Mrs Ellen Barry

Importance of Ellen Barry

Ellen Barry (nee Lynch) was Belle's mother (Aaron Sherritt's wife) Links to the KellyGang, Early Years , Wedding 1880 , Death of Aaron Sherritt, Aaron Sherritt's inquest , Ned Kellys Trial, Royal Commission, Later life, Family , Ellen's family

Husband Edmund (Edwin) Barry, Children Ellen b1864, Mary Ann b1865, David b1867, Charlotte b1869, Johanna b1871, Julia b1873, Bridget b1875, Elizabeth b1878, Alice b1881, Josephine b1883, Beatrice b1884, John b1888, Other Family ??

Links to the KellyGang

Family Photograph We lived at the Woolshed, a mile further up the road from Aaron Sherritt and my daughter, nearer to Beechworth. (RC13423)

Our home was opposite the hotel-that is facing the cave that the police used to watch Mrs Byrne's home; the cave is away up in the hill. (RC5574) James Wallace visited my place looking for Aaron Sherritt. (RC13430) Wedding Our daughter Ellen, married Aaron Sherritt at st Joseph's in Beechworth on boxing day 1879. We were a bit surprised because she had met him just a few months before. The wedding was also a strange affair. The Sherritt family did not turn up.

After they were married Aaron and Ellen lived at our place for a few months. (RC5575)

12/1879-6/1880 We had visits from James Wallace the school teacher. He seemed to have a hatred against the KellyGang.(RC13299)

About this time my husband was injured in a mining accident and could not work for about a year.(OMA27/4/81)

Nicolson replaced by Hare 2/6/1880 I knew about the police in the cave watching Mrs Byrne's home (RC5572)

I was very concerned about things, especially when Const Robert Alexander and the other police came to stay at my at my son in law Aaron Sherritt's place. That started in early June. I used to go over there each night and keep my daughter Belle company. She was pregnant. We tried to manage things but my other children went to school with Mrs Byrne's children. (RC12196)

I saw Mr Allen delivering provisions to Aaron's home. (RC13379)

Death of Aaron Sherritt 26/6/1880 On the morning of the day Aaron was shot he went to Chiltern, twelve miles away to look in the local pound for cattle.

On :that evening Aaron Sherritt and Const Duross, and my daughter Mrs. Sherritt and I were sitting in the kitchen having our tea about half-past six or a quarter to seven. The other three policemen were in the bedroom. (RC3631) (Argus6/8/80) (RC12138) (CHC) See also (Argus10/1/82)

My daughter and I were running in and out of the house and talking to Joe Byrne. The police were not impressed. They wanted us to stay inside. (RC3660) See also (RC3763) (RC12145) (JJK)

I knew Joe Byrne when he was a boy. He had slept between me and Mrs. Byrne when he was a boy, and she was confident he would not shoot me or my daughter.(RC12153)

We spent about between half an hour to an hour outside talking to Joe Byrne, Dan Kelly and Anton Weekes. They were whistling to others.(RC3675) See also (RC3731)

Dan Kelly hid in the bushes outside the room where the men were; he took out a box of matches and struck a match, and the wind blew it out. When I saw him strike the match I said, "If you set fire to the house, and the girl gets shot or burned, you can just kill me along with them." Dan said nothing at the time, but some time after he sang out to Byrne to send me inside, and I said it was no use my going in-that I would be burned with the rest; and he said he would see about that. (RC13407)

After a time Const Dowling got hold of me and kept me inside. They said they did not think they would set fire to the place while women were inside.

Const Duross put his hand to me and just shoved me slightly, but not under the bed. My daughter was under the bed. (RC13404)

I explained to the press how Joe Byrne shot Aaron and how the police behaved (Age1/7/80) see also (Argus8/7/80)

The next morning the police tried to get a Chinaman and the school teacher to go to Beechworth. Eventually Const Armstrong went. The other police stayed in the house. The place was crowded with people from all around (RC3707)

Inquest into Aaron Sherritt's death

I gave the following evidence to the inquest into my son in law's death before Mr Foster.

'During the time Byrne was outside he used to keep me in front of him so as to protect himself from any shot from the police. There was no opening at the back of the house except the door. No person could have fired through the door at Byrne.

'There were two shots fired into the front of the house. There were no shots fired by the police. Constable Duross left the sitting room and joined the police in the bedroom when the knock came to the door. His object in doing that was to prevent any one knowing the police were in the place. Dan Kelly was standing outside near Byrne. He had a gun in his hand, but did not fire.

'When deceased heard the German's (Weekes) voice he went to the door. Weekes voice he went to the door. Weekes asked the way, and the deceased pointed to a sapling, and said, 'Do you see that sapling?' Just as he uttered the last word he made a quick motion as if to get inside the room again. At the same moment he was shot. A man then stepped to the doorway; it was Byrne. continued (Age29/6/80) (MDTel29/6/80) (OMA29/6/80) (Age1/7/80) (MDTel1/7/80)(OMA1/7/80) (Argus2/7/80)(FH)

Royal Commission I gave evidence to the Royal Commission (RC13374)

How did the press report my evidence. (Argus22/7/81) (Argus29/7/81)

On 9/5/1881 Det Ward wrote to Const Armstrong about the evidence to be given by Mrs Sherritt me and an article written by Mr Gale. (RC12222)

My husband died in 1895

I moved to Melbourne and ran the Oxford Hotel in East Melbourne.

In about 1910 I was keeping a public house in Melbourne (BWC)

I died in 1917

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What happened to the Barry family

The following information about my daughter Alice has been kindly provided by a member of the family

"Alice was born on 6/10/1881 and died on 6/10/1966. She married Bruce Pitcairn Hedderwick and had 2 sons and 3 daughters. My mother, Betty, was the youngest. I remember Granny (Alice Barry) as quite a lady. She enjoyed and gin and tonic and smoked quite heavily although perhaps not so for the times. She lived in Kew in Melbourne and owned the Oxford Hotel in the city for some time. She had inherited this from her mother, Ellen, who moved to Melbourne after her husband died (I believe from blood poisoning after being scratched by a rose thorn). Ellen ran the pub on her own (I think!). Alice was a terrific lady, full of fun and wickedness."