Possible Upcoming Archaeological Investigations in Glenrowan?

 It seems there is the possibility of further archaeological investigations going on in Glenrowan this year. I looked around and did not see any reference to this on any other Kelly sites yet, though some may see this and will start spreading the word. We need to keep our eyes open for more information and starting dates on this venture.

 Here is what I have found so far:

From the NE Water Community News from December 2011 concerning the
Glenrowan Sewerage Scheme:

An archaeological impact assessment and management report was carried
out by DIG International and has been submitted to Heritage Victoria
in support of an application to carry out works within the Glenrowan
heritage precinct. A permit has been granted with a key requirement
being to undertake detailed archaeological investigations in certain
areas including Siege Street....

I did some searching for the permit (which was dated March 12, 2012) and it says in part:


The sewerage infrastructure works are to be in accordance with the
three models presented in Appendix B of the report Glenrowan Sewerage
Scheme – Archaeological Impact Assessment and Management Report 2011
(Dig International, July 2011). Infrastructure works and installation
are to be in accordance with details outlined in the Proposal section
of the report (pages 4-5).
3.      Detailed archaeological investigations are to be conducted, prior
to the commencement of infrastructure works, in the following areas:
immediately adjacent to the site of the Glenrowan Inn; in the vicinity
of the gravel haulers’ camp; along Siege Street between Beaconsfield
Parade and Bank Street; along Beaconsfield Parade between Siege Street
and Church Street; and in the land immediately north of the site of
McDonnell’s Hotel on Gladstone Street.
4.      All potentially significant historical archaeological features,
deposits and/or relics that are exposed are to be investigated in
detail, recorded and presented in the project report....


Also says that the permit is good for one year. If you want to read more about any of this it is all findable via google using the proper keywords.

Event Alert: Ned Kelly Interpretive Centre - Re-Scoping Study Stakeholder Briefing set for Aug. 13, 2012

Just stumbled over info for this upcoming event...

Ned Kelly Interpretive Centre - Re-Scoping Study Stakeholder Briefing

Council is providing an opportunity for the community and relevant stakeholders to hear about the recent Ned Kelly Interpretive Centre Re-Scoping Study final report from consultant, Sally Hirst (Hirst Projects).

    Monday 13th August 2012
    Glenrowan Primary School
    40 Beaconsfield Parade, Glenrowan
    From 7.00 pm

To read more or to find out how to register your attendance (must register by August 8, 2012):

http://www.wangaratta.vic.gov.au/council/news/Ned-Kelly-Interpretive-Centre-Briefing.asp

Article Alert: Wangaratta Council Backs Ned Kelly 'Theme Park'

The Border Mail of July 18 has an article entitled Wangaratta Council Backs Ned Kelly 'Theme Park.'

 It begins with:




 "An $8 million Ned Kelly Centre at Glenrowan could be financially viable within four years of opening, according to a revised plan the Wangaratta Council backed last night.


The project, first promoted a decade ago, would still rely heavily on federal and state government money to become a reality.


But the new study prepared for the council suggests the siege site could become the North-East's equivalent of Sovereign Hill at Ballarat...."



From later in the article:





"A small band of people, including a venue manager and volunteers would operate the centre seven days a week.
A cafe capable of seating 90 people would open for breakfast and lunch each day and possibly for dinner three to four nights a week.
Key attractions of the centre would be the Ann Jones Hotel, Kelly’s capture site and a railway platform...."

To read more:

http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/132118/wangaratta-council-backs-ned-kelly-theme-park/

Article Alert: Glenrowan's Ned Kelly Centre Proposal

from google alerts..

The Weekly Times of July 18, 2012 has an article called "Glenrowan's Ned Kelly Centre Proposal."

It begins with:


"The $8 million project, which includes $2 million for digital equipment to share the Kelly Gang's story, will be taken to tourism stakeholders to offer input after gaining approval from Wangaratta councillors."

 Later in the article there is this:

 ". . . there's been refinement of the centre and this concept is a series of smaller buildings keeping with the feel of the town," Ms Keith said.
She said the changes made the centre's concept move from a "museum-type building to an interactive centre".
Within the first year she said a conservative estimate was for 60,000 people to visit the centre..."


To read more: http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2012/07/18/511845_national-news.html

Event Alert: New Play "His Mother's Son: The Story of Ellen Kelly" to be performed in Beechworth Aug. 4, 2012

Earlier this year I had done a post about the then-upcoming Jerilderie Letter Event and had mentioned that there would be a Kelly play written by (and starring) Christine Middleton as part of the proceedings. Ms Middleton has just sent in a comment on that particular post, but I figured to give her a bit more promotion by also making the comment a featured posting.

Here is what she wrote:

    "Hi My name is Christine Middleton. I was commissioned by the Jerilderie Shire Council to write the story of the audacious raid on the town of Jerilderie by the Kelly Gang on February 8th 1879. I wrote, produced and performed this story as a multimedia Play titled "Ned Kelly Came By" to an enthusiastic audience in the Jerilderie Civic Centre for the Jerilderie Letter Event 2012. In this Play I took the role of Mary Devine, the wife of George Devine, Senior Constable of Police, Jerilderie. What a story it is!! I will be putting further information on this Play onto my Website shortly. www.christinemiddleton.com.au

    My journey with the Kelly Story commenced with the reading of the book "Ellen Kelly" by Dagmar Balcarek & Gary Dean" which I had purchased at the local petrol station in Jerilderie. This little book inspired me to write a Multimedia Play titled "His Mother's Son (The Story of Ellen Kelly)" which I have been touring with over the past 18 months. I will be presenting this Play at the Beechworth Ned Kelly Weekend in the Town Hall on Saturday 4th August at 10.30am. Great to have a blog to share stories and keep up to date. Well Done"

(Thank you for your comments, Christine!)

Here is the link with further information for the performance:

http://www.beechworthonline.com.au/event2/ned-kelly-weekend-beechworth-2012/?code=4397







I hope everyone who attends the Ned Kelly weekend enjoys the performance of "His Mother's Son."

While I am doing a bit of cross-pollination and promotion I might as well add some links from the Eleven Mile Creek archives since Sr. Constable George Devine and his wife Mary were made mention of as concerns an earlier Middleton play and some of our new readers might have missed these earlier postings concerning the couple.

 Back in March of 2011 I had done a post called "For Jerilderie's Constable Devine life after the Kelly Gang's visit was anything but divine!" which can be read at
http://elevenmilecreek.blogspot.com/2011/03/for-jerilderies-constable-devine-life.html

Then in April of 2011 I did a post called "Who escorted Mrs. Devine to the Jerilderie courthouse?" which can be read at http://elevenmilecreek.blogspot.com/2011/04/who-escorted-mrs-devine-to-jerilderie.html

Event Alert: Beechworth Ned Kelly Weekend - August 3rd - 5th 2012

The program for the 2012 Beechworth Ned Kelly Weekend (Friday August 3rd through Sunday August 5th) is now online.

 http://www.beechworthonline.com.au/accom_result1/ned-kelly-weekend-beechworth-2012/

Article Alert: Unions Fight for Ned Kelly's Bones

from google alerts..

There is an article in the June 27 Herald Sun called "Unions Fight for Ned Kelly's Bones."

It begins with:

"Unions are fighting for a decent burial for Ned Kelly.

They have threatened to shut down a major housing project at the former Pentridge Prison if the developer continues to demand money for the bushranger's remains.

The Victorian Trades Hall Council has warned it will stop all work at the site after developer Leigh Chiavaroli asked the State Government for $3 million in compensation to release Kelly's remains for a family burial..."

Later in the article it says:

"Former Pentridge chaplain Peter Norden welcomed the unusual pairing of the Baillieu Government and Trades Hall fighting together for Kelly's final wish..."

For more (must sign up for free pass to read):
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/unions-fight-for-ned-kellys-bones/story-fn7x8me2-1226410527643

Article Alert: Vandals Damage Kelly Gang Site

from google alerts..

The Weekly Times has an article entitled "Vandals Damage Kelly Gang Site."

It begins with:

Vandals have damaged trees and done circle work on a camping reserve, which was the site of Kelly Gang and police shoot-out....

To read more:

http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2012/06/25/500081_latest-news.html

Article Alert: Pentridge Developer Lays Claim to Ned Kelly's Remains

from google alerts..

The Herald Sun of June 23, 2012 has an article entitled "Pentridge Developer Lays Claim to Ned Kelly's Remains."

It begins with:

The developer of the former Pentridge Prison says he is the rightful owner of Ned Kelly's remains and wants compensation for the bushranger's bones.
Kelly's final burial, promised to descendants last year, has been delayed by the row...
and later in the article there is:


The remains are at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, where they were identified using DNA from a family member. After the remains were identified, Attorney-General Robert Clark decided they should be handed to Kelly's descendants for burial.
But that process has become complicated because the exhumation licence stated the remains would be returned to Pentridge.....
To read more (you must sign up for a free pass to do so):

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/true-crime-scene/pentridge-developer-lays-claim-to-ned-kellys-remains/story-fnat7jnn-1226405960417

Douglas Morrissey Thesis, Chapter 5, Part 2 [Brian Stevenson]

It's been a while, folks. First and foremost I want to thank my co-blogger Sharon for her forbearance during the long period I did not contribute. She is a great co-blogger, but more than that she is a terrific friend and is extremely understanding when someone finds themselves unable to blog for ... well, quite a long time. Thanks to all, especially Sharon, for waiting.

My post this time is a follow on from one I did a long time ago, another condensation of a section of Douglas Morrissey's excellent unpublished thesis, 'Selectors, Squatters and Stock Thieves: A Social History of Kelly Country.' Morrissey covers the social milieu of the Kelly Country in the time preceding, during, and immediately following the outbreak.

Morrissey's main theme is not necessarily a popular one, but he has done his homework. He researched whatever primary sources he could find on the area to build up a profile of the social conditions and environment of the district that the Kellys knew. His conclusion was that the Kellys and their sympathisers were atypical of the region, most of whom were quiet and law abiding citizens who preferred to go about their business rather than complain about police oppression, something which tended to be experienced only by those who had in the past given the police reason for concern.

Morrissey's Chapter 5 is entitled Social Order and Authority. It's a long chapter, fifty pages or so. I have not attempted to summarise the whole chapter, but rather to look at some of the things Morrissey has covered, particularly with regard to the Kellys.

Most of the people in the districts covered by Morrissey were Protestant, with Catholics comprising approximately one third of the population. The areas less suitable for agriculture were hilly and stony, and these were the areas where the Catholics tended to live. The Kellys were atypical of these farmers, raising livestock rather than crops. There was not really a significant difference between the defaulting rate of Catholics and Protestants, but the Catholics were more likely to be behind in the rent.

Many of the Protestants were temperance advocates. Morrissey cites the case of one publican refusing to sell Jim Kelly and Wild Wright a pannikin of spirits, saying that he did not sell liquor to travellers as 'the Lord has shown me a better way.'

Interestingly, the Salvation Army had a minor presence in the region and in the summer of 1886 they called on Mrs Ellen Kelly at Greta. The visitors gave Mrs Kelly some issues of their periodical, the War Cry and she promised that she would read them. 'Before we left she knelt down with us and prayed', according to the War Cry  for 27 November 1886.

Methodist wowserism coexisted with a rollicking Irish and Catholic 'pub culture' though of course some Protestant families did not mind participating in or imbibing that which said culture had to offer. But the role of the pub was changing and by the late 1870s the realities of farm economics meant that the pub declined in its role as a community meeting place. People were simply too busy working or too broke to buy liquor on a regular basis. Around this time, many young men, the Kellys and their associates included, went to New South Wales at certain times of the year to shear. Morrissey might have been unaware of this, when he stated:
 

'There was, of course, a residue of hard drinking labourers, bush larrikins, petty criminals and horse and cattle thieves who spent most of their time and a great deal of their money loafing, brawling and drinking in the region's pubs. With a few exceptions, the Kellys and their friends belonged to this free wheeling criminal fraternity who regularly indulged in flash and riotous living.'
 

Mixed marriages were tolerated in a community where many Catholics and Protestants lived in close proximity. Ellen Kelly and her daughter Maggie, for example, married Protestants. Illegitimacy was rife as well. Ellen Kelly and at least two of her daughters, Maggie and Annie, had illegitimate children. Illegitimacy was not confined to the 'lower' classes either. The widely respected William Maginness (spelled McInnis by Ned in the Jerilderie Letter), the miller and magistrate who famously put the handcuffs on Ned Kelly after the celebrated brawl in the Benalla bootmakers, was pursued in the courts by a servant girl, Margaret Moloney, and forced to pay child support. Morrissey mentions the apparent 'flexible moral ambience' of the Kelly household, noting that Jane Graham, a 'loose woman' of the district lived for a while in the Kelly home and seems to have been on intimate terms with Ned's uncle, the perennial reprobate Jimmy Quinn. But the police never accused the Kelly women of prostitution.

Max Brown, iconic Kelly author and perhaps second only to Ian Jones in this regard, emphasised in Australian son the relationship between respectability and the rich and powerful, implying that the higher the class the more higher the moral ground was inhabited. But the moral 'looseness' undoubtedly shown in so many of the Kellys, their relatives and their associates in so many different ways was at variance with the typical selector. Most selectors were hardworking people of good character who were closely identified with traditional values. The conflict between squatter and selector for control of the land had been decided in favour of the selector a decade before the Kelly Outbreak and the selectors, content to live in in relative harmony with their wealthy neighbours, were more interested in traditional values and the pursuit of traditional goals. Even Ned, in the Jerilderie letter, demonstrated his regard for traditional values.

On this last point, Morrissey states that in the Letter Ned:
 
makes clear his acceptance of traditional values. The opportunity to acquire and farm a selection of land, the care of widows and orphans, the acceptance of the notion of what constituted 'a fair fight' and the view that the rich and powerful should not oppress the poor were among the more obvious beliefs drawn from traditional sources and accepted by Ned and his friends.

Even the 'rowdy and unruly' behaviour of the Ellen Kelly and her associates was atypical of the time and place and 'simply cannot be accepted as representative of selector women in general.' From time to time, Ellen and her mates rode furiously about the district, drank and engaged in socially unacceptable behaviour that most selector women would have shunned. As Morrissey wryly remarks:
 
It is difficult to imagine the wives and daughters of Greta's Primitive Methodist selectors or the womenfolk of the district's respectable Catholic farmers engaged in similar activities as the Kelly women. Traditional values, social convention and no doubt the women's selector husbands and fathers would have intervened and nipped such 'unwomanly' behaviour in the bud.

Finally, Morrissey has a brief comment on the police in the district. He admits that Flood and Fitzpatrick bore a lax moral character. To this list I would add the brutal Hall and the oleaginous and serpentine Ward, and, with some qualifications, the self-righteous zealot Steele, but none of the three victims at Stringybark Creek could be placed in the same category. Lonigan's 'dirty grip', if it occurred at all, needs to be weighed up against other aspects of Lonigan: the dedicated family man who thought enough about religion to convert from Catholicism to Protestantism a short time before his death. Kennedy, also a family man, had one of the most exemplary records in the force, and the bachelor Scanlon was highly regarded.

According to Morrissey, most off duty policemen spent their time playing football and cricket and writing letters to their family rather than frequenting pubs and brothels. (My own thought: the low wages may well have had something to do with this!) The Benalla police even organised themselves into a singular association that they called The Benalla Police Temperance and Harmonic Society, in which, according to the unpublished reminiscences of one Constable Maguire:  Off duty policemen nightly applauded the comic antics of their comrades as they performed popular plays, sang songs, recited lengthy poems and even delivered lectures.

So there we have it, folks. A society where traditional values predominated and where selectors much preferred to live harmoniously with squatters (or at least to the extent of not helping themselves to their livestock.) A society where most women were quiet and law-abiding, unlike the chief maternal influence on Ned's life. A society where most police were decent enough fellows.

A society nothing like the one that Ned Kelly claimed had a down on him.

Such is life.


[Note that this is the 5th installment of an ongoing series. Chapter 5 part 1 can be found at http://elevenmilecreek.blogspot.com/2011/06/douglas-morrissey-thesis-chapter-5-part.html
 The series begins at  http://elevenmilecreek.blogspot.com/2010/11/douglas-morrisseys-unpublished-thesis.html  and you can follow the links in each post to read all the installments in proper order. Stay tuned for future postings in this series.]

The Insurance Claim for the Glenrowan Inn [Sharon Hollingsworth]

 There was a recent google alert for an article called "Insurance Records Reveal Ned Kelly History" that was in the Herald Sun on May 16, 2012. At the time it first came out I did not put it here at the Eleven Mile Creek blog. After thinking about it a while I have decided to add it and to address something in it that does not seem to fit in with known facts (the known facts being that Ann Jones did not have an insurance policy on the Glenrowan Inn and that the policy was held by someone else who collected on it). I am sure that many Kelly researchers are aware of these facts, but the average reader who has not delved deeply into the Kelly saga would believe that Mrs. Jones was compensated by the insurance company after reading the newspaper article, when she actually wasn't.


Here is an excerpt from the Herald Sun article:

"The insurance claim for a fire that destroyed the Glenrowan Inn as the bushranger Ned Kelly sheltered inside is one of 3000 historical records donated to the Victorian State Library.


The documents have history buffs salivating and provide a window into Australia's past, says state library spokesman Matthew van Hasselt.

"On the surface they look like dry corporate records," he told AAP on Wednesday.

But the records, donated this week, can help historians piece together the small but crucial details that allow us to unlock past events, Mr van Hasselt said.

"Historians like to get into the nitty gritty details and the peculiarities of the time."

The records, provided by Suncorp Insurance, chronicle the Australian insurance industry from 1833 to 1970.

The documents show the police destruction of the Glenrowan Inn in the famous 1880 confrontation with the Kelly gang resulted in a 100 pound insurance claim being paid to inn operator Mrs Ann Jones.

The Colonial Mutual Fire insurance company paid the sum but later successfully claimed the money back from Victoria Police....."
To read more:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/insurance-records-reveal-ned-kelly-history/story-fn7x8me2-1226358094842


There are quite a few other news articles that echoes the same information that is in the Herald Sun, but the State Library of Victoria blog - http://news.blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/2012/05/16/nation%E2%80%99s-history-contained-in-insurance-archive/ -does not directly say that the insurance claim was paid to Ann Jones.

The SLV blog has this bit of information on interesting items in the papers donated to them:

 Minute Book: Colonial Mutual Fire Insurance Co Limited: Board Minute Book 1878-1880 re Ned Kelly Pub fire

Contains a report on the Ned Kelly siege at Glenrowan and destruction of the Glenrowan Inn operated by Mrs Ann Jones. The claim shows £100 was paid with a request for reimbursement forwarded to Victorian colonial Chief Secretary.

Ok, I can see from the proceeding where the press might have gotten the wrong idea that Mrs. Ann Jones was paid by the insurance company. But the following shows that it was not the case.

The Public Records Office of Victoria has the Minutes of the Board appointed to enquire into claims made by Mrs. Jones for compensation of the Glenrowan Hotel.

In testimony before the Board from November of 1881 William Robert Jarvis, a storekeeper, said that he helped Mrs. Jones build the inn by "finding the means to build it." He also helped supply some of the materials, though the actual construction was done by another party.

In the testimony there was this exchange regarding the Glenrowan Inn between Jarvis and Mr. Chomley (on behalf of the Crown):

Chomley: Was the house insured?

Jarvis: Yes.

Chomley: In what office?

Jarvis: The Colonial Mutual, I think.

Chomley: For what amount?

Jarvis: 100 pounds.

Chomley: To what, the entire building and stock?

Jarvis: The building only.

Chomley: Did Mrs. Jones herself effect the insurance?

Jarvis: No, I did.

Chomley: How did you come to?

Jarvis: Directly after it was built because we had a lien on it and knew if it got burnt down and Mrs. Jones not able to pay we should lose, so we insured it for the amount of our lien.

Chomley: Was that the only insurance on it?

Jarvis: Yes.

Chomley: Was there any on the stock?

Jarvis: Not that I am aware of.

Chomley: Was that insurance [could not make out word] up to the time of the fire?

Jarvis: Yes.

Chomley: Has it been paid?

Jarvis: Yes

[Asked] By the Board:  To whom?

Jarvis: To us.

Then later in the same PROV papers there is a letter from the Colonial Mutual Insurance Company, complete with company seal, that has this bit in it:

Referring to the destruction of Jones' Hotel Glenrowan by the police, which Hotel was insured with this company and the claim on property of such insurance amount 100 pounds paid 20 July, was refunded by the Goverment on 21st July....





So, it seems that the insurance company paid Mr. Jarvis for his loss, and then the insurance company got paid by the Government for their loss due to the Victorian Police's action. Seems that the only one not getting money out of the deal was Mrs. Jones, and she had lost more than anyone.

Article Alert: Hunt for Relatives of Policeman Slain by Ned Kelly Gang

from google alerts...

The Herald Sun of June 4, 2012 has an article entitled "Hunt for Relatives of Policeman Slain by Ned Kelly Gang." You have to sign up to be able to read it in full, but it does start off with:

"A policeman killed by the Kelly Gang is at the centre of one of the force's oldest and most unusual "cold case" investigations.
Police historians have appealed to the public for clues to help them track down the families of Constable Michael Scanlan and two other murdered police.
The Police Historical Society needs to find descendants of the three
men so it can get permission to restore their neglected graves...."





It went on to say that Scanlan was single and the police force knew of no next of kin.

For more (you do have to sign up to read):

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/true-crime-scene/hunt-for-relatives-of-policeman-slain-by-ned-kelly-gang/story-fnat7jnn-1226381939511

Regarding Scanlan having no known next of kin (to claim his belongings), remember where in McIntyre's unpublished memoirs there was a letter from another policeman saying:

"....I have to sleep in the store room on an old gun case. My pillow is made up of a kerosene tin and a bundle of unclaimed clothes. Poor old Scanlon all his things are in here.."

Also, bookmarked under my favorites for a while has been this page:

http://fossahistoricalsociety.com/download_the_book.html

Click on "chapter 27: Fossa Personalities" for some background on Scanlan's life.









Note that in Corfield's Ned Kelly Encyclopaedia it gives Scanlan's birthplace of Fossa as Foosa.  Why am I not surprised?

Book Alert: Upcoming Book: The True Story of Ned Kelly's Last Stand

There is a new book called "The True Story of Ned Kelly's Last Stand: New Revelations Unearthed about the Bloody Siege of Glenrowan" by Paul Terry that is coming out in August of 2012.

From the publisher's website:

Using science, history and family lore to unearth a new understanding of how a legend was made this is the full story of the most famous siege in Australian history - the man and the myth; the people great and small.

When Ned Kelly fought his 'last stand' at Glenrowan, he made his suit of armour and a tiny bush pub part of Australian folklore. But what really happened at the Glenrowan Inn when the Kelly Gang took up arms against the government? Who was there when the bullets began to fly and how did their actions help to set the course of history?
Almost 130 years after the gunfight, a team of archaeologists peeled back the layers of history at Glenrowan to reveal new information about how the battle played out, uncovering the stories of the people caught up in a violent confrontation that helped to define what it means to be Australian....
To read more:

http://www.allenandunwin.com/minisites/crime-city/books/9781743310069/

Article Alert: Bearded Ladies will have Ned Kelly in Stitches

from google alerts..

There is an article in the Border Mail called "Bearded Ladies will have Ned Kelly in Stitches."

From the article:

The Ned’s Needles competition, inspired by Ned Kelly’s beard and the winter cold, aims to find the best, most creative and most realistic knitted beard.

Indigo Council’s art and culture development officer Susan Reid said there would be no lack of inspiration about town.

“We seem to have a disproportionate number of bearded men in Beechworth, and always have,” she said.

In fact, the idea for the competition arose from that very observation.

“We were having a conversation with our tour guides, those guys all have very interesting beards, and I offered to knit a woman a beard to keep her warm, and the idea took off,” Ms Reid said.....

To read more:http://www.bordermail.com.au/news/local/news/general/bearded-ladies-will-have-ned-kelly-in-stitches/2571921.aspx

My Review of "Glenrowan: The Siege that Shaped a Nation" [Sharon Hollingsworth]

Back in the early days of this blog I had bemoaned the fact that there were only the juvenile primer-type Ned Kelly books being published on a regular basis and had asked when the next big in depth Kelly tome would be published. I guess that the newly released book by  entitled "Glenrowan: The Siege that Shaped a Nation" fits the bill as being big and in depth. (This blog was also the first Kelly site to announce that the book was  being released this year and after publication a friend told me how I got a mention in the bibliography for which I was very pleasantly surprised.)

This past week I was sent a copy of the book by one of my new Kelly blog friends, Neal from NSW. I am very grateful to him for being so kind, helpful and generous.

Looking around the Kelly sites I have seen a few bits and pieces of what others have had to say about the book, so I guess it is my turn to give it a go. Get ready!

When I heard that the book was coming out I assumed that it was going to only be about the Siege of Glenrowan (silly me!). I suppose it had to have the bits leading up to the siege and what the aftermath was so that those not aware of the full Kelly story could come up to speed or those who were familiar with it could have a refresher course. It would have suited me fine to be only about the siege, though! At least the chapters on the siege take up the bulk of the book. Those chapters are easily the best in the book.
Mr Shaw did a really admirable job overall with "Glenrowan." 
Shaw has some good insights into certain characters in the saga, as well as the social fabric of the area. It is a very good book, but it could have been a great book if only a bit more care might have been taken in fact finding and research. There are a few errors in the book and those will be looked at in depth in a bit.

When you start the book there is a list of the "Cast of Characters." You have to love something that tells it like it is, like with Hare: "ambitious protege of Standish" and Steele: "opinionated and driven" or Sr Constable John Kelly: "experienced but unambitious." Of Constable Kirkham he says: "Sociable and very mobile at Glenrowan." Later in the book he repeatedly drives home the somewhat irresponsible social butterfly aspect of Kirkham's behaviour at the siege. I was taken a little aback at it, as I really like Thomas Kirkham - he was goring my ox! I did, however, get a big laugh at the running joke about Constable Dwyer and the "bottle."

I like the part in the book where he says that no one saw the big picture of the siege but that when all of the little moments everyone experienced were put together it made the big picture come into view. He called it a "mosaic." I also liked where he described what I call wheels within wheels about the different levels of Kelly sympathizers radiating out from a center.

Ok, now on to the errors part. As I was reading the book I kept a pad and pen to hand to jot down page numbers and notes about what just did not sound right to me fact-wise. Some checked out to be true, but I found quite a few that were very wrong. I am going to list some of them (though there are more and there might be some I have missed) and give the correct information. I will only give the source in a place or two as I am writing a conversational type blog, not a book!  Besides, I don't want to spoil anyone's fun in seeking out the information for themselves. I don't put these corrections here with malicious glee to show how smart I am or to big note how well acquainted with the Kelly story I am. I put them here to help out readers to aid them in getting to the truth of the Kelly saga. That is the only thing that matters.



Note that in the back of the book Ian W. Shaw tells about using primary sources to piece the story together and he had this interesting bit:

"If there are errors, they are mine, and they reflect my beliefs about the most likely occurrence of sequence in a particular setting, based on what is happening elsewhere and how the characters behaved previously."

(I guess that is what was done with the Dan and Steve and the laudanum bit where no one really knows the go?)

Ok, with all that said, here are a few of the things I picked up on:


Names gotten wrong:

Charles Tettleton should be Charles Nettleton

Father Doraghy should be Father Donaghy

Dr Baker should be Dr Barker

Sherrit should be Sherritt

Mary Barry should be Ellen Barry

Jock McHugh/Neil Jock McHugh  should be  Neil McHugh

Dr Hutchison should be Dr Hutchinson

Arthur Loftus Maul Steele should be Arthur Loftus Maule Steele

WH Cookson should be BW Cookson

Neil Metcalfe should be George Metcalf

James Simson should be James Simpson

Diseased Stock Inspector should be Diseased Stock Agent (DSA)

In the list of prisoners at the front of the book it has "Catherine Mortimer, sister of Isobel Curnow, who lived at Glenrowan." It should be Catherine Curnow, sister of Thomas Curnow."  Catherine was visiting Glenrowan from Ballarat.

The list of workers bailed up at the quarrymen's tents has mistakenly added John Delaney's name. There is also a name on it that I am not familiar with, "John Maitland."

Book has John Nicolson in a place that should be Charles Nicolson in reference to him resuming his position in the hunt for the Kellys.

Book has the Felon's Apprehension Act being called The Outlaw Act, it should be The Outlawry Act.


The book has both McIntyre and Lonigan sitting on the log when the camp was bailed up, only Lonigan was, McIntyre was by the fire stirring the pot.


The book has McIntyre "discarding" his boots while on the run from Stringybark Creek. He actually arrived at McColl's farmhouse with one boot on and one under his arm, so they were not fully discarded.

The book has Standish moving headquarters from Melbourne to Wangaratta. It was moved to Benalla. Remember how he was always staying at Craven's Commercial Hotel?

The book has the Euroa bank raid taking place on December 12, 1878 when it was December 10, 1878.

The book has Ned Kelly dictating the Jerilderie Letter to Joe Byrne in one session at Faithful's Creek Station at the time of Euroa. Not so, Joe Byrne merely made copies of the Cameron Letter at that time and place.

The book says that Aaron and his bride moved into a two room slab hut he had built on his property. It was a two room abandoned hut that he merely took over and had to pay off the real owner (with money borrowed from one of the policemen staying in the hut with them) when he returned!

The book suggests that gossip around the Woolshed was that Detective Michael Ward was the father of Mrs Aaron Sherritt's unborn child! I had read about him interfering with young schoolgirls in the area, but not Ellen Barry Sherritt by name.

The book says that there were half a dozen canvas tents near the Inn in Glenrowan. There were only four of them. (Maybe the "half a dozen" idea came from an illustration of Glenrowan showing the tents on which the number 6 is overlaid? The 6 is a key which indicates what it is on the page and captioned at the bottom, and is not the number of tents.)

The book has Bracken as previously having been a guard at Beechworth Prison. Actually, he was a guard at the Lunatic Asylum in Beechworth.

The book has Superintendent Hare sending an invitation to Charles Rawlins to join the contingent on the police train. Not true. Rawlins himself testified for the Reward Board saying that:

"On Sunday afternoon I was in Benalla, and I heard about the murder of Sherritt, and I went down to the station, and, hearing a train was going away, I spoke to the station master, and he told me that the train had left Melbourne at half-past ten o'clock that evening. This was about eleven o'clock that I was there. He said a train would be at Benalla about half-past two o'clock. I went on to the station when it reached Benalla, and met Mr. Hare, and I told him that the station master said that providing Mr. Hare would allow me to go on the train he would have no objection. I have a free pass on all the Victorian Railways."

Book has the Glenrowan postmaster Hillmorton Reynolds seeing Ann Jones and Ned Kelly talking in the breeze-way at the Inn when Ann said "look out, Ned, he is going to escape!" It was not Hillmorton Reynolds, as he was left at  home during the siege, it was his brother Edward Reynolds.

Book has Martin Cherry and Dave Mortimer carrying the wounded Johnny Jones to the kitchen at the Inn. Ann and Jane were the ones who did it according to their testimony.

Joe's final toast before his death is worded differently in the book than it is in Ian Jones's A Short Life.

The book has Dan and Steve lifting and moving Joe Byrne's body and taking it down to one of the bedrooms at the Inn. Rev Gibney and others testified to finding the body in the barroom where he fell. They may have had to lift him off of a couple of prisoners that he fell across, but they did not take him down the passageway into a bedroom.

The book has where when Ned said his feet were cold that a tin of warm water was brought in for him to soak his feet in. Actually, in testimony, it was said that a kerosene tin of water was heated and placed against his feet.

The lights proposed to be brought to Glenrowan were not designed by the Gov Astronomer. They were designed by Lt Thomas Draper. See my blog post called Part 1: Calling for a Cannon and Asking for a Light for more info:  http://elevenmilecreek.blogspot.com/2012/02/part-1-calling-for-cannon-and-asking.html

In the book it says that Dan and Steve committed suicide by taking laudanum. It was said that the previously sought for lost packet was found and that is what it contained. While this may be what happened, there is no actual proof.

Book has 3 policemen  dragging Joe's body from the Inn. It was actually two, Armstrong and Dwyer.

Book has the cannon and artillerymen actually arriving in Glenrowan. Not so, they were turned back at Seymour as the siege was over by the time they reached that station. See Part 2 of Calling for a Cannon and Asking for a Light: http://elevenmilecreek.blogspot.com/2012/03/part-2-calling-for-cannon-and-asking.html


Book has Aaron's inquest on the same day as Joe Byrne's. Not so, the papers said that Aaron's inquest was on Monday June 28, not Tuesday, the 30th like Joe's was.

The Book has Ned Kelly leaving Melbourne under guard on a train bound for Beechworth on Monday August 9, 1880 for a preliminary hearing. The actual date that Ned left Melbourne was on Sunday August 1, 1880.

Book says Owen Jones (Ann Jones's husband) died in the late 1880s. Owen Jones died in 1890.

Book has Michael Reardon getting a government pension of a pound per year. It was actually a pound per week...52 pounds per year!

Book has Hare's memoirs as coming out in 1891. It was published in 1892.

Book has Kate's baby Catherine being born in 1889. Baby Catherine was born in 1898.

Ok, there you have it. If anyone would like to chime in about any of this, please feel free to do so.

20th Anniversary Edition of The Shenandoah Affair Now Available

Regular readers of this blog may recall that I had done a review of the
based-on-fact historical novel "The Shenandoah Affair" by Paul Williams
back in March of 2011 which can be read at
http://elevenmilecreek.blogspot.com/2011/03/shenandoah-affair-sharon-hollingsworth.html.
A few months after that posting I was contacted by the novel's author
himself who thanked me for the rave review. A little later on I did a
review of another of Paul's books "Matthew Brady & Ned Kelly: Kindred
Spirits, Kindred Lives" and I did an e-mail interview with him regarding
the book which can be found at http://elevenmilecreek.blogspot.com/2011/08/matthew-brady-ned-kelly-kindred-spirits.html.
 Paul and I became regular correspondents and fast friends in the
ensuing months. Paul expressed a desire to re-release "The Shenandoah
Affair" this year (2012) as it marked the 20th anniversary of it first
being published. To that end Paul has rewritten and enhanced the book and has added extensive author's notes.  These notes runs to well over 12,000 words. It is like getting two books for the price of one.

 I was able to help by doing what I do best -
research in old newspapers, archives and books - which augmented Paul's already extensive study. I also helped with proof-reading and being an all round sounding-board. The novel, that was an excellent read before, is even better now
with a new and more factual ending (in the original he had the
Shenandoah blowing up for literary effect. In this new edition that
event does not happen and the course is set for the real events to
unfold). At the end of the novel, the author's notes, entitled "The True Story of the Cruise of the CSS Shenandoah" tells of the trip Paul took to the United States from his native Australia in the early 90s in a quest for more information for his novel. What he found out, though it confirmed some of his earlier deductions, was quite astonishing to him and eventually more pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. When he began research for the 20th anniversary edition of the book he uncovered what caused Captain James Iredell Waddell of the C.S.S. Shenandoah to circumnavigate the globe and head for Liverpool (despite a mutinous crew who were horrified at the prospect of attack by a Federal cruiser) after hearing of the end of the Civil War, rather than go to the nearest safe port. All of that is given in full detail.

For those who have read the book,
you need to read it again and for those who have not read it,  I highly recommend that you get a copy. The Author's Notes are worth the price of admission
alone. (One advisory, the book has some rather erotic passages so it's
not recommended for children nor for those who wish to avoid that type
of romantic writing.)

The Shenandoah Affair by Paul Williams is available through Amazon.com.

(Note: Please but sure to get the 2012 edition to get the added author's notes, as some re-sellers on the net are offering the original book from 1992.)

Now, here are a few thoughts from Paul Williams:


When commencing research on the Shenandoah back in 1990 for a first novel, having only written screenplays before, I had no idea what an amazing journey I was embarking on, a journey that would rewrite the story of the Shenandoah. When I first read of the angry Mrs Nichols leaving the ship saying "I wish that steamer may be burned" it was my intention to have her involved in a gunpowder plot to destroy the vessel. [Mrs. Nichols was a real-life Yankee "prisoner of war" after her and her husband's ship was captured and burned] But what a different picture emerged when I started sifting through the documents! Firstly a true love story unknown to history, and then 20 years later, when researching for a new edition with your invaluable help, the true reasons for the Shenandoah being the only Confederate ship to circumnavigate the globe. And it all went back to the beguiling Lillias Nichols. As I said, an amazing journey.
 

Article Alert: Rainhill Man to Solve the Mystery of Ned Kelly's Skull

from google alerts..


The St. Helens Reporter of Thursday 17 May 2012 has an article called Rainhill man to solve the mystery of Ned Kelly’s skull.

It begins with:


The skull of a Rainhill man may have been mistakenly exhibited for decades as the remains of Australia’s most infamous outlaw Ned Kelly.

Frederick Deeming was executed in 1892 after he butchered his wife and four children in St Helens before fleeing to Melbourne where he went on to commit a second murder.

Deeming and Kelly’s remains - along with a number of other executed prisoners - were exhumed in 1929 from the burial grounds at Melbourne Old Gaol....
It continues later in the article with:

Media reports in Australia say they have now applied to the Church of England for permission to exhume the grave of Deeming’s brother, Alfred.

If successful, they hope DNA samples from Alfred’s remains will prove the skull belonged to Deeming.

Australia’s Attorney-General Robert Clark has now said he will also write to the UK’s Ministry of Justice asking for help....
To read in full:

http://www.sthelensreporter.co.uk/news/local/rainhill-man-to-solve-the-mystery-of-ned-kelly-s-skull-1-4552619

My dog's photo was in today's newspaper

I know this is not Ned Kelly related, but  I just wanted to brag on one of my dogs, Banjo, whose photo was featured  in today's newspaper.

Event Alert: The Ned Kelly Project at the OMG May 17, 2012

Michael Ball alerted me to this event found at

http://www.vifm.org/forensics/the-ned-kelly-project/

The Ned Kelly Project
SPECIAL EVENT!

Thursday 17 May 2012

Old Melbourne Gaol

377 Russell Street, Melbourne

6:30pm – 8:30pm

Tickets: $30

Bookings essential

Online: www.nattrust.com.au/events

Email: bookings@nattrust.com.au

Phone: 03 8663 7260



HOW DID VICTORIA’S FORENSIC EXPERTS AND ARCHAEOLOGISTS IDENTIFY NED KELLY’S REMAINS?

Come along to the Heritage Trust’s Heritage Festival and hear experts from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and Heritage Victoria explain this historically significant investigation into the story of Ned Kelly’s remains from the moment he was executed at the Old Melbourne Gaol in 1880.

Hear from the team who successfully identified Ned Kelly’s skeletal remains exhumed in 1929 from Pentridge Prison and why questions remained about the “Ned Kelly” skull that was stolen from the Old Melbourne Gaol Museum in 1978.

If the skull isn’t Ned Kelly’s, whose is it?

Article Alert: Rare Ned Kelly Documents Go Under The Hammer

from google alerts..


[Seems they have updated the article to now include the selling price of $25,000!]

In an article entitled "Rare Ned Kelly Documents Go Under the Hammer" it tells of the auctioning of the ledger of the Beechworth Court of General Sessions which contains Ned Kelly's first court appearance at age 15.

To read see:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-29/ned-kelly-court-documents-to-be-auctioned/3978494?section=vic

To read even more:
http://www.theadvocate.com.au/news/world/world/general/rare-discovery-in-nw-estate-kellys-court-papers-found-exclusive/2537378.aspx