Carefully Controlled Gaol Visitors for Ned Kelly [Sharon Hollingsworth]

It seems that the authorities did not wish for any of Ned Kelly's family or friends to visit him while he was in gaol after the Siege of Glenrowan. At least gaol governor John Castieau was compassionate enough to let Ellen Kelly (who was also incarcerated in the Old Melbourne Gaol) visit her son when he was first brought in and she was promised a further visit in future.

Ned's sisters, Maggie Skillion and Kate Kelly, and his brother James Kelly and assorted friends tried to see him early on but were refused admission. It was reported that Maggie had "argued and wept" during the interview with the Chief Secretary as she pleaded with him to be allowed to visit her brother. There were rumours that that the authorities feared poison being brought in to him [see http://elevenmilecreek.blogspot.com/2011/04/ned-kelly-and-poison-pen-letters-sharon.html] or that Ned would tell Maggie where some stolen loot was buried, but the Chief Secretary, Mr. Ramsay, was adamantly opposed to any visitors and said that he "considers it improper that Kelly should be disturbed and pestered on the one hand, or on the other that he should be at liberty to circulate lying stories, which find their way into print." Dr. Charles Ryan, who had been attending to Ned Kelly's wounds was quoted as saying that "such visits are likely to retard the recovery of his patient."  It was said that at a certain point that there had been 100 requests to visit Ned Kelly put in to Mr. Ramsay!

Police, gaol and government officials, as well as clergy, were allowed to see him, though.  Argus reporter Joe Melvin who had been at the Glenrowan siege was said to have befriended Ned and visited him in gaol, too. Among the clergy were Dr. John Singleton (a Protestant evangelist) who made quite an impression on Ned, but he was eventually told not to return by gaol Governor John Castieau, as, allegedly, the Roman Catholic clergymen had objected. The Catholic Chaplain of the Gaol was Dean Donaghy and he visited as did Father Charles O'Hea. Other priests were allowed in, but Mother Ursula Frayne and the Sisters of Mercy (who were allegedly asked to come by Ned to give him "religious instruction") were not allowed admittance. John Cowley Coles, a Protestant clergyman wrote in his book how he had been to see Ned Kelly in gaol in the days before the execution.

Mr. Ramsay's pronouncement of no visitors for Ned prompted the Sheriff of the Beechworth Gaol, W.G. Brett, to send him a telegram inquiring "Does your order prohibit the Roman Catholic Chaplain and Medical Officer of the gaol from seeing Edward Kelly?" To which Mr. Ramsay replied: "Certainly not - they may be permitted to see Kelly." However, it seems that someone else got in to see him while there, too..a little girl. According to the book  "Ned Kelly's Last Days" while Ned Kelly was in the Beechworth Gaol for his committal hearing, Mr. Foster, the Police Magistrate, took his 8 year old daughter to the cells to see Ned. Ned allegedly told her that "I'll get your father when I get out of here." Her older sister, aged 10,  said that Ned has spat at her and her sister when he was at the train station.

The widow of Sgt. Michael Kennedy begged permission to see Ned at the Old Melbourne Gaol to find out for herself what transpired during her husband's dying moments, but was denied admittance.

Who was admitted from the public, though, was Charlie Cox, publican of the Royal Mail Hotel in Jerilderie where the Kelly Gang had held prisoners during the raid on the town. A newspaper stated that "in the course of conversation Kelly admitted that the murder of Aaron Sherritt was against his wishes and also gave Mr. Cox other information of a valuable nature."

Ned wrote (actually, he dictated) a letter to the Chief Secretary from the Old Melbourne Gaol dated July 19, 1880. In it he said:

"I beg most respectfully to request to request your permission to send for my sister Mrs. Skillion to visit me at hospital of the above gaol to enable me to confer with her respecting the provision of a solicitor to prepare my defense at my upcoming trial and likewise for her to procure me the necessary clothing to appear there at. I would also ask you to allow me to see my mother. I have only seen her once."

Once again, Maggie was not allowed to visit him, nor to bring or purchase clothing for him.

Even Ned Kelly's legal counsel was only allowed in to see him twice a week. During the committal hearing in Beechworth his lawyer Mr. Gaunson petitioned the court for the no visitors rule to be lifted, but to no avail.

On August 7, 1880, Ned Kelly related to the newspaper (via Mr. Gaunson) that:

"I have been kept here like a wild beast. If they were afraid to let anyone come near me, they might have kept at a distance and watched; but it seems to me to be unjust, when I am on trial for my life, to refuse those I put confidence in to come within cooee of me. Why they won't so much as let me have a change of clothes brought in!"

While in the Beechworth courthouse, Maggie was able to briefly speak with her brother. A newspaper noted that:

"Before Kelly could be removed from the dock Mrs. Skillion and Tom Lloyd stepped forward and shook hands with him. He remarked to Mrs. Skillion, "It looks as if they won't let me see you—good bye." Mrs.   Skillion replied, "Never mind Ned, they are a lot of curs," to which the prisoner rejoined, "There's one native that's no cur, and he will show them that yet."

Several newspapers in mid-October 1880 stated that "recently" Maggie Skillion and Kate Kelly had been allowed in to visit Ned (I suppose this would be between the Beechworth and Melbourne trials). Another said that Maggie and Ellen had visited him.

There is some discrepancy regarding that report, though.

Oddly, from what I read from other sources it seemed to indicate that Maggie was not allowed in until after the guilty verdict at the Melbourne trial (held Oct 28/29) was read. Some sources say that Maggie was only allowed to visit Ned after several months of waiting. The new Chief Secretary, Graham Berry, who had replaced Ramsay (due to an election), finally decided to grant permission. The papers said of those visiting the gaol after the no visitors ban was lifted, that "the party consisted of three young men - named McAuliffe, Ryan, and Lloyd, together with Miss McAuliffe, Miss Kate Lloyd, and Mrs. Skillion, the prisoner's sister."

So, I am not sure if both visits took place or just the one after the verdict (it is like so many other things in the Kelly world in that respect that remain in dispute).

Eventually James Kelly was allowed to visit also. Wild Wright, along with William Gaunson (who had been active in the campaign for a reprieve for Ned), both sought admittance but were denied, even though Ned had requested to see William Gaunson.

On the day before Ned was executed Maggie had gone home to be with the children (but she did visit him the last time on the 9th along with "Quinn, an uncle"), but Kate Kelly, Grace Kelly, James Kelly,  Kate Lloyd,  and Tom Lloyd were all allowed to say their goodbyes through an iron grille. Ellen also was able to see her son for the last time telling him "Mind ye die like a Kelly."

There were other visitors that Ned had that were not family or friends or there in an official capacity.

I had previously done a blog post about Sir Douglas Shields, son of Dr. Andrew Shields, the gaol doctor, being taken in to see Ned Kelly when he was 4 years old. See  http://elevenmilecreek.blogspot.com/2011/06/what-do-fred-astaire-peter-pan-and-don.html for that post. But it seems that Douglas Shields was not the only juvenile who had gotten to see Ned in gaol.

I mentioned earlier about the daughter of Magistrate Foster getting in to see him and then there was John Castieau's son Godfrey (age 13) who was taken to see Ned at the OMG and he was treated kindly by the bushranger. Under the stage name of Godfrey Cass he portrayed Ned in a few films in the early 20th century.

Then there was this bit about a visitor in the newspaper...

The Mansfield Guardian writes - the editor of this paper, with a view to solving the mystery in connection with the celebrated case of the shooting at Edward Monk, near the Wombat, telegraphed to a gentleman in Melbourne as follows - "Go and see Ned Kelly, and ask him 'Did you, or any of your mates shoot at, or endeavour to kill, Edward Monk of the Wombat sawmills.' The following reply has been received - "Melbourne 3rd July, 1880. This is the earliest opportunity I have of replying to you. Ned Kelly makes this statement to me, and I believe it: "Monk was never shot at by me, or any of the others who were with me. In fact Monk and I were good friends though I had not seen him for many years. None of us ever had any reason whatsoever that I know of to do so."
How, in the face of Mr. Ramsay's refusal to grant permits to see Kelly in gaol, "the gentleman
in Melbourne" was enabled to communicate with Ned Kelly is not stated.

How, indeed? It would seem that the "gentleman in Melbourne" was one of the special few who was able to get a visitor's permit. What capacity he served in is unknown, but what is known is that anyone (other than his mother) who was near and dear to Ned Kelly was shut out!