Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Martin Kelly was transported on the Governor Ready, departing 21st Sep 1828 and arriving 17th Jan 1829 with 201 passengers.
Governor Ready (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australia Convict Indentures (hand written) |
Claims
No one has claimed Martin Kelly yet.
Photos
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Convict Notes
The Account of the capture of the Bushrangers, for which Martin Kelly received an Absolute Pardon, is reported in the Sydney Herald, 31 Dec 1840. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28652749?searchTerm=Martin%20Kelly%20jew%20boy An extract: On Monday, the 21st instant, Mr. Day was joined by Mr. Edward White, Mr. R.C. Dangar, also by the Chief Constable John Nolan, Peter Daw, Martin Kelly, William Evans, William Walker, the five latter are ticket-of-leave holders, Martin Donohoe, who is an assigned servant, and a black boy. The party proceeded in a direction likely to fall in with the tracks of the bushrangers, in which they succeeded not quite a mile from Muswell Brook, and continued on that track for about five miles, when they were informed the bushrangers had crossed the Hunter at Aberdeen the previous night ; on receiving the intelligence the party in pursuit pushed on in the direction of Scone, when after crossing the Hunter, the party met a man who had been despatched from Scone, for the purpose of reporting at Muswell Brook the robbery at Mr. William Dangar's, at Turanville, that of the Inn at Scone, from which they took £70, as well as Mr. Thomas Dangar's store, where the bushrangers, in addition to their other atrocities added that of murder—having taken what they wanted from Mr. Dangar's, they were on the point of quitting when a young man named Graham, clerk to Mr. Thomas Dangar, imprudently fired a pistol at one of them, who deliberately shot him on the spot—he survived but twenty minutes. On hearing these particulars Mr. Day's party proceeded as quickly as possible to Scone; on reaching which Mr. Day proceeded to the Court House, where the Police and two other Magistrates were then sitting, and a number of settlers at the time, both in and about the Court House, who, it were only reasonable, to suppose, were equally interested in the capture of the bushrangers with Mr. Day and those then in pursuit, but strange to say no exertion was made, no notice of the occurrences above-stated forwarded to the surrounding settlers, nor could Mr. Day obtain a horse, although applying for one to the settlers then at Court! ….
Return of Convicts of the Governor Ready assigned between 1st January 1832 and 31st March 1832 (Sydney Gazette 14 June 1832; 21 June 1832; 28 June 1832; 5 July 1832)..... Martin Kelly - Ploughman assigned to Major Rhode at Waterloo Mill.
The same petition made by Michael Kennedy (details as above): Convict was convicted with his brother Denis and John Kennedy for the murder of John Dooley at the Fair of Borris in Ossory, Queens Co on the 29th May 1827. Several statements in Testimony to Kennedys innocence, name the convict as being responsible for Dooleys death. No sentence given in pet(ition) for convicts brother.
Martin's original conviction for Manslaughter - the following petition was made on behalf of John Kennedy, who was convicted for the same incident of manslaughter. Source: Ireland Australia Transportation Database. Petition. PPC 3222. Date of Document, 10/9/1827. Convict. John Kennedy, tried at Queens Co., for manslaughter, trans Life. Petitioner, Michael Kennedy, Convict’s father. Convict was convicted with Martin and Denis Kelly for the murder of John Dooley at the Fair of Borris in Ossory Queens Co on the 29 May 1827. Petitioner aged 75 resides in Ballytarsna, Queens Co. States convict is his sole support. Character ref and several statements in testimony to the convicts innocence.
Martin Kelly was listed as 26 years old on arrival. Native Place: Queens County. Martin was literate, single, 5'9" (also listed as 5'10½" tall on later indent, grey eyes, fair hair, fresh complexion, or ruddy complexion, brown hair, horizontal scar under left side of mouth and small one under right, mole between eyes. 23/2/1837: TOL, Invermein - altered to Muswellbrook on 6/7/1840. 23/9/1839: At West Maitland - Permission to marry Catherine Laughlin (Hero of Malour/Malown) - Catherine came free and was 21 - Martin was 36 and had a TOL. Cannot find the marriage registration on the NSW BDM - it appears the they had about 6 children born in the Maitland/Invermein and Inverell districts. 1/3/1873 The Armidale Express, NSW: The 'Dispatch's' Bundarra correspondent writes :-With feelings of sorrow I have to mention the death of Mr. Martin Kelly, after a short but painful illness. He died on the 10th inst., aged 72 years. The deceased was an old and much respected resident of this district, and 1 am informed he assisted in the capture of the notorious gang called the Jew Boy's, near Murrurrindi, over thirty years ago.
Martin received an absolute pardon in 1841 in recognition of his assistance in the capture of the Jewboy Bushranger Gang in December 1840.
The Convict Indentures state that John Kennedy is 30 years old. He could read and write; religion Catholic; status single and a native of Queen's County. His occupation was as a Ploughman. He was convicted of manslaughter at Maryborough on 30 July 1827 and sentence to life. He had no prior convictions. Physical attributes - Height 5 feet 10 1/2 inches; complexion ruddy: hair brown and eyes grey. Transport Number 188. Assigned to Mr William Cox, H..., Richmond.