Ellen Kelly

Probably the saddest part of the whole Kelly saga would be that of Ned and Dan's dear mother Ellen. This tough, and resilient woman outlived 7 of her children, was in gaol the whole time her sons Ned and Dan were on the run, she had to suffer hearing from the prison warders the events of Stringybark Creek and of her son Dan's eventual demise at Glenrowan, which must have been unimaginable...and finally, was in the very same gaol as Ned on the day of his execution.

Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick must have been a name that rang in Mrs Kelly's ears for many years...

On Fitzpatrick's perjured evidence, Mrs Kelly was lagged for 3 years hard labour in the Pentridge Dungeons, with a two week old baby in arms for "aiding and abetting in an attempt to murder Constable Fitzpatrick"

A few short months later, Fitzpatrick was dismissed from the Victorian Police Force because he "could not be trusted out of sight and never did his duty"

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Ellen Kelly died at Greta Victoria, on the 27th March 1923 - A Dignified Lady

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Mrs Kelly's words probably best explain the persecution she and her family had to suffer at the hands of unscrupulous Police...

"The police have treated my children very badly. I have three very
young ones, and had one only a fortnight old when I got into trouble
(referring to her recent imprisonment in connexion with the assault on
Constable Fitzpatrick at Greta). That child I took to Melbourne with
me; but I left Kate and Grace and the younger children behind. The
police used to treat them very ill. They used to take them out of bed
at night, and make them walk before them. The police made the children
go first when examining a house, so as to prevent the outlaws, if in the
house, from suddenly shooting them. Kate is now only about 16 years
old, and is still a mere child. She is older than Grace. Mrs. Skillion
is married, and, of course, knew more than the others, who are mere
children. She is not in the house now. Mr. Brook Smith was the worst-
behaved of the force, and had less sense than any of them. He used to
throw things out of the house, and he came in once to the lock-up
staggering drunk. I did not like his conduct. That was at Benalla. I
wonder they allowed a man to behave as he did to an unfortunate
woman. He wanted me to say things that were not true. My holding
comprises 88 acres, but it is not all fenced in. The Crown will not
give me a title. If they did I could sell at once and leave this locality.
I was entitled to a lease a long time ago, but they are keeping it back.
Perhaps, if I had a lease, I might stay for a while, if they would let me
alone. I want to live quietly. The police keep coming backwards and
forwards, and saying there are 'reports, reports.' As to the papers,
there was nothing but lies in them from the beginning. I would sooner
be closer to a school, on account of my children. If I had anything
forward I would soon go away from here."
Upon being asked whether any of her children had any complaint to
make, Mrs. Kelly knocked at the front door, and called out to her
daughter Grace to open it. Grace did so, and after much persuasion on
the part of her mother, came to the open door, but speedily retreated
behind it. She seems about 14 or 15 years old, and bears a much greater
resemblance to her brother ned than either Mrs. Skillion or Miss Kate
Kelly do. Most of the party, seeing that the girl was bashful, withdrew
from the house, and then Grace made a statement to Mr. Longmore
and one or two others to the effect that one of her brother Ned's last
requests was that his sisters should make full statements as to how the
police had treated them. She then continued as follows:
"On one occasion Detective Ward threatened to shoot me if I did
not tell him where my brothers were, and he pulled out his revolver.
The police used to come here and pull the things about. Mr. Brook
Smith was one of them. He used to chuck our milk, flour, and honey,
on the floor. Once they pulled us in our night clothes out of bed.
Sergeant Steele was one of that party."

Mrs. Kelly further stated that when she "came out" her children's
clothes were rotten, because of their having been thrown out of doors
by the police. The police, also, had destroyed a clock and a lot of
pictures, and had threatened to pull down the house over their heads.
She was understood to make a statement to the effect that the police
had made improper overtures to some of her daughters, but she
afterwards said that she had no such charge to make.

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The pain Mrs Kelly must have felt when the prison clock rang out at 11:00 am on the 11th November 1880... Knowing her son walked a lonely path to his demise

It's very hard to give this lady the credit she deserves, no one has documented Ellen Kelly's life thoroughly. She was a pioneer in her own right and a proud and unconquered lady.