BUSHRANGER CAPTAIN THUNDERBOLT'S

ACCOMPLICE

PATRICK KELLY

Copyright Carol Baxter 2011

Carol Baxter is the author of the book, Captain Thunderbolt and His Lady: The true story of bushrangers Frederick Ward and Mary Ann Bugg (Allen & Unwin, 2011). It was published to critical acclaim and is being turned into a TV series.

While researching the lives of Fred and Mary Ann, Carol discovered that many of the claims made in books, articles and websites about them and their associates are wrong. To ensure that the correct information makes its way into the public arena, she provides the following information about Fred's accomplice Patrick Kelly.

Captain Thunderbolt and His Lady by Carol Baxter

Patrick John Kelly

(c.1834 - ?)

Member of Fred's second gang in late 1865

with James Bell aka Jemmy the Whisperer

TIMELINE

5 May 1857: Patrick Kelly married Mary Ann Cushan at St John's Church, West Maitland (date unconfirmed). [1]

6 Feb 1863: Patrick and Mary Ann Kelly had son Patrick Joseph born at Denton Park near West Maitland; father listed as aged 29, born Ardughbah[?], County Tyrone, farmer; mother listed as aged 23, born Melville, Durham, NSW. [1]

Sep/Oct 1865: Thunderbolt joined by Patrick John Kelly (alias William Long): Kelly born c1829-33 in County Tyrone, Ireland; arrived NSW with parents c1840 and settled in Maitland; received some education as he could read and write imperfectly; Roman Catholic; farmer; testimonials to honest and industrious character for 20 years prior to bushranging activities from William Collins, saddler, West Maitland (and one of the Gorricks); Description: 6’0¼”, strong build, sallow/dark complexion, brown hair, dark bushy whiskers, beard and moustache (‘a fine black handsome beard’), hazel eyes, small broken nose, small mouth, small chin, slightly pock-marked face, rough voice with strong Irish accent (although some reports referred to him as a Scotchman), ‘a fine made man’ and ‘rather genteel in appearance’; discharge photograph survives for 1873. Kelly first surfaces on 1 Aug 1865 when he rescued Henry Louis (charged with uttering forged cheques) from Constable Lowe of the Walgett Police at Old Terribi/Terreby near Walgett and stole the trooper’s horse and Colt revolver; 11 Nov 1865: Wee Waa correspondent of Tamworth Examiner refers to Thunderbolt’s new mate as the man Kelly who rescued Ward (sic) from Constable Lowe, and reports that the two men had gone to the Warrego River, Queensland. [2]

Oct-Dec 1865: See Thunderbolt Timelines for 1865 (Second Gang) for details of the gang’s activities

Mid-Jan 1866: Kelly and Jemmy headed south-west to the Narrabri district then their crime spree followed a big loop south to Coolah, east to Murrurundi and back up to Moree, then west to the Collarenebri district, as follows [see source 3 below for this and the following]

13 Jan 1866: robbed Turrawan Hotel (15 miles from Narrabri)

14 Jan: reached Gulligal (near Boggabri) and robbed the mailman heading for Wee Waa as well as others including Thomas P. Panton, claiming that Thunderbolt and a mate were at hand if they needed assistance

Late Jan: seen skulking near the Talbragar River (near Coolah) where the Tamworth police closed in on them

27 Jan: robbed the northern mail between Merriwa and Murrurundi, and also William Pugh’s Pine Ridge Hotel near Murrurundi

1 Feb: stuck up Davis’ Currabubula pub; 8 Feb: robbed hawker J.M. Goldman about five miles from Goorallie station (Gurley near Moree)

Mid-Feb: police discover ‘Thunderbolt’s camp’ on Barwon River, containing hard-ridden horses including one stolen from Mr Bagot’s on 27 Dec, and the gang flee (NB. This was undoubtedly Kelly’s camp as he was in the vicinity whereas Thunderbolt was not)

21 Feb: Kelly spent the evening carousing at Earl’s pub at Collarenebri

22 Feb: Kelly captured by Walgett police near Collarenebri with a man named James Wilson although Wilson was later discharged as merely being a ‘telegraph’

14 Mar: at Walgett, Kelly charged with armed robbery and committed for trial at Tamworth

Late Mar: forwarded to Tamworth under a strong escort

31 Mar, 5 Apr & 17 Apr: charged at Tamworth Police Court with armed robbery and committed for trial at Tamworth

16 Apr: Sheriff wrote to the Law Department’s Under Secretary stating that Kelly was under committal for heavy offences and should not be kept in minor gaols, of which Armidale was one, until just before the Quarter Sessions

11 May: admitted to Maitland Gaol from Tamworth Gaol

22 & 23 Oct: tried at Maitland Circuit Court before Justice Fawcett on five counts including robbery under arms, stealing and mail robbery, and found guilty of the first two charges (receiving 17 years on the roads) then pleaded guilty for the remainder, being sentenced for each to 2 years hard labour at Darlinghurst Gaol (concurrent sentences) to begin at the expiration of previous sentence

31 Oct: admitted to Darlinghurst Gaol

7 Nov: forwarded to Berrima Gaol

5 Dec: request from Inspector General of Police for payment of rewards as Kelly was Thunderbolt’s accomplice but eventual decision that only £20 reward for the mail robbery under arms would be paid as Kelly was not ‘arrested in Ward’s company or associated with him in the commission of crime’ having been convicted of crimes committed when no longer in Thunderbolt’s gang (NB. This was in fact untrue as he was convicted of robbing Earl & Fletcher at Collarenebri while in Thunderbolt’s company)

16/17 Apr 1867: transferred from Berrima to Parramatta Gaol

20 Dec 1873: transferred from Parramatta to Darlinghurst Gaol then released to exile overseas. [3 for the rest of the above]

Sources
[1] Birth Certificate: Patrick Joseph Kelly [RBDM ref: 1863/9186]
[2] NSW Police Gazette 1865 pp.294 & 432, 1866 p.45; Maitland Mercury 15 Aug 1865 p.4, 6 Mar 1866 p.2; Armidale Express 23 Dec 1865 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 16 Dec); Sydney Morning Herald 24 Jan 1866 p.7, 24 Oct 1866 p.2; Maitland Gaol - Description Book: Patrick John Kelly, 1866 [SRNSW 5/759 Year 1866 No.166; Reel 2371]; Darlinghurst Gaol - Description Book: Patrick John Kelly, 1866 [SRNSW 4/6310; Reel 861]; Sydney Morning Herald 24 Oct 1866 p.2 (from Maitland Mercury); Brisbane Courier 14 Nov 1865 p.2 (from Tamworth Examiner 11 Nov); Photograph Description Book – Darlinghurst Gaol: Patrick John Kelly, 1873 [SRNSW 5/1696 fol.37; Reel 5098]
[3] NSW Police Gazette 1866 pp.27, 45, 61, p.71, p.88 & 396; Argus 17 Jan 1866 p.5; Hobart Mercury 30 Jan 1866 p.3 (from Tamworth Examiner 20 Jan); Sydney Morning Herald 24 Jan 1866 p.7 (abridged from Tamworth Examiner 20 Jan), 30 Jan p.4, 6 Feb p.4, 9 Feb p.5 (from Tamworth Examiner 3 Feb), 24 Oct pp.2 & 5, 26 Oct pp.5 & 6, 29 Oct p.2; Maitland Mercury 30 Jan 1866 pp.2 & 3(x3), 1 Feb p.4, 6 Feb p.3, 22 Feb p.2, 27 Feb p.2, 6 Mar p.1, 6 Nov p.3; Brisbane Courier 3 Feb 1866 p.6; Armidale Express 3 Feb 1866 p.2, 24 Feb p.3 (from Tamworth Examiner 17 Feb), 10 Mar p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 3 Mar), 7 Apr p.4, 28 Apr p.3 (from Tamworth Examiner 21 Apr), 7 Jul p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 30 Jun); Singleton Times 14 Apr 1866 p.3; Clerk of the Peace – Depositions for Maitland Circuit: Patrick John Kelly, 1866 [SRNSW 9/6490]; Sheriff – Copies of letters sent: to the Under Secretary to the Law Dept, 18 Apr 66 [4/6475 p.239 No.361; Reel 838]; Maitland Gaol - Entrance Book: Patrick John Kelly, 1866 [SRNSW 5/747 Year 1866 No.166; Reel 2368]; Court of Criminal Judicature Returns – Maitland: Return of all prisoners convicted at the Gaol Delivery held at Maitland in October 1866 [SRNSW X894A-B Reel 2394]; Darlinghurst Gaol - Entrance Book: Patrick John Kelly, 1866 [SRNSW 5/1897 Year 1866 No.3402; Reel 2338] & 1873 [SRNSW 5/1902 Year 1873 No.5312; Reel 2341]; Supreme Court – Clerk of the Peace: Depositions – Patrick John Kelly, 1866 [SRNSW 9/6490] ; CSIL: Re Patrick John Kelly [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 No.66/5819 & also 4/593 No. 67/1872 & also 1/2258 No.74/3614]; Parramatta Gaol – Discharge Book: Patrick John Kelly, 1873 [SRNSW 5/1773 Year 1873 Dec 20 No.77]

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