Jane Kelly (c1830-1872)

Immigration to New South Wales, 1849
19 year old Jane Kelly arrived in Sydney from Ireland 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 other 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, 1849-1851
Newspapers of the day reveal that 50 girls from the Earl Grey scheme who had arrived at Sydney on 3 February 1850 on the "Thomas Arbuthnot" were sent to Yass, arriving there on 2 March 1850. They were not the first Irish orphan girls to arrive in Yass, however, as Jane Kelly had earlier been sent to Yass. She fell pregnant to Thomas Digby (c1820-), a baker, confectioner (baker of cakes), and brewer of Yass, in late August 1849 and began to live as his wife.

When the new shipment of 50 Irish orphan girls girls arrived in Yass on 2 March 1850 looking for placements, heavily pregnant 20 year old Jane, Mrs Digby, hired 15 year old Bridget Canny (c1835-1869) for a period of 2 years. On 17 April 1850 Thomas Digby, together with other citizens of Yass, signed a letter mentioning the "general good conduct of the fifty girls who have obtained situations amongst us" from the "Female Irish Orphan Immigrants". Bridget was soon, however, removed from the Digby household and resettled with more 'Christian people' as heavily pregant Mrs Digby had proved to be 'violent-tempered'.

Jane's first child, Thomas Digby Jnr, was born in Yass in 18 May 1850 when Jane was about 20 years old. (When Thomas Digby Jnr was christened Jane's name was recorded as Ann Digby.) Unfortunately the baby only lived for 6 weeks. Jane officially became Mrs Digby when she married her baby's father, Thomas Digby (c1820-), on 4 November 1850 at the Presbyterian Church in Yass (the first permanent church being built in 1858).

About 6 weeks after the wedding, in mid-December 1850, Jane's next child was conceived.

Newspapers of the day reveal that Jane was still living in Yass with Thomas Digby in February 1851, and that Thomas Digby was still living in Yass, presumably with Jane, in March 1851 (The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyll Advertiser, 22 March 1851). Thomas Digby was not, however, still living in Yass by September 1851 when uncollected mail was returned from Yass to Sydney (The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyll Advertiser, 27 September 1851).

Life in Sydney and Goulburn with Thomas Lansdown, 1851-1856
Jane began a relationship with Thomas Lansdown while she was pregnant with Thomas Digby's child. It is assumed that Jane's first husband Thomas Digby had died in Yass or Sydney before this new relationship began. It is not known when Jane and Thomas Lansdown married as no record of a marriage between Thomas Lansdown and Jane Kelly has been found. The court case of December 1857, where Jane sued Thomas for spousal maintenance, was only possible, however, if they did marry. A marriage to Jane would 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 Thomas stated that he was a widower. It would also explain why Jane never married the widower William Garner (1809-1868).

Jane's daughter 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 (shown in the records by those names). 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. (Isabella was also christened at the Presbyterian Church in Goulburn for a second time on 27 November 1857 confirming her date of birth, her mother, and that Thomas Lansdown claimed to be her father. That she was born in Sydney is confirmed at her marriage in 1900, and at her death in 1911.)

Thomas and Jane's first child together, 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 km [50m] 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 elder 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 there shows the father as Thomas Lansdown and the mother as Jane Kelly for Jane's eldest 2 children and Mary(sic) Kelly for Jane's youngest 3 children.

Jane's relationship with Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885) broke down in September 1856 when Thomas had "brutally beaten her (Jane's) naked body with a whip" on a day when Thomas claimed that he "had detected an improper intimacy between her and a man (Mr Burns) in his employ" (court documents, December 1857). (Jane later denied the allegation of adultery, but she had a vested interest to do so, as admission of her adultery would deny her spousal maintenance.)

Jane was compelled, whether by force or by circumstance, to leave the household, and to leave behind her 5 young children, from 5 year old Isabella to 7 month old Ellen. It is hard to imagine a mother leaving behind a 7 month old baby. Therefore it is assumed that Thomas would not let Jane take any of the children with her. Jane also had no means to support herself, let alone her children.

In September 1856 when Jane had to leave the household she was probably unaware that she was newly pregnant, having conceived near the end of August 1856. It is not known if this was Thomas's child, or the child of his employee Burns. Thomas, however, never accepted paternity for this child, Martha.

Birth of Martha in May 1857: Jane Lansdown nee Kelly again becomes Jane Digby
When her next child, Martha, was born in May 1857 in Goulburn Hospital, Jane, who prior to her break-up with Thomas Lansdown had been known as Jane Lansdown, assumed her previous married name of Jane Digby.

Jane named the new baby Martha Digby. Jane stated that her maiden name was Jane Kelly, born in Westmeath, Ireland, 25 (born about 1831). When asked who Martha's father was Jane provided the datails of her former-husband and stated that Martha's father was Thomas Digby, a baker, born in Southampton, England, 37 (born about 1820).

Jane also 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, Isabella, Rebecca, Mary Ann, Thomas, and Ellen, were christened.

Christening of the Lansdown children, November 1857
On 27 November 1857, the Lansdown children, 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. Jane's then youngest child, Martha Digby, born in May 1857 after the break-up of her relationship with Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885), was not christened in this ceremony. This was because the Lansdown children were living with Thomas Lansdown and the christening was arranged by Thomas Lansdown. Thomas was then in a new relationship with Rebecca Best (1834-1921) who was at the time pregnant with their first child, and who had been helping to care for his children (court documents, June 1857). It is assumed that Jane was not invited to this ceremony. Jane was named as the mother of the children, but the minister was not able to record her name correctly recording the mother's name as Jane Kelly for the record of Isabella's and Rebecca's christenings, but as Mary Kelly for Mary Ann's, Thomas's, and Ellen's.

Court Case of December 1857
In December 1857 Jane and Thomas Landown were before the courts in Goulburn with Jane, using the name of Jane Lansdown, sueing Thomas Lansdown for spousal maintenance. Jane was not sueing for support of the children as the children, then ranging in age from 1 to 6 years, were living with Thomas Lansdown. At the time that this case was before the courts Jane was pregnant to her newly-widowed employer William Garner (1809-1868).

On Tuesday 15 December 1857 began the hearing of what the reporter of the Goulburn newspaper called "this extraordinary case". On what was to be the first day of the court case, Thomas Lansdown justified "his refusal to pay maintenance to his wife" because "she had been unfaithful to him". Jane gave evidence to the court that in September 1856 Thomas had "brutally beaten her naked body with a whip". Thomas's evidence had not denied the beating, but he gave as the reason for the beating that on that day he had found Jane bed with his employee Burns in "an improper intimacy". The case was then adjorned until Thursday 24 December 1857.

On the second day of the case Thomas, in defence of his conduct, placed a letter dated March 1857 before the court "purporting to have been written by his wife." He said he had forgotten about the letter previously, but now wanted it read before the court as it would show the "abominable nature of his wife's conduct". He also desired to have Jane re-sworn in order that he may put questions to her. The letter which was signed "your affectionate wife Jane" had a tone "intended to bring about a reconcilliation between the huband and the wife" and contained "admissions and exculpations [excuses] in about equal proportions". The admissions in the letter included that Burns had been in her bedroom, that he had "pulled her about" on various occassions, that she had not told her husband as she feared he would want her to take Burns to court "and she was averse to that course from motives of delicacy". The construction of other parts of the letter admitted by implication that there had been improper intimacies between Jane and Burns, and that Jane had not been guilty of "bad conduct" until the "wretch" Burns had "taken liberties" against her consent. Jane's legal counsel privately read the letter and then retired from the court for a few minutes to consult with his client, Jane. On his return to the court he addressed the Bench and stated that "the letter, if a genuine one, would be a complete answer to the case for the prosecution, for it amounted to an actual confession of 'guilty' to the charges brought aginst the woman by her husband". His client, however, "most expressly denied" that she had written the letter. She said that the handwriting was not hers, and nor had she authorised another person to write the letter for her. He had read parts of the letter yo his client, and she said that she had never, on any occassion, stated anything of the kind. She said that all the statements were utterly untrue. He believed his client to be telling the truth, "and if such were the case a greater piece of rascality than that of which the defendant [Thomas] had been guilty could not well be brought before any court of justice". Jane's legal counsel stated that Lansdown, anticipating that at some time he may be before the courts as he was on that day, had deliberately written the letter himself, had mailed it to himself in March 1857 so that the post-mark of the Goulburn Post Office would appear on the letter to "give to it the appearance of genuiness", had then put the letter aside and produced it today "to bolster his disgraceful charges against his wife". He asked the Bench if they could really believe, if it was genuine, that Thomas had not produced this letter on the first day in court because he had forgotten about such such an important document.

Thomas then told the court that he had not forgotten the letter but had not been able to find it as it had been mislaid. He had only found the latter subsequent to the last hearing. Jane's legal counsel then again addressed the court stating that it was improbable that Thomas's statement was true. He then proposed to put Jane back on the stand to "give her version of the matter". Jane gave evidence that she never wrote the letter, nor asked anyone else to write it for her. She said the document was in the handwriting of Thomas Lansdown. (Jane was able to deny the allegations of adultery with impunity as evidence of the circumstances surrounding the registration and birth of her child Martha were never presented to the court. Thomas also could not bring up about Martha, who he was not being asked to support, as he was not privy to the details of her birth registration, and it would have been difficult for Thomas to establish that he was not the father as Martha was conceived before the marriage break-up.)

Thomas "vehemently declared that he had not written the letter". As proof of this Thomas produced for the court a document bearing the date 4 September 1856 purporting to be a receipt for wages signed by the man Burns. The body of the recipt was in Thomas's hand, and Thomas claimed that their Worships would be able to see that the writing in the two documents was dissimilar. Jane's legal counsel then stated that Thomas had just proved Jane's case. The receipt was not genuine. It should have been dated 24 September and not 4 September, and, although the paper had been crumpled and dirtied to give it an old appearance, the ink was hardly dry. He contended that if their Worships compared the two documents they would find that the handwriting was the same and that they were written by the same person. Thomas had already admitted writing the receipt dated September 1856, so he had then to be the author of the latter dated March 1857. Their Worships did inspect the two documents, and agreed in their opinion with Jane's legal counsel.

Jane was awarded 8s per week maintenance to be paid by Thomas Lansdown to the Chief Constable. Thomas was also ordered to pay Jane's legal costs to her counsel, Mr Walsh, of 3 guineas (£3 3s) and costs of the court.

Life in Goulburn with William Garner, 1857-1862
In May 1857 Jane was in Goulburn Hospital giving birth to her daughter Martha Digby. At the same time Mary Ann Garner nee McCann (c1815-1857), a mother of 4 and the wife of carrier William Garner (1809-1868), was diagnosed with cancer. In June or July 1857 Jane and her new-born baby Martha moved into the Garner home (court records, January 1863) in Auburn Street, Goulburn. It appears that Jane had been employed to nurse William's dying wife Mary Ann McCann (c1815-1857), and to care for their 4 young children, Susan 10, Catherine 6, John 4, and Matilda 7 months. (It is assumed that Mary Ann's children from her first marriage, ranging in age from 23 to 12, had already left home.) It is also possible that Jane's services as a wet-nurse were also required for 7 month old Matilda, which is ironic as Jane had previously had to leave her own then 7 month old child when she had split from Thomas Lansdown.

Jane was soon pregnant again, conceiving a child with William Garner in mid-August 1857.

On 3 November 1857 William's wife Mary Ann McCann (c1815-1857) died at home, to be mourned by her husband and her children.

In December 1857 was Jane's court case against Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885) sueing for maintenance. At the time that Jane had initially begun the legal action to bring Thomas to court she had been an employee in the Garner household. Sometime between the death of his wife in November 1857, and the birth of their first child in May 1858, the relationship between Jane and William changed from employee and employer to partners. William Garner had accepted Jane's youngest child Martha as part of his household. William would not have wanted to accept and support Jane's older Lansdown children, even if Thomas Lansdown had been willing to give them up.

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. Her year of birth is also confirmed from independant sources. That Ann Jane was the daughter of William Garner was confirmed by later court records (January 1863).

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 miscarried a child in this gap.) Baby William was baptised on 18 January 1861 at Goulburn as William Gernar(sic) the son of William Gernar(sic), carrier, and Jane Gernar(sic). Baby William's birth was registered as William Digby, father unknown. Little William died at the age of 4 months on 19 April 1861, and his death was registered as William Gardner(sic), father William Gardner(sic) and mother Jane Digby. His age was recorded as 5 months, and the cause of death was an 'accident' with the illness lasting 3 months.

Jane was soon pregnant again and on 20 March 1862 Jane gave birth to her daughter Cecilia Digby, at Tarlo 20km north of Goulburn. Cecilia's birth was strangely registered as William Minn Digby, male child, father unknown. That this child was a girl named Cecilia who was the daughter of William Garner was confirmed by later court records (January 1863), and records of the Sydney Benevolent Asylum. That this was not a twin birth with the boy dying at a young age is also confirmed by the court records of January 1863. In this court case Jane stated that she had born three children to William Digby, who it is known from other records were Ann Jane (1858), William (1860), and Cecilia (1862).

Jane's last child with William Garner was conceived at Tarlo in mid-July 1862. This child was not due until April 1863.

In September 1862 Jane was then "compelled to leave his (Willaim's) house for want of means of subsistence, he being away from home on a journey" (court records, January 1863), taking her children with her. She left behind those of William Garner's children from his 1st marriage who were living with them, and William Garner's second eldest child, 12 year old Catherine Garner, died at Tarlo on 18 October 1862.

Leaving William Garner's house, pregnant Jane took her children, Martha (5), Ann Jane (3) and baby Cecilia (8m), with her on the long journey to Sydney, arriving there on 8 December 1862.

Life in Sydney from 1862 to 1872
During this time Jane mainly used the name of Jane Digby, but occassionally also used the name of Jane Lansdown.

On 8 December 1862 Jane arrived at the Sydney Benevolent Asylum with a baby in her arms, and two young children at her feet. The Benevolent Asylum had been opened in 1821 by Governor Macquarie to care for the infirm and the destitute. It was located on the corner of Pitt and Devonshire Streets, Sydney on a site now occupied by Central Railway Station. In 1851 the Asylum had become a female only instituation, and in 1852 it began to also care for orphaned children. In 1854 in the north wing of the asylum, where the hospital facilities were located, an obstetric unit was opened particularly for single women, but not excluding married women who were deserted or destitute. Jane was on the door-step of the Asylum because she was pregnant, abandoned, and destitute.

Jane's desperation in her current plight was displayed by her having walked with her children the 200km from Goulburn to Sydney in search of support. Asylum records on their admission state that Jane was 31 (she was 32), Martha was 6 (she was 5), Ann Jane was 3, and Cecilia was 10m (she was 8m). The records also state that "the father of the above children William Gardner(sic) with whom she has been co-habitating has since deserted her and the children, a warrant is issued against him for support of the children."

Baby Cecilia died in the asylum at the age of 9 months (recorded age 10m) on 30 December 1862 from exhaustion caused by lack of nourishment during teething.

On Tuesday 30 December 1862 William Garner was before Central Police Court in Sydney, having been apprehended in Goulburn, being charged with disobeying a summons from the Sydney Bench. He was bound over on his own recognisance to appear before the bench a week later. ("Goulburn Herald", 3 January 1863)

On Tuesday 6 January 1863 William Garner was again before the court being charged with unlawfully deserting his two illegitimate children [Ann Jane and Cecilia] and leaving them without means of support. Reported in the "Empire" of 8 January 1863, Jane Digby gave evidence that she was a married woman who lived apart from her husband who lived apart from her husband up the country, beyond Goulburn. In 1857 she had "contracted an intimacy with the defendant, the result of which was that she had two children of whom he was the father [Ann Jane and Cecilia]. One of the children had died about a month ago [Cecilia - who had died only a week before], and the other [Ann Jane] was left destitute, without any means of support. William Garner denied paternity of the child [Ann Jane] although he admitted "having co-habited with the woman Digby". The Bench remanded the case for one week to give the parties an opportunity to reach an amicable arrangement.

However, before the week was out, on Friday 9 January 1863, William Garner was again before the court to continue the case against him of deserting his illegitimate child. The "Sydney Morning Herald" of 10 January 1863, and the "Goulburn Herald" of 14 January 1863, reported that William Garner was appearing before the court to answer Jane Digby's complaint that he had "deserted a female illegitimate child [Ann Jane], of which he was the father and she was the mother". Jane stated that she was a married woman and had last seen her husband in 1856. She also stated that she believed her husband was living somewhere in the colony. It is known from the court documents of December 1857 that December 1857 was the last time that she had seen her husband Thomas Landsown. It is alo known that Jane knew exactly where Thomas was living. Jane's testimony on this point was designed to make her make her next admission, that she had begun living with William Garner in June or July 1857, appear less morally damning. Jane next stated that she had begun to live with William Garner in June of July 1857 "as his wife". It is known that Jane conceived her 1st child with William Garner in mid-August 1857, but that William Garner's first wife was still living until November 1857. Therefore Jane could not have begun to live with William Garner "as his wife" this early. William Garner never disputed this point as it was the date that Jane moved into his house, and also the approximate date that their sexual relationship began. Jane testified that she had lived with William Garner until September 1857 bearing him 3 children during that time [Ann Jane, William, and Cecilia], 2 of whom were dead [William and Cecilia]. Jane had been compelled to leave William's house for "want of a means of substance" as William had been away from home on a journey. Jane had seen William in Goulburn in October 1857 and had asked him for assistance to live and he had at that time given her about 5s. In december, when she had been travelling on foot to Sydney with the 2 children then living [Ann Jane and Cecilia], William had passed her with his team [of oxen] on the road, but he had taken no notice of them. Jane stated that William had 2 teams and could make about £40 a month. She also stated that she was residing at the Benevolent Asylum, where the younger of the 2 children that she had brought to Sydney [Cecilia] had died in the previous month [December 1857] of the "effect of previous starvation". When William was placed on the stand and examined he only contradicted Jane's statement that had taken no notice of Jane and the children as he passed them on the road. He stated that he had not seen them and had not known that they were there. The "Empire" of 10 January 1863 more fully reported William's testimony. It stated that his evidence was that in the year 1857 he had begun to live "with a woman named Jane Digby", at Goulburn, and that she had lived with him about 3 years (it was longer). She had 3 children [Martha, Ann Jane, Cecilia], 2 by him [Ann Jane, Cecilia] and the one before the court was the older [Ann Jane]. He had not been aware that the youngest child [Cecilia] had died of starvation since Jane had arrived in Sydney. He did have a team [of oxeb] and he was a carrier on the road. William was ordered to pay 7s 6d weekly maintenance for the female illegitimate child [Ann Jane] for 12 months, costs of the court, and 10s 6d professional costs for Jane's legal counsel.

On 13 January 1863 Jane discharged herself and Martha and Ann Jane from the Sydney Benevolent Assylum 'at her own request'.

On 29 January 1863 Martha and Jane were admitted back into the Asylum with Jane being sent to the watchhouse drunk. From this time forward Jane is often in trouble with the law for drunken behaviour as she attempts to drown her sorrows, and ease her broken heart, in the bottle.

On 7 April 1863 Jane was back in the Asylum, in the maternity section, giving birth to her new baby who she also named Cecilia.

On 2 September 1863 Jane discharged herself and Martha and Ann Jane and new baby Cecilia from the Sydney Benevolent Assylum 'at her own request'.

On 28 November 1863 Ann Jane and baby Cecilia, now 7 months old, were admitted back into the Asylum.

On 7 December 1863, just over a week later, baby Cecilia was discharge from the Asylum 'to the mother'. Ann Jane remained in the Asylum.

On 9 January 1864 the 12-mpnth maintenance order against William Garner ceased.

On Sunday night 31 January 1864 baby Cecilia, now 9 months old, was readmitted to the Assylum. The entry in the admission book for Monday 1 February reads "thrown over the fence" and "found between 7 and 8 on Sunday evening, Digby Cecilia 8 months". Jane at this stage still had Martha with her. It was a desperate emotional state that caused Jane to throw her baby over the fence rather than to deliver her to the front door.

On 24 March 1864 Ann Jane was discharged from the Syndey Benevolent Asylum and sent to the Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children.

On 14 April 1864 baby Cecilia, now 12 months old, died in the Asylum of "dentition" (teething). Her parents were listed as unknown.

On 1 June 1864 Martha was admitted back into the Asylum with the notation "Digby Martha 7 native c.e. (church of England) illegitimate child of Jane Digby whose history is in the books". Jane now had none of her children with her.

On 11 August 1864 Jane was before the Sydney courts, as Jane Lansdown, being charged with vagrancy, but she was discharged.

In December 1864 Jane was jailed at Darlinghurst Gaol for "riotous behaviour".

In August 1865 Jane acted as a witness in a theft case. She ststed she was living in Sussex Street, Sydney. The case invloved a shawl taken from Bridget Hegney, a fellow "Dibgy" ship orphan.

In February 1866 Jane, alias Martha Digbt, was jailed for 1 month for "riotous behaviour in a public street".

On 9 July 1866 Jane, as Jane Lansdown, was gaoled for 7 days for "riotous conduct in the public streets". Bridget Hegney was also gaoled.

On 6 August 1866 Martha was discharged from the Asylum and sent to the Ransdwick Asylum for Destitue Children where she joined her younger sister Ann Jane.

On 31 Octpber 1868 William Garner died at Yass.

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 was buried by the nuns at the hospital in an anonymous gave at Section M1, Lawn 4, No 594 in the Catholic section of Rockwood Cemetery.

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.