Jane Kelly (c1830-1872)

Immigration to New South Wales
Jane Kelly arrived in Sydney from Ireland at the age of 19 on the ship "Digby" with her younger sister Isabella, 17, on 4 Apr 1849. Their parents were named and were recorded as deceased. Both girls could read and write. They also both had Church of England recorded for their religion, the same as about 25% of the girls on the ship.

Jane Kelly and her sister Isabella came out to Australia as part of Earl Grey's Famine Orphan (or Pauper) Immigration Scheme which operated from 1848 to 1850 during the Irish potato famine. Under the scheme 4,112 destitute teenage female orphans (meaning the loss of one or both parents) were taken from workhouses throughout Ireland and transported to Australia for a better life.

Jane was sent to Yass in New South Wales, marrying there in 1850.

Life in Yass with Thomas Digby
Newspapers of the day reveal that 50 of the Earl Grey scheme girls were sent to Yass. Thomas Digby (c1820-), a baker, confectioner (baker of cakes), and brewer, with other citizens of Yass, signed a letter dated 17 April 1850 mentioning the "general good conduct of the fifty girls who have obtained situations amongst us" from the "Female Irish Orphan Immigrants".

Jane's first child, Thomas Digby Jnr, was conceived in late August 1849 and was born in Yass in May 1850 when Jane was about 20 years old. (When Thomas Digby Jnr was christened Jane's first name was given as Ann.) Unfortunately the baby only lived for 6 weeks. Jane then married her baby's father, Thomas Digby (c1820-), on 4 November 1850 at the Presbyterian church in Yass. About 6 weeks later in mid-December 1850, Jane's next child was conceived. Newspapers of the day reveal that Jane was still living in Yass in February 1851. Thomas Digby was still living in Yass in March 1851.

Are Thomas Digby and Thomas Lansdown the same person?
Jane's next child was born in Sydney in September 1851, and baptised in October 1851. This child was baptised as Isabella Landstone(sic), the daughter of Thomas Landstone(sic) and Jane Kelly of Hunter Street, Sydney. It is know that Thomas Landstone was Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885). The mystery becomes was  Thomas Digby (c1820-) an alias for Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885). In otherwords, are they the same person, or did Jane became involved with another man soon after her marriage?

Life in Sydney and Goulburn with Thomas Lansdown
Jane's first child with Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885), Isabella Landstone(sic) (known as Isabella Lydia Lansdown), was born on 4 September 1851 in Sydney and christened on 6 October 1851 at St Mary's Catholic Cathedral, Sydney, as the daughter of Thomas Landstone(sic) and Jane Kelly. Baby Isabella was named after Jane's sister & mother who were also both named Isabella. It is not known why Isabella was baptised at the Catholic Cathedral as immigration records record that Jane was protestant.

Thomas and Jane's second daughter, Rebecca Jane Lansdown, was born on 25 December 1852 at "Springfield", Tirrannaville, 20 kilometres south of Goulburn, where Thomas had moved his family to work on the farm of William Pitt Faithfull (1806-1896). (Goulburn is about 80 kilomtres east of Yass.) Mary Anne Lansdown was born on 21 January 1854, followed by their son Thomas on 11 January 1855, and their daughter Ellen Henrietta on 26 January 1856. Birth records do not exist for these children, but their dates of birth are recorded at their baptism, together with their sister Isabella who was rebaptised from Catholic to Prebyterian, at the Presbyterian church in Goulburn in November 1857. The Presbyterian church recorded mother's maiden names. The record then shows the father as Thomas Lansdown and the mother as Jane Kelly for the eldest 2 children and Mary(sic) Kelly for the youngest 3 children.

Jane's relationship with Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885) broke down in September 1856 as revealed in a court case in December 1857, held at a time when Jane was pregnant with her first child, Ann Jane, by her new partner William Garner (1809-1868). In this court case Jane sued Thomas for maintenance. Other details of the court case include that in September 1856 Thomas had "brutally beaten her (Jane's) naked body with a whip" on a day when Thomas "had detected an improper intimacy between her and a man (Mr Burns) in his employ". (At the time Jane was probably unaware that she was newly pregnant, having conceived near the end of August 1856. Thomas never accepted paternity for this child, Martha.) Jane only sought maintenance for herself (and was awarded 8s a week to be paid by Thomas Lansdown to the Chief Constable). The assumption to be drawn from this is that the Lansdown children, ranging in age from 1 to 6 years, were living with their father. This assumption is strengthened in that William Garner (1809-1868), Jane's new partner, would not have wanted to take on the support of the Lansdown children in addition to his own and Jane's baby Martha, and by the fact that Jane did not take the Lansdown children with her and their younger half-siblings to Sydney in December 1862.

No record of a marriage between Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885) and Jane Kelly has been found. The court case of December 1857, where Jane sued Thomas for spousal maintenance, was only possible if they did marry. A marriage to Jane would also explain why Thomas Lansdown and Rebecca Best (1834-1921), in an era when divorce was the prerogative of the rich, did not marry until after Jane's death, and why Jane never married William Garner (1809-1868). If the man that Jand married in 1850, Thomas Digby (c1820-), and Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885) were the same person this would fully explain these circumstances.

In November 1857, a month earlier than the court case, Jane's children with Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885), Isabella, Rebecca, Mary Ann, Thomas and Ellen, were baptised at the Presbyterian Church in Goulburn. Isabella who had been previously baptised as Catholic was rebaptised as Presbyterian. It is not known if the children were taken to be baptised by their mother Jane who was in a new relationship with William Garner (1809-1868), their father Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885) who was in a new relationship with Rebecca Best (1834-1921), or if both of their parents had been able to overcome their differences to be together for this ceremony. However, Jane Kelly's then youngest child, Martha, born in May 1857 after the break-up of her relationship with Thomas Lansdown, was not christened in this ceremony, and it is likely that the Lansdown children were living with their father, suggesting that Thomas Lansdown was the instigator of this christening.

Jane Lansdown nee Kelly becomes Jane Digby
When her next child was born in May 1857 in Goulburn Hospital, Jane, who had previously been known as Jane Lansdown, assumed her previous married name of Jane Digby. Jane named the child Martha Digby. Jane stated that Martha's father was her husband Thomas Digby, a baker (which agrees with the occupation of her husband Thomas Digby from Yass) born in Southampton, England and of a similiar age to Thomas Lansdown.

These circumstances can be better understood if it was true that Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885) and Thomas Digby were the same person. In this case Jane reverted to the name of Digby that she had been married under, and named the father as Thomas Lansdown under his alias of Thomas Digby, and with his previous occupation. The place of birth does not agree with details Thomas himself provided in 1873, but Jane may not have known where he was born.

Jane stated on Martha's birth registration that she had previous living issue of 5 girls and 1 boy. If 5 girls is correct she had another child, a girl, and a twin to either Rebecca Jane Lansdown, Mary Ann Lansdown, Thomas Lansdown or Ellen Henrietta Lansdown. If 5 girls is correct this other daughter died between the time of Martha's birth on 18 May 1857 and 27 November 1857 when the Lansdown children were christened.

Life in Goulburn with William Garner
In June 1857 (court records) Jane began a new relationship with log-splitter William Garner (1809-1868), a father of 4. Jane was soon pregnant again, conceiving in mid-August 1857. In November William's wife Mary Ann McCann (c1815-1857) died of cancer, and it is possible that Jane had been nursing Mary Ann and looking after her young children. In December 1857 was the court case against Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885) sueing for maintenance.

On 12 May 1858 Jane's first child by William Garner was born. No birth records exist for this child, Ann Jane Digby, but her date of birth has been retained by her descendants. That Ann Jane was the daughter of William Garner was confirmed by later court records. Ann Jane was followed by William on 28 November 1860. (Jane was extremely fertile having her children often only 12 months apart, and the gap between Ann Jane and William is the largest gap in Jane's births. It is not known if Jane lost a child, or even twins, born in this gap.) William's birth was registered as William Digby, father unknown. Little William died at the age of 7 weeks on 18 April 1861, and his death was registered as William Gardner(sic), father William and mother Jane Digby. On 20 March 1862 Jane gave birth to twins, William Minn Digby and Cecilia Digby. William Minn's birth was registered as William Minn Digby, father unknown, and for some reason Cecilia's birth was not registered. William Minn did not live for long but his death was not registered. That Cecilia was the daughter of William Garner was confirmed by later court records. Jane's last child with William Garner was conceived in mid-July 1862. Soon after this William Garner deserted Jane and their children (court records).

Pregnant Jane then took her youngest children, Martha, Ann Jane and baby Cecilia, with her to Sydney in December 1862.

Life in Sydney from 1862 to 1872
Further research is currently being undertaken into the life of Jane Kelly and her children during her time in Sydney.

Not Bridget Kelly (c1814-1872) who died in Goulburn in 1872
For a long time it has been assumed that Jane Kelly died in Goulburn in 1872 and that her death was registered under the name of Bridget Kelly. Bridget Kelly (c1814-1872), however, was a completely different person. Bridget Kelly died on 2 June 1872 in Cole Street, Goulburn at the stated age of 58 (born about 1814). She had been born in Limerick, Ireland as Bridget Egan, and had been in Australia about 26 years (immigrated about 1846). She had married in Ireland to John Kelly. She had 2 sons living, and 3 sons and 1 daughter deceased. She was given a Catholic burial.

Not Bridget Kelly the daughter of Daniel Kelly (c1790-) & Ann Whelan (c1802-)
For a long time it had also been assumed that the Bridget Kelly who died in Goulburn in 1872 was born in 1822 in Paramatta as the daughter of Daniel Kelly (c1790-) and Ann Whelan (c1802-). It had also been assumed that their daughter Bridget was Jane Kelly. Neither of these assumptions are correct. Their daughter Bridget Kelly was Bridget Margaret Kelly (1822-1916) who married George Sweeney in 1842, had a daughter Ellen Sweeney (1844-1870), and she died at Hunters Hill in 1916 with her death registered under the name of Bridget Margaret Sweeney, father Daniel Kelly, mother Ann Whelan. This Bridget was also known as Biddy (not Jane) and was shown with her father Daniel Kelly in the 1828 census of New South Wales by her middle name of Margaret, aged 5.

Death
Jane Kelly died of tuberculosis on 12 July 1872 in St Vincents Hospital, Darlinghurst, Sydney. Her death was recorded under the name of Jane Digby. Tragically she died alone without family so few personal details were able to be recorded on her death registration. The only details known to the matron of the hospital were that Jane was about 40 years old (born about 1832), had been born in Ireland, and had been in Australia for 23 years (1849). Jane had been sick in hospital for 3 months and 1 week prior to her death.

Jane Kelly's son Frederick Thomas Lansdown
It is not known if Jane's son Frederick Thomas Lansdown (1849-1910) was adopted as a young child, or if instead Jane's son Thomas Lansdown (1855-) and Frederick Thomas Lansdown (1849-1910) are the same person.

There is a story that has become folklore within the family. In this story Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885) (and therefore also Jane Kelly) had an adopted son by the name of Frederick, adopted in exchange for a piece of land, and that his birth name was either Day or Faithfull. The only Faithfull associated with the Goulburn district in that period was pastoralist William Pitt Faithfull (1806-1896) who had settled in the district in 1828, and married in 1844. (William Pitt Faithfull was the son of Corporal William Faithfull (1774-1847) who had arrived on the "Pitt" on 14 February 1792 as a soldier in the NSW Corps.) It is known that Thomas Lansdown worked for a long period on the "Springfield" Stud of William Pitt Faithfull at Tirrannaville near Goulburn. In 1838 William Pitt Faithfull did himself father an illegitimate son, Henry Pitt Faithfull (1838-1896), with a female employee working on his farm. This child was raised by his mother whilst retaining the Faithfull surname, and is the exact opposite of a precedent of adopting out illegitimate children fathered by the Faithfull family. There is no record of a Day family associated with the Goulburn district in that period, but it is possible that an employee with the surname of Day worked on the Faithfull farm. One version of the story states that Frederick was the son of a Miss Faithfull and an employee by the name of Day who became scared of what her family would do to him and absconded. There was, however, no Miss Faithfull of child-bearing age in the Faithfull family in that period. Neither has a record of transfer or ownership of a piece of land been found. The story that Frederick was adopted, however, may be true. Frederick may, for example, have been born illegitimately on the Faithfull farm from a liason between two employees neither of whom was in a position to raise him.