Kate Kelly

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Kate Kelly (aka Catherine Ada Kelly) (12 July 1863 - October 1898) was the sister of Australian bushranger Ned Kelly.

Kate Kelly was born in Beveridge, Victoria, Australia, on 12 July 1863 to parents John and Ellen Kelly (nee Quinn), their seventh child. The family moved to Avenel soon after her birth, where another child, Grace, was born. John Kelly died of dropsy when Kate was 4 years old. Ellen Kelly then moved the family to her sister's house at Greta. One year later, the family moved once again, to a two-room hut on their own land at nearby Eleven Mile Creek.

Kate helped her mother bring up the family, which included three more children by Ellen's second husband George King.

1 The Fitzpatrick incident
2 Ned Kelly's capture
3 Life after Ned
4 Descendents
5 Kate Kelly in popular culture
6 External links

[edit] The Fitzpatrick incident

The Kellys had already had a long history of trouble with the police when the Fitzpatrick incident occurred.

Kate attracted the attention of Alexander Fitzpatrick, a young police constable with a history of womanising. On 15 April 1878 Fitzpatrick, whilst drunk, paid a visit to the Kelly household, claiming he had a warrant for the arrest of Dan Kelly for horse stealing. He made some kind of pass at Kate, resulting in her family coming to her assistance. Exactly what this assistance constituted is unknown, and a point of debate amongst historians.

Fitzpatrick returned to Benalla Police Station claiming that Ellen Kelly had struck him with a fire shovel, Dan Kelly had beaten him, and Ned Kelly had attempted to shoot him. William Williamson and William Skillion, neighbours of the Kellys, were also accused of violence. Ellen Kelly received a long sentence for her alleged crime, based purely on Fitzpatrick's claims. Ned and Dan Kelly fled into the Wombat Ranges to avoid their convictions. On the 25th October 1878, at Stringybark Creek, they encountered four police officers who had been sent to arrest them. Three of the officers were killed. Ned, Dan, Joe Byrne and Steve Hart now turned to bank robbery.

With their mother in prison and their brothers on the run, Kate Kelly and her sister Margaret looked after the younger children. Kate also acted as a decoy on horseback, leading the police astray when they tried to locate her brothers. She supplied the Kelly Gang with food, ammunition, and information. The folk song "Ye Sons of Australia" includes a passage about Kate's role in the Kelly Gang [1];

The daring Kate Kelly how noble her mien

As she sat on her horse like an Amazon queen,

She rode through the forest revolver at hand'

Regardless of danger, who dare bid her stand.

Kate Kelly is mentioned again later in the song, taking a role in the siege at Glenrowan;

The daring Kate Kelly came forth from the crowd

And on her poor brother she called out aloud,

"Come forth my dear brother, and fight while you can"

But a ball had just taken the life of poor Dan

[edit] Ned Kelly's capture

Main article: Ned Kelly

Following Ned's arrest, Kate would often attempt to visit him in prison, as well as raising money for legal fees. She joined the Society for the Abolition of Capital Punishment, which campaigned for Ned's death sentence to be changed. Despite Kate pleading on her knees in front of the Governor, His Excellency the Marquis of Normanby, Ned was hanged on 11 November 1880.

[edit] Life after Ned

Following Ned's hanging, Kate disappeared from Victoria. She was spotted performing as "Ada" in a Sydney 'Wild West Show', and then in Adelaide under the names Ada Hennessey and Kate Ambrose. She eventually ceased performing due to ill health. She worked briefly as a barmaid at Hill Scott's Hotel in South Adelaide, before her waning health convinved her to return home. She worked as a domestic servant in Wangaratta, and a housemaid in Laceby, followed by a series of domestic service jobs around the area.

On 25 November 1888 she married William Henry Foster, a respected blacksmith, and settled down in the town of Forbes. The couple had six children, though three died in infancy.

On 6 October 1898 Kate was reported missing. Her drowned body was found eight days later in a lagoon on Condobolin Road near Forbes. It is unknown what lead to her death, however some historians have speculated that she may have taken her own life due to depression, brought on by the death of her sister, Maggie, two years earlier. She was buried in Forbes Cemetery, aged 35.

[edit] Descendents

Following her death, her three surviving children, Frederick Arthur, Gertrude Eileen Ada, and Ethel Maude, were taken to live with Ellen Kelly at Eleven Mile Creek. Frederick Arthur became a beekeeper in the town on Myrrhee and died in World War I. Gertrude married Arthur Cavanagh, a building contractor. They settled in Wangaratta and looked after Ellen Kelly in her dotage. Ethel married Albert Hibbert, and also looked after Ellen Kelly.