We will never know for sure who helped Ned and the boys make the armour, but there are sure a lot of people around claiming to be descended from those who assisted.
In 2003 the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation tested Joe's armour, trying to both authenticate it and learn something about its manufacture. The armour was 'bombarded with neutrons in a nuclear reactor' - no, I don't know how to do that either - and the analysis indicated that it was made of metal consistent with what was available in the 1880s. I know, most people would not need a nuclear reactor to work out that one, but at least we know now exactly what it is that ANSTO does.
What the experts were really interested in was if the metal had been heated to yellow hot (around 1000 degrees Centigrade) in the way that a professional blacksmith would have been able to do, or just plain old cherry hot (around 750 degrees Centigrade) like you would get in a bush forge. Well, yes. The object of the exercise was to see if the boys had expert help. Anyway, X-rays showed that the armour only made it to cherry red, and that the heating was a bit patchy in spots as well. All of which indicates, from what the scientists think, at least, that the armour was the work of amateurs (damned hard to get a professional armour maker in 19th century Victoria, I suppose) and not skilled craftsmen. And that was Joe's armour, too, that they looked at, folks, said by no less than Ian Jones, to be the best made of the lot.
WELCOME TO ELEVEN MILE CREEK. Thanks for visiting us. We hope to use this blog to bring news, views, nuggets and musings, some serious, some lighthearted, but all to do with all things associated with Ned Kelly.
Interesting tidbits there, Brian. Remember that Joseph Ashmead said: "At the time of the capture of Ned Kelly at Glenrowan I had the novel experience of trying on the armour and I saw distinctly the stain of sap from a green tree. This proved it had been made in the bush, and turned into shape on logs cut for the purpose."
ReplyDelete(Just had a good "Is that sap on your armour?" joke flash through my head!)
I know that Dave White and I both have criticized Ashmead's manuscript in the past as not being (as Ian Jones terms it) "a reliable source of family lore." However, I suppose Ashmead might get some things right (but oh, so many of his facts do not check out)..then, again, a stopped clock is right twice a day!
Too right about every one wanting to be able to say they are descendant of someone who forged the armour. Pretty hard to disprove I guess. I have spent a lot of time on this subject and am amazed when people even today come to claim that they too had a blacksmith in the family who made the armour. Once again it is hard to disprove, especially since we cannot prove the surnames of who actually did. Now I know you will get those who claim they are 100% sure because family folk lore says so, sorry but that is not proof at all. What if I told you my great grandfather was a blacksmith and he was involved? could you prove me wrong?
ReplyDeleteDave (White), thanks for stopping by and commenting. I agree that everyone can get away with claiming their ancestors helped forge the armour as there is no real concrete proof. Just like how many claim their great-grandmother danced the Lindy, the Charleston, the Jitterbug AND the Watusi with Ned (ok, maybe was the waltz, a jig or a quadrille?) with no proof except oral history. If it makes them feel good about themselves to think that their antecedents had a small role in shaping history or had rubbed shoulders with or shared face time with men of note, good on 'em! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd is like how you meet (well you would if you lived here) numerous
ReplyDeletepeople claiming that they are a descendent of Ned Kelly or Steve Hart.
The last time I checked neither had any offspring. It is one thing to
say you are a descendant of say Ned's sister but not a direct line down
from the man himself. Funny too how these people tell all that will
listen that they are related to Ned Kelly, then when they realise you
were not born yesterday claim 'well that is what my uncle told me, could
be wrong I guess' . Also of interest is how no one seems to want to say
that they are descendants of either Dan Kelly or even the likeable Joe
Byrne. Dave White (bailup)