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1832 |
Ellen was born in Ireland, County Antrim
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1841 |
The Quinn family of 10 arrived in Australia. Ellen was nine years old.
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1850 |
Ellen married Red Kelly (who was 30) despite her family's disapproval.
She signed the marriage certificate with a cross, however Red Kelly could sign his name
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1851 |
Mary Jane was born and died.
Gold was discovered.
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1853 |
Red tried his hand at gold mining in Bendigo.
Daughter Anne was born.
Ellen and Red settled in Beveridge purchasing the Big Hill probably with money earned from the diggings
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1854 |
Eureka stockade. Judge Redmond Barry tried 11 of the 13 rebel miners.
Ned was born. Father Charles O'Hea officiated at the christening
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1856 |
Maggie was born
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1857 |
Red's family arrived from Ireland. Several married Quins and Lloyds, taking the clan up to 55 over the next few years
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1857 |
After the Potato Famine, masses of Irish people emigrated to Australia, America and other countries. The newcomers from Ireland brought the latest political news and gossip from Ireland.
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1858 |
Red purchased a acre block still in the Beveridge area.
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1859 |
Red paid £70 for 21 acres same area. He built a home.
James was born
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1861 |
Daniel was born
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1862 |
Ellen's brother Jimmy Quinn was regularly in trouble with police, and Red's brother James was given three years hard labour for horse stealing. The clan's reputation became one of horse thieves and cattle duffers
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1862 |
The children attended school
Duffy introduced the Land Act (sometimes described as a well intended fiasco). The government declared ten million acres as agricultural land for selection ( between 40 and 640 acres could be seleted at 1 an acre)
Squatter practices of peacocking and dummying resulted in poorest land left for selection.
Selections were seldom above 100acres, therefore the infertility of the land and amount of clearing needed, made many selections unproductive.
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1863 |
Catherine (Kate) was born
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1864 |
Red sold up and moved the family to Avenel.
The children attended school.
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1865 |
Ned passed reading and writing.
Red was arrested for having stolen meat and a cow hide with the brand cut out- a forbidden practice. He was sentenced to 6 months hard labour.
Grace was born.
Aged 10 Ned saved Dick Shelton from drowning and was rewarded by the Shelton family with the green sash.
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1866 |
Red died from edema dropsy',
From the age of eleven Ned helped Ellen to support the family.
Ellen ended up in court after a public fight with sister in law, Anne Kelly
Ellen packed her possessions onto a cart leaving Avenel to join her own family at Eleven Mile Creek, near Greta, near the Warby ranges.
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1868 |
Uncle James Kelly burned to the ground the hotel the sisters and families were living in.
James Kelly was sentenced to death by Redmond Barry - however it was commuted to 15 years.
Ellen, left with nothing moved to Wangaratta to earn money.
Ned stayed at Greta, collecting a flock of sheep and some horses
Taking advantage of the new Land Act, Ellen selected 88 acres on Eleven Mile Creek near Bald Hill.
(see Duffy Land Act)
With the very young Ned helping to support the family by chopping and selling wood, and growing' his herd of animals, Ellen survived on her selection by selling sly grog' to passers by.
In the following years Ned aligned himself with bushranger Harry Power.
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1869 |
Annie married Alex Gunn, Annie's first baby died.
Ellen was granted a seven year lease.
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1870 |
Ellen Frost was born, however the father William did not marry Ellen.
Ned was sentenced to spend six months in Beechworth Gaol for Violent Assault and Indecent Behaviour.
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1871 |
Ellen took Bill Frost to court for maintenance of his child (Ellen). This act was widely reported in papers "Support of illegitimate child". Ellen, victorious but humiliated, was awarded 5 shillings a week for two years, and defiantly led her supporters on a number of wild gallops through the streets of Benalla ( for the greater part of three days) until they were arrested and charged with "Furious riding in a Public Place" The charges were dismissed on a technicality
Ned was jailed ( somewhat unfairly it would seem) for for three years for Receiving a Stolen Horse from Wild Wright
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1872 |
Baby Ellen (Frost) died of gastroenteritis
Annie died after giving birth to a daughter. Ellen raised Annie's baby Anna as her own, but the baby died of diptheria aged 15 months.
(The father of Annie's second baby was policeman Ernest Flood, who abandoned her. Annie's husband was in gaol.)
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1873 |
George King appeared on the scene
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1874 |
Ned was released having spent time in the Old Melbourne Gaol and on the Prison Hulk Sacramento, anchored off Williamstown. He learned stone masonry skills while involved in works at Williamstown.
Ellen married George King (a Californian not much older than Ned himself) with Ned as witness.
Baby Ellen King was born. Ellen was 41.
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1878 |
Alice King is born. (This is the newborn baby that accompanies Ellen to jail).
April:- The Fitzpatrick incident takes place at the Kelly home. Constable Fitzpatrick was injured' while trying to arrest Dan Kelly. Ellen was arrested along with son in law Bill Skillion and neighbour Brickie Williamson.
Oct Mrs Kelly, with her baby, was sentenced to three years imprisonment.
Ellen Kelly remained in prison, first Beechworth, then the Old Melbourne Gaol for the entire time of the Kelly outbreak. She had no first hand knowledge of the Stringybark Creek incident in which three policemen were killed by the Kelly gang, nor of the bank robberies at Euroa and Jerilderie, nor of the planned siege of Glenrowan
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1880 |
1880 - June 28th Ned Kelly's last stand - Glenrowan. Ellen's son Daniel died in the blaze and Ned was seriously injured.
Nov 11th Ned was hung in the Old Melbourne Gaol with Father O'Hea attending giving Ned's final blessing. Ellen was in the same jail at the same time, and on the day of the execution of her son, she elected to work in the prison laundry.
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1881 |
1881 February. Ellen was released from prison.
25th April- The situation around Greta and Glenrowan was reported as very tense. Police suspected another uprising- saw blades and metal had been stolen and the belief was that Kelly sympathisers were making new armour and threatening revenge.
May 7 -A Royal Commission into the conduct of the police was held, and the Commissioners rode to Ellen's door to hear her side of the story. Young Grace spoke of the indignities and cruelties inflicted on the defenceless youngsters while their mother was imprisoned.
Constable Robert Graham approached Father Thomas Egan and they visited Mrs Kelly at Greta to plead for help to prevent further tragedy.
Weeks later Jim and Mrs Kelly met and had tea with Constable Graham. They also appeared at the races, spending the whole afternoon together in public, effectively quelling sympathisers grumblings
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1896 |
Maggie died from rheumatic fever ( She had 10 children by Tom Lloyd)
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1898 |
Kate drowned in a lagoon of the Lachlan River. Jim collected Kate's surviving children: Fred, Gertrude and Maude, and they were raised by Ellen and Jim
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1923 |
Ellen King nee Kelly nee Quinn died (aged about 91)
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