Ned Kelly

John \"Red\" Kelly, the father of Ned Kelly, was convicted in Ireland and transported to Van Diemen\'s Land [Tasmania]. Noone knows why Ned’s dad got convicted. Ian Jones claims that John stole two pigs.   John Kelly was sentenced to seven years in a jail and had to be transported to Van Diemen’s Land, and he later arrived there in 1843. After John’s release in 1848, John moved to Victoria in 1849 and found work, in Beveridge at the farm of James Quinn. John Kelly, at the age of 30 married James Quinn\'s daughter Ellen, when she was 18. Their first child together died at early age.





Ellen soon later gave birth to a daughter, Annie in 1853,   altogether they had eight children. Their first son, was Edward (Ned) Kelly, he was born in Beveridge, Victoria just north of Melbourne on the 3rd of June 1855. Ned Kelly was baptized by an Augustinian priest called Charles O\'Hea, as most boys did, he obtained some basic schooling. Ned Kelly risked his own life to save another boy, Richard Shelton from drowning. As a reward he was given a green sash by the boy\'s family. Ned wore the sash under his armour during his final showdown with police in 1880.





Ned’s family the Kellys were always suspected of cattle or horse stealing, but they were never convicted. One day John Kelly was arrested when he killed and skinned a calf, which the police said belonged to a neighbour of his. He was found not guilty of theft, but guilty of removing the brand from the skin of the horse, and fined 25 pounds or six months with hard labour. Not having the money to pay John Kelly served his sentence in Kilmore jail. John Kelly died at Avenel, Victoria on 27 December 1866 when Ned was only eleven and a half.





Ned’s dad’s death was at this time, that the Kelly family needed land, and they moved to the Greta area of Victoria, which to this day is known as Kelly Country. There were 18 charges that were brought against the, members of...