Meet the people of the KellyGang story
I was born in Dublin Ireland in 1814 and married Catherine McNamara at Maneroo NSW in 1843. She was from Ireland also.
We lived at Moorwatha near Howlong during the time time of the KellyGang.
Our family was in many ways a typical bush family. We moved from one place to another to follow the work. See where the children were born. With a horse underneath you, you can travel anywhere. We were also prepared to do all types of bush work, shearing, cattle work, ploughing and cutting crops, clearing the country and all types of axe work, fencing etc.
But our first love, after the children, were horses. We bred them and broke them in and traded these beautiful animals and we were all good horsemen.
The Kelly boys use to come to our home and take the wheels off the cart so that they could flirt with my girls.
In October 1877 horses stolen some time before from James Whitty were found in Howlong.
My friends William Cooke was charged with stealing them and William and Gustav Baumgarten and Samuel Kennedy and I were charged with receiving the animals knowing that they had been stolen. While I knew Ned Kelly I said that I was not involved in this matter. Was I the Thompson who the police could not find? At the end of three court cases I was discharged and allowed to go free. (Argus2/5/78) (See RC8812) (Argus10/8/80)
Perhaps that result was justice because it is said that I took the rap for my son, John. He was of course younger and better able to ride for ever. There is a family tradition that within 3 to 4 weeks of my arrest about 100 beautiful horses arrived in Kyogle. Soon after this the rest of my family scattered throughout New South Wales and Queensland.
wife Catherine McNamara children Henry (b Twofold Bay 1843); James (bEden 1846); Elizabeth (b Maneroo1848 ); John (b Albury 1850); Matthew (b Bombala1852); Caroline (b Bombala1855); Catherine Mary (b Armidale 1856); Annie (b Pambula 1859)
Family of John Studders (b 1850). wife Elizabeth Young (m 1875 at Moorwatha). children John James (b Albury 1875); Catherine Mary (b Albury 1877); Elizabeth (b Wellingrove, Glen Innes 1880); Eva (b Casino 1881); William (b Kyogle 1883); Annie (b1885); Albert (b 1887); Helena (b1890); Arthur (b1892); Walter (b Casino 1895); Florence (b 1897, all at Casino )
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16-dec-11