Mrs Margaret Byrne

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Mrs Margaret Byrne

Importance of Mrs Byrne

Mrs Byrne was Joe Byrne's mother.

My home was near the road, on the left bank of Reedy Creek, opposite Sebastopol and at the mouth of London or Byrne's Gully, a deep gully that ran up towards Aaron Sherritt's selection and Beechworth.

Links to the KellyGang., Early Years., Early married life., Death of Husband., Fitzpatrick Incident., Gold Mining., Stringybark Creek Murders , Escape North , Sebastopol Cavalcade , Euroa Robbery , Mass arrest of sympathizers , Jerilderie Robbery , first cave party , Problem with Aaron Sherritt and my daughter , Later in 1879 , 2nd Police Cave Party , Early in 1880 , Death of Aaron Sherritt , Glenrowan Siege , Ned Kelly's Trial , Royal Commission , Family ,

Family

'parents Denis White and Margaret Ryan uncle ... aunt ... brothers ... sisters ... husband Patrick ' ...Children Joe 56, John 58, Catherine (Kate) 59, Patrick(Paddy) 62, Mary 63, Denny 66, Margaret 69, Ellen 71 Bothers and sisters in law Mary Byrne, John, James Byrne, my Patrick, Micheal Byrne Father in law Joseph Byrne Photograph Early years I was born in Ireland and came to Australia with my parents as free settlers. We left Ireland at a terrible time. My father in law had been a convict and my Patrick was born in Australia. Early married life I was married in the Catholic church of St Peter and Paul in Goulburn New South Wales to Patrick Byrne in July 1855. I was 21 and my name before was Margaret White. Soon after we married Patrick and I decided to make our fortune on the goldfields The Ovens goldfields were the closest. We came south into Victoria with great expectations and settled in the Woolshed.

Our eldest son, Joe, was born soon after we arrived in November 1856 . Soon after this I found myself pregnant again but our second son John did not live for very long. Then came Catherine who was named after my Patrick's mother. Denny was about fourteen at the time when Aaron Sherritt died and described by one of the police as an old-fashioned boy.

We then moved down the valley, just down stream from Sebastopol up from the left bank of Reedy Creek. Patrick's brother John and his wife Mary soon joined us nearby.

Location of my home (Argus2/8/80)

Patrick did not make our fortune and in 1866 he developed a heart condition. He had worked as a miner then spent quite a time as a carrier. When he got sick he became a dairyman and I continued on the business with a few cows.

Death of my husband My husband's heart condition became bad and he eventually died in the Beechworth hospital in November 1870. That was also the end of Joe being at school. I then kept the rest of the family together by operating a dairy at Byrnes Gully at Sebastopol in the Woolshed Valley.

In September 1873 Joe had his first run in with the law when he took Anton Wicks' horse and was charged with stealing and had to front the court in Beechworth. While I was very annoyed with him Joe was my son and tried to all I could form. He was growing up quickly and I hoped that this was an isolated incident. I engaged the solicitor Mr Zincke at a cost of £1/1. He managed to get him off with a fine rather than the standard 3 months gaol that we expected. We had to pay 20/- for the fine with 1/6 costs plus Mr Zincke's fee. Mr Wicks was a nice man with 4 children to look after by himself

Location of my home. (Argus22/7/81)

Links to the KellyGang

Fitzpatrick Incident 15/04/1878 My son Joe Byrne had been riding with the with Ned Kelly for some time prior to this event and I later found out that he had been at Mrs Kelly's place on the afternoon when the constable came to arrest Dan Kelly. I suppose that is the reason that he went off into the hills with Ned. Mind you, while Joe had been a good student but he had become a bit of a handful. Murders at Stringy Bark Creek in the Wombat Rangers 26/10/1878 I dont know any thing about the murders Escape north After the murders and there attempt to cross the River Murray my son Joe Byrne and the rest of the Kel [[../peB/ByrneJoeK.html|lyGang]] boys came to visit us; or at least Joe came to visit one of Mrs Sherritt's daughters. Only now he was an outlaw and on the run.

Sebastopol Cavalcade On the morning of the !!MISSING the police arrived at my home in force as part of Sebastopol Cavalcade. They smashed their way into my home and offered no apology. All the officers were there Com Standish, Nicolson and Sadier. I did not stay to meet them (Argus8/11/78) (RC405) (CHC)

The police said that they searched my home to see if any of the property of the murdered policemen men was here. After that they 'met' Aaron Sherritt. (RC1798)

The also had a conversation with me. They pointed out to me that my son Joe had got his neck into a halter, and that I could save him if I liked. My answer was "He has made his own bed, let him lie on it;" and there was a good deal of persuasion of that sort used with me. (RC1843) see also (Argus6/7/80)

Euroa Robbery 10/12/1878 James Wallace used to visit me but we were not on intimate terms. (RC14557) Jerilderie Robbery 10/2/1879 Dan Kelly came to my place to see what had happened to the other members of the KellyGang on Wednesday 12/2/1879. It seems that they had split up after Jerilderie and some of them had missed a meeting. Somehow the police found out. Perhaps they were just watching my place. Sup Hare and Ward creeped around my home during the night of 16/2/1879 and the good Sup gave a rather colourful account of his 'heroism' in his book.(RC1276)

Later in February 1879 the police under Sup Hare set up a search party to watch my home. They stayed for about a month and crept around trying to hide.(RC2035)

First Police cave party I discovered Mr Hare's police camp after they had been there for about 20 days. See also (FH) (CHC) (JJK)

One of the police party in the upper camp (it was a very hot day) was induced to sneak down to a watercourse, say a mile and a half away, and he was carrying a bucket in his hand. I heard about this and sent for Aaron Sherritt. I said to him, "There is a party in the mountains here; go and look for them tomorrow." Sherritt said, "All right; I have not seen anything of them." I said, "No, but a man like a constable was seen walking with a bucket towards the creek, and I myself went to that creek, and I found where there was some soap.

The fellow had washed his hands there, and he had been whittling a bit of stick ". I produced a stick and told Aaron that someone had been sitting there, one of those constables. Aaron told me he would look for them. The next day Aaron went back and said, "I have been in every direction, and cannot find them at all." I had my doubts. On the Sunday morning while the police were lying in their upper camp and the sentry who was on guard, about nine o'clock in the morning (the police were all asleep except the sentry on watch). I found their lower camp. Aaron was lying down at the lowest point of the camp.

As I was walking out of the camp he jumped up, and he watched me away till I got over the brow of the hill. Sup Hare rushed down to Aaron, and said, "Good heavens! you are discovered; the old woman has seen you.". Aaron had his hat over his face, and Hare put his hat and coat over Aaron to change his style of dress, with a white helmet. Hare then told him to cut away to some place so as to prove an alibi. Aaron gave me a good fright but I am sure that I took a bit off his life.Aaron came down to my home later that day. Perhaps I was mistaken. Could it have been Aaron. When he came to see me I said 'A pretty fellow you are, going to search; I found the men in the mountains today." He Hare later, "She has lost her faith in me, but she did not recognise me. .. I am all right; I am still on terms of intimacy with the others in the house."

When Aaron came to see me I told him how I found the police party. One of the men left a sardine tin on the rock. I saw it across the valley. I went down the hill, and on the opposite side from the police, there was a hill across the valley; and I walked straight across to something white on the rock, I saw something glistening, and I came across and found the sardine tin and a a little later the police camp. I told Aaron Sherritt this if I could only find out the number of men in the camp, I would get Joe to shoot any number under fifteen or twenty. I said, "There must be a great number of men there, because of the way the ground is beaten about, but I only saw one man lying there. The next morning I visited the police camp again. The sentry saw me. They went to give me a fright. By this time I was higher up the hill than the police and peered over a rock and looked down upon them. Mills went up in the direction I was going, and hid behind a rock, where he could see me. I used to go crawling along like a rabbit, and only show my head over the rocks. At last I passed the rock where the constable was hiding behind. He followed me, and directly I got away about a yard or two he gave a tremendous yell, and jumped on me. The police thought this was very funny. All they are good for is to give a widow a fright.(RC1284) (RC7774.7303)

'

The problem with Aaron Sherritt and my daughter

I eventually discovered food tins left by the police party and then found their camp. I think that I saw Aaron Sherritt with the police. He had been coming over to see my daughter Catherine for some time and I had my suspensions about him for some time. I confronted him about things. He would not tell me how he got his money, what he did all day or who his new friends were. I stopped Aaron from seeing Catherine and he became very resentful about things. As Mrs Sherritt said while Catherine may have been thinking of marriage, I don't think that that thought was on Aaron Sherritt's mind (RC13174 )

In an attempt to get back at me Aaron decided to take Charlie, Catherine's horse back. He had given her a horse a few years ago. I went and up to see Mr and Mrs Sherritt and told them about Aaron and his spying for the police and everything. I then went over to see Aaron and accused him of keeping police horses. I then charged him with stealing Charlie and the case dragged on for some time. (OMA15/7/79) (OMA17/7/79) (OMA24/7/79) (OMA26/7/79)

Hear my evidence (OMA29/7/79)

Later Aaron dropped over to see us and while I was happy for him to talk to my younger children I stopped him from talking to Catherine, but I did not have to pressure her. She understood what Aaron was. I was not at all happy and I decided to charge Aaron stealing the horse. Of course he got off. (See also RC14528) (RC12186) See also (JJK)

Const Faulkiner believed Aaron Sherritt was not friends with me, and that was the only thing that led him to believe Sherritt was in with the police (RC5329) See also (FH) (FH)

Later in 1879 I was visited by Enoch Downes about this time. He wanted to talk about the children's attendance at school. I told him that one of my other sons had been engaged in the garden at a place at Tumberumba in New South Wales. He wanted to talk about a lot of other things.(RC13492)

On another occasion in mid November 1879 that snooping Encoh Downes, the truant officer. He thought we were away and was impressed to see young fellows coming to my place from Beechworth with drapery goods, and on another occasion I saw the improvements about the house. To his mind the profits of robbery by the KellyGang. (RC13494)

When Downes saw me he said that he was concerned about one of the boys attendance at school. I was in the garden, and we hand a little conversation. He asked about the reason of her boy's non-attendance at school, and cautioned me in case of any further default. He even threatened me with prosecution but then saw sense and gave me what they call a 'warning'. After I calmed down I asked him if he would go inside and have a cup of tea with me. My son Patrick Byrne put his horse in the garden, and he came inside and waited till I made a cup of tea. We then chatted for a couple of hours.

On 11/11/1879 I wanted to see Mary Jane Sherritt but she said that she was too sick to come. (RC15751)

On 14/11/1879 I told Jack Sherritt that Dan Kelly had visited his mothers home the night before (RC15265)

Police 2nd Cave Party In December 1879 Ass Com Nicolson appointed a cave party of police to watch my home looking for the KellyGang. They did not find them. The party was under Const Mullane and consisted of Consts Faulkiner, Alexander, Canny, Armstrong, and McColl. (RC841) (RC5247)

The cave was about a mile or a mile and a half from my home.(RC13544)

Det Ward one of his spies to visit my neighbours the Chappells to see how I was getting on (RC14112)

The instructions Const Faulkiner received with reference to this duty were that four of us would be told off with Aaron Sherritt as a guide in watching my house at night-lime. If possible, they were to try to capture my son Joe alive, to stick a handkerchief in his mouth and bring him in to Beechworth. They were to try to capture the other boys if they came to my place. (RC5251)

Const Faulkiner said in answer to the question, 'Do you think that during the time you were on duty up there, or previously or subsequently to this, that the KellyGang were in the habit of visiting Byrne's?- ' 'Well, I doubted it. I did not see what they wanted to come home for. I thought they could easily get their provisions elsewhere. They might occasionally visit the place, I have no doubt, but not frequently.' (RC5685) See also (FH)

We were vey short of food and on occasions I had to beg for food from Pat Allen (BWC)

My son Denny went to school with the Sherritt boys and Mrs Barry's son.(RC12103) (RC12196)

Early in 1880 The police searched my place. They said that they were looking for stolen jewelry. They said that they 'found' a saddle that had been stolen from Aaron Sherritt's place. I had nothing to do with this put up job between the Sherritt boys. (RC15696)

Mrs Sherritt saw the KellyGang on one of their visits to my place to get some supplies. 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)

One of our 'friends', a police agent, reported to Det Ward on about 17/5/1880. The report from the famous Mrs. -, said that I had written to - , a girl of about seventeen, a daughter of Mrs. -, who has been Ward's agent right through the time of the cave party in communicating with Mrs.-, going to her house and bringing the news back to Ward. The letter from me said I wanted to see -, the business was to know if the boys (meaning Dan or Joe) would call, to be careful not to let them stay long, as she believed that Aaron was working for the police. This person also reported that the KellyGang had called about a week previous, near Chiltern, at "Lord Byron's"; that they were miserable and ragged, and in want of food, and they took a lot of food from "Byron's" with them; that they gave a letter to Mr. - to deliver to me; that Mrs. -, not being good friends with me, she took the letter to -, and the letter was delivered through - to me. (RC13858) Could Mrs - be Mrs Sherritt or her daughter Anne Jane?

See also (JJK)

Another of these reports to Ass Com Nicolson said that Joe Byrne visited me on 26/5/1880, well perhaps. I understand he came up to Beechworth a few days later and caused more trouble (RC789)

A little later in May Tom Lloyd seen at my place (RC801)

John Sherritt reported to the police that I had winter flannel and socks all ready to go to the the KellyGang. He said I also had provisions for six families stored by in my house.

When the police at Aaron Sherritts came around to spy on us the dogs; and our flock of geese did a great job to warn us. (RC3610) (RC3788)

After the events I told the police that my son Denny tracked the police at Aaron Sherrit's house in the sand for a hundred yards every morning to and from the hut. We also found police straps in the grass near the house. (RC12214) See also (Kilmore10/6/18780)

Death of Aaron Sherritt 26/6/1880 Mrs Sherritt, Aaron's mother told the Royal Commission that my son Joe decided to shoot Aaron after I discovered that he was assisting the police. She may have been right but there was a lot more evidence (RC13162) This all came out in the newspapers as soon as Aaron's death was reported (Argus 28/6/80) Glenrowan Siege 28/6/1880 My son Joe Byrne died at Glenrowan. They took him down to Benalla and strung him up on a door to take photographs. They then took him out to the Benalla cemetery and buried him in an unmarked grave. They did not even tell me.

I am still proud of him. He was a great member of the KellyGang.

After the Siege The Royal Commission visited the site of my house, (Argus22/7/81)

I left the Woolshed area in 1881 and moved to Albury where I died in 1921

What happened to the Byrne family

Joseph

Byrne

b1800

d

Catherine

O'Brien

                                                     
I_________

I

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I

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_

I

             
Mary

Byrne

b

d

John

Byrne

b17/3/1862

d

m

Mary

Wall

b

d

              James

Byrne

b

d

m

Jane

?

b

d

                    Patrick

Byrne

b1831

d1870

m

Margaret

White

b1834

d 1921

             
  I_________

I

_________

I

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I

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I

_________

I

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I

_________

I

_

I

I_________

I

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I

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I

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I

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I

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I

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I

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I

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I

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I

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I

I_________

I

_________

I

_________

I

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I

_________

I

_________

I

_________

I

_________

I

  Joseph

Byrne

b

d

James

Byrne

b

d

 ?

Byrne

b

d

Catherine

Byrne

b

d

John

Byrne

b

d

 ?

Byrne

b

d

 ?

Byrne

b

d

Margaret

Byrne

b1870

d

James

Byrne

b1850

d

Joseph

Byrne

b

d

 ?

Byrne

b

d

William

Byrne

b

d

 ?

Byrne

b

d

James

Byrne

b

d

Michael

Byrne

b

d

 ?

Byrne

b

d

Lily

Byrne

b

d

 ?

Byrne

b

d

 ?

Byrne

b

d

Joseph

Byrne

b1856

d28/6/1880

John

Byrne

b1858

died in infancy

Catherine

Byrne

b1860

d

Patrick Byrne

b1862

d1922

Mary

Byrne

b1864

d

Dennis

Byrne

b1866

d1941

Margaret

Byrne

b

d

Ellen

Byrne

b1871

d

Note from one of our correspondents - can you help?

"Our Ellen Byrne was born circa 1870-71 in Victoria although on her marriage certificate she has written Victoria for her birthplace then crossed it out and put down New South Wales, her husband also crossed out Victoria but we know that he knew he was born in NSW.

Ellen married Leonard Bulpit in October 1890 in Melbourne and she had to get special permission to marry from a justice of the peace ,she has put her age as 20.On the Certificate she claims that Patrick Byrne was her Father and that her mother was " Ellen Unknown".When our Ellen died in 1955 she was known as Ellen Margaret.

Ellen never spoke about her family to her children and claimed that she was brought up in a convent but we don't know where .Although she was married by a Church of England Minister she regularly went to Mass at the Catholic church .Her children were brought up as Catholics..

She was a very strict Mother, secretive but quite intelligent. Ellen and Leonard had 7 children..

Ellen's Granddaughter lived with us for 8 years and she was very upset when we started delving into family history.She claimed she knew nothing much about Ellen except going to church with her sometimes and we believe her, but she had a very distinct fear of us finding out stuff about the family . We have tried to disprove our suspicions but have been unable to do so as yet.We have looked on the NSW births deaths and marriages but no one comes close.

Another strange thing is that there are no photos of Ellen within the family . We were hoping that someone on your site could help us with some more info about Ellen Byrne ,Joe Byrnes sister. There are several Patricks down through the years in Philip's family and yet the children of Ellen seemed to not know about Patrick, Ellen's father. All these things add up to a person who is denying their past and therefore it makes it a possibility of our Ellen Byrne being Joe Byrnes youngest sister but Philip would like to do further research into it yet as it is not definate. Perhaps we won't be able to find the truth.

We are still hopeful of finding a photo of her somewhere as all her children married and there just may be a photo of her at one of the marriages, who knows .We can only try. We hope you can help us with some more information.' [1]