d |
Frederick Foster b 89 |
Gertrude Foster b 90 |
Arthur Foster b 91 |
Ethel Foster b 95 |
Ruby Foster b 97 |
Catherine Foster b 98 |
Sarah Ann 'Ellen' Griffiths b 90 d |
Amelia Griffiths b 96 d |
Michael 'Les' Griffiths b 99 d |
John 'Black Jack' Griffiths b 1900 d |
Peter Griffiths b 03 d |
Patrick Griffiths b 07 d |
Joseph Griffiths b d |
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