Isn't it funny how everyone just accepts what has been written in books without a second thought? Even when primary sources are given, how many actually follow up to be sure things are correct or that the proper reading comprehension was in play? That is one thing I learned from being friends with Stuart Dawson - turn over every rock and fully examine everything. I was looking for something else in the PROV archives online and stumbled over some things that made me search further.
In "Ned Kelly : A Short Life" Ian Jones stated this -- "He [Ned Kelly] probably didn't know that Mrs. Jones had known Sergeant Kennedy "very well." Only a month before his death the sergeant had invited her to stay with his family and she kept a photo of him in her album, Her maiden name was Kennedy."
Jones cites these sources in his notes -- "Ann Jones a friend of Sgt Kennedy, Herald, 25.11.1880..has photograph of him, Jones Inquiry.."
Ok, let's look at this from a purely logical point of view. Why in the bloody hell would a man with a wife and five children invite some married woman with a passel of kids to stay with his family? Not like she was homeless or in need. She had a business to run. Surely there was no room there at the Kennedy home for that many extra folks, either. Think about it, it makes ZERO sense. Why it makes zero sense is that it was not true at all. It never happened! She did not know him very well and she was not invited. Hello!!! Go to the Herald in the date above at Trove and read what it says.
What was said there about knowing Kennedy well and being invited to his home was SAID by Detective Ward about himself, it was NOT, I repeat NOT said by Ann Jones. It seems that reading comprehension was lacking in this case.
So, there you have part of it debunked! Now, we turn to the photograph of Kennedy in her album part. I am really actually wondering if what she showed to Hugh Bracken (per the compensation inquiry) was just a postcard (were there postcards of him being sold?) or an illustration cut from the newspaper and put in her scrapbook/album. Why would she have a photograph of Kennedy? She was not friends with him nor was she related as far as we know despite having her maiden name being Kennedy. Note that it said a "likeness" of Kennedy, it did not say a photograph. It may have been, but how? I lean towards likeness meaning an illustration from the paper. That part is iffy and could go either way, but I fully own him with the knew him very well and invited to stay part.
Let this be a lesson, always question everything and do your own legwork!
