Patrick Byrne
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Importance of Paddy Byrne
Joe Byrne's brother Links to the KellyGang , Early Years., Teenage years , First run in with the law., Fitzpatrick Incident , Gold Mining , Deaths at Stringy Bark Creek , Escape North , Euroa Robbery , Mass arrest of sympathizers , Jerilderie Robbery , Later in 1879 [[#14|]], Early in 1880 , Death of Aaron Sherritt., Glenrowan Siege , Ned Kelly's Trial , Royal Commission , Later life,
Family
brothers & sisters Joe 56, John 58, Kate 59, Paddy 62, Mary 63, Denny 66, Margaret 69, Ellen 71 wife ?... parents Patrick and Margaret. Uncles and aunts John and Mary Byrne aunts ?...
Links to the KellyGang
Early years Photograph I was born on 17/3/1862 in Chiltern but we lived at Sebastopol grew up with my elder brother and sister Joe and Kate and the rest of the children
Teenage years There was some thought that I was keen on Ann Jane Sherritt at one stage Jerilderie robbery
Later
I purchased my grey mare at Tarrawingee for £20. (RC12217)
Later in 1879 I was at the Whouroly races with Aaron Sherritt (FH)
In November was around the place when Downes visited my mother. (RC13490)
Aaron Sherritt stole my horse. My mother brought him to court. See my evidence. (OMA29/7/79)
Mrs Sherritt saw the KellyGang on one of their visits to our place to get some supplies about a month or so before Aaron's death (13/11/1879). One of her daughters still used to come over and see us. She told the Royal Commission what her daughter saw.
'..and who should come up but Joe Byrne, leading a horse, and Dan Kelly. Each of them was leading one and riding another. Mrs. Byrne then came out-there was a whistle-it is a very thick scrubby place, and after a little bit Ned Kelly and Hart came on foot, from the back of the place like, and those two came up the front of the house like, so, and got their provisions. There was some bread and I think it was boiled bacon, and then Patsy Byrne went up the Woolshed and he brought down something in a bottle and gave it to them, and Patsy -Joe Byrne's brother-said, "Which way did you come?" and Joe says, "The way we always come. We came down the steepest part of Wall's Gully."'(RC13207)
Later that evening I met up with Jack Sherritt down the Woolshed at Julien's and we had a drink. (RC15266)
Soon after this Jack Sherritt and I saw James Wallace during one of his visits to the Woolshed. (RC14673)
Early in 1880
As the year went on I used to be out all night and sleep all day. I was 19 at the time
Mrs Barry saw me pass and ride on horseback, and my youngest brother and sister used to go to go to school by Aaron Sherritt's place mostly every day. (RC13385) See also (FH)
On about 30/5/1880 Ass Com Nicolson with a party of police came up to Everton and met Aaron Sherritt. They followed me rather and my brother Joe. (RC1110)
On the Sunday 20/6/1880 Consts Duross and Dowling say they saw me watching Aaron Sherritt's home for at least an hour, just standing in the middle of the road and watching. Prior to this I had been seen around the place. (RC3791) (RC4715)(RC12137)
On the night of 21/6/1880 I thought that I would go for a ride and show the police and Aaron Sherritt a few tricks of my own. Those police saw me. I hope they were frightened.
I had a well-bred horse, stable-fed, locked up of a night, that I used to be scouting about on of a night (RC3794)(RC12137)
This is what Const Armstrong reported about me.
"I beg to report that at 11.16 p.m. on the 21st instant Paddy Byrne left his house, riding his grey mare, and keeping off the road, high up the range, going in the direction of Madden's Gap, which is situated in the Beechworth side of Mrs. Byrne's house. The other constables and I who were watching the house did not consider it advisable to follow him, as he was riding at a half-trotting pace, and the night was so light we could be seen for several hundred yards or, besides, being confident that it was Paddy, we thought it better to let him pass on than run the risk of being found out. We remained watching the house until 3.30 a.m., at which time he had not returned home. I may further add that the dog kept barking for the greater part of the night, so we were obliged to take our position almost at the foot of the range, far away from the house. On my return to camp I came into Beechworth to report the matter, prior to which I requested Moses to keep a sharp look out, and obtain all the information be could in the meantime." (Moses was Aaron Sherritt) (RC5104) See also (RC3791)(RC13861)
At about this time I aquired a grey hound. You know the type of dog those toffs were using for coursing.
See also(RC13860)
Death of Aaron Sherritt 26/6/1880 Was I around the place making a noise to keep the police from going for help after the shooting?
See (OMA1/7/80) Later Life We went to live in Albury and I did a bit of droving
I spent my last days back at the Woolshed
