Ben Gould

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Side of KellyGang
This page contains content from people who supported the KellyGang.
The Story of the Kelly Gang 1906.jpg


Importance of Ben Gould

A key supporter of the KellyGang at the Euroa robbery. A hawker who went around with a horse and cart selling all sorts of goods to the settlers.

Links to the KellyGang below Run in with McCormack , Fitzpatrick Incident , Gold Mining , Mansfield Murders , Escape North , Euroa Robbery , Arrest as a sympathiser, Jerilderie Robbery , Later in 1879 , Early in 1880 , Death of Aaron Sherritt , Glenrowan Siege , Ned Kelly's Trial , Royal Commission , Family , Photograph .

IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOUR SCHOOL COULD HELP US KNOW MORE ABOUT BEN GOULD AND OTHER HAWKERS IN THE KELLY COUNTRY; [1]

Family

brothers ?.. sis ters ?... wife Elizabeth Rule .. Children Walter b 1883, Arthur b1885. Photograph

Links to the KellyGang

Run in with McCormack and Ned Kelly Welcome, it is nice to be back with you after all these years. Ned Kelly got involved in a dispute between two hawkers, Jeremiah McCormack and I. This started with Ned Kelly delivering an insulting note wrapped around a pair of calf's testicles to McCormack and finished up with a brawl in Greta and McCormack complaining to the newly arrived local policeman, Senior Constable Hall. As a result Ned Kelly was sentenced in October 1870 in the court in Wangaratta to 3 months gaol for offensive behaviour and fined 10 pounds for assault. Because Ned Kelly could not pay the fine he spent 6 months in Beechworth Gaol.

Read what Ned Kelly had to say about this incident in the Cameron Letter

'I was accused of taking a hawker by the name of McCormack's horse to pull another hawker named Ben Gould out of a bog. Mr Gould got up in the morning to feed his horses, seen Mr McCormack's horse, and knew he had strayed and sent his man with him about two miles to where McCormack was camped in Greta. Mr and Mrs McCormack came out and seen the waggons bogged and accused him of using the horse. I told Gould that was for his good nature. Mrs McCormack turned on me and accused me for catching the horse for Gould, as Could knew that he was wicked and could not catch him himself'. Me and my uncle was cutting and branding calves and Ben Gould wrapped up a pair of testicles, wrote a note and gave it to me to give to Mrs McCormack. McCormack said he would fight me I was then I4 years of age, I was getting off my horse and Mrs McCormack hit the horse, he jumped forward and my fist came in collision with Mr McCormack's nose who swore he was standing I0 yards away from another man and the one hit knocked the two men down. However ridiculous the evidence may seem, I received three months or £I0, for hitting him and 3 months for delivering the parcel and bound to the peace for I2 months'

Ned Kelly also explained what happened later in his Jerilderie letter. See also [[[The Complete Inner History of the KellyGang and their Pursuers (4)|JJK]])

In 1872 the police came after me (Ensign31/5/1872)

. Euroa Robbery 10/12/1878 I had been staying in Euroa for some time at Garrett's store

On the Sunday, 8/12/78, Joe Byrne met me in Euroa. We walked 14-jun-12the bank, police station and hotels etc. I also told him about the meeting of the licencing court and the funeral. See (RC15545)

I also played a part in the KellyGang obtaining a new set of clothes from another hawker James Gloster.

Mr. Gorman, the station master at Euroa, informed Mr Wyatt that he knew that I was supplying sausages and food of a permanent character to the KellyGang. This was partly why I was arrested as a sympathizer. There was also a story about Mr Scott and me. (RC2246)

. Arrest as a sympathiser I was arrested by Det Ward on 14/12/78, probably as a result of a report by Mr Scott, and charged as a sympathiser under the Outlawry Act. (Argus16/12/78) (Argus21/12/78) (Argus23/12/78)

I was taken off to Beechworth Gaol. They said that I bought more tinned food than I sold. I was never convicted of an offence under the Act and eventually freed and remanded to Euroa. In the stressed of life in Beechworth Goal there were often problems. I got on the wrong side of Wild Wright on one occasion. (JJK)

see report of the case (OMA18/1/79)-

'T Gorman, stationmaster at Euroa deposed at that he had known Gould for four years; saw him on 30th November in De Boo's hotel; they were speaking about the shooting of the police at Stringy Bark Creek; Gould said 'serve the b----- right, there will be more of them shot before Kelly is caught;' on 10th December the day the bank was robbed he met accused about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and asked him where he had been, when Gould told him to mind his own business; at six o'clock Gould went to the station and asked for a ticket for Violet Town; he then put his head in the window, and said, 'hello old Scott I'll have £500 today,' witnesses said 'Mr. Scott is not here, you are mistaken it is Mr. Wyatt, the police magistrate; Gould then apologized; on the 7th Gould was also on the platform, and said the Kelly's had plenty of good food, but were short of vegetables. Charles L De Boos, hotelkeeper at Euroa, collaborated the last witnesses's evidence as to what happened in his bar. George Murray saw Gould at the corner off the bank at Euroa about six o'clock in the evening it was robbed. Robert Scott, manager of the National bank, Euroa deposed that the bank was robbed on 10th December last; Detective Ward arrested prisoner on the 14th December; saw him near Garrett's store, when he said he was not in Euroa on Tuesday the 10th; he had been on the spree; he also said 'surely if I were implicated in the robbery I would have some money, where as I have only a shilling.'

For his defence the prisoner called Maurice Garret, who deposed that he had been several times in the prisoners company at the Euroa station. He recollected, about a fortnight before the robbery, walking with the prisoner and Mr. Scott towards the bank. Prisoner said to him that he thought Mr. Scott must be very foolish to think the Kellys lived on horseflesh. Prisoner told him that he informed Mr Scott that very likely that the Kellys lived as well as he did. Prisoner lodged with witness, and on a the morning of the 11th inst. witness went into his room and said, 'Ben, get up, the bank was robbed by the Kellys yesterday.' Prisoner said, 'Get out, it could not be.' Prisoner then got up and went out. Witness saw prisoner at his house from about half past six o'clock on the morning of the 10th December until about half past three o'clock in the afternoon. Witness asked him where he had come from, as he had not just been home all night. Prisoner said he had walked from a Violet Town during the night, having missed the train.

Cross-examined by Superintendent Hare: Did not know at what time the prisoner went to bed on 10th December.

Prisoner used to hawk meat.

He had nothing with him when he said he had walked from Violet Town. His horse and cart with some meat were already in Euroa.

The prisoner was fully committed to take his trial at the next Court of Assize to be holden at Beechworth on 6th May.' (OMA18/1/79)

I had a family

What happened to Ben Gould's family

On 27/9/80 Monkey Brown, Peter Brown, native trackers, went to Violet Town, to track an offender who damaged property of Mr Judd, station master, on night of 26th. They succeeded in tracking the footprints to my house and arrested me. The police proved that my boots were used, and I was sentenced to one month's imprisonment

I was convicted of arson of my house in Violet Town. (Argus6/5/81) (Argus9/5/81)

I died in 1920 in Wangaratta

'Later Who was Ben Gould Business as a hawker I was a protestant from Tasmania, lived near Seymour. I had also lived at Dedongadale. ' There was a memorial party with Ned Kelly near Violet Town (JJK) Later in 1879