John Kelly's inquest

Seventeen years after the death of his wife Mary and their seventeen year old daughter, also Mary, John Kelly himself died at Yackandandah, Victoria .

He died from heart failure and fell into the fireplace.

The details from the inquest are as follows.

page 1

29 - 7 - 1905

Proceedings of INQUIRY held upon the body of John Kelly at Yackandandah.

received at the Crown Law Offices,

2 - 8 - 1905

J.J. Hobbs   Coroner.


MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY,
Victoria,
Norther Bailiwick,
To wit.

A Magisterial Inquiry on behalf of our sovereign His Majesty King taken at Yackandandah in the NOrthern Bailiwick State of Victoria, this 29th day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand nine hundred & five before the undersigned James Joseph Hobbs Esquire, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace in and for the said Bailiwick, upon view of the body of John Kelly then and there lying dead.

Having duly enquired when, where, how and by what means the said John Kelly came by his death, I say that the said John Kelly died at Yackandandah in the said Bailiwick on the 28th day of July 1905 from HEART FAILURE.

As witness my hand this 29th day of July
J.J Hobbs  J.P.

This Deponent Charles Conrad Haub on his oat saith, I am a Currier residing at Whiskey Flat Yackandandah.  I am employed by Mr. ...? Tanner .......? the deceased John Kelly was employed at the Du...? Tannery.  I last saw him alive at half past three on the 28th Inst, about 2 O'clock he compained of being ill and said he was ....? and complained of a pain in his chest he left the work about 1/4 past three & on leaving said I am just done Charley I must give up after 5? years labour- He then said call in this evening meaning to deceased's house- about 5 o'clock I saw him in his house in a lying position his head was in the fire place his body was on fire also his clothes - body? was ? and the fire put out - I then went for the police & the doctor - I have known and worked with the deceased for about 8 years.  and I should say he ? ? 64 years of age.

This Deponent John James Sylvester Healy on his oath saith, I am a legally qualified medical practitioner residing at Yackandandah.
I attended deceased John Kelly for some time during April & May 1905.  I last examined him on June 5th.
He was suffering from Valvular disease of the heart.  I cautioned him to beware of exerting himself.  I saw the body which I recognise as John Kelly lying in the fireplace at the cottage at the tannery.  My opinion of the cause of death was heart failure.

This Deponent William Vallance on his oath saith, I am a Constable of Police residing at Yackandandah.
I am a police Constable stationed at Yackandandah.  On the 28th inst from information received about 6 pm I went to John Kellys house about half mile from the town and I there saw the body of a man lying on the floor in the kitchen burnt to such an extent that the features was beyound recognition.  From some of the clothes that were on the body I identified the body as the body of John Kelly.

The foregoing depositions of Charles Conrad Haub J. J. S Healy and Wm Vallance were taken and sworn before me at Yackandandah on the 29th day of July 1905.
J.J. Hobbs   J.P.

Trove Tuesday - Tragedy

Amy Houston from Branches, Leaves & Pollen suggested the great idea of a Trove Tuesday theme. 

My 2nd great grand Uncle, John Kelly, is the subject of these news articles I found in Trove.

Very sadly he lost his wife in August 1888 and then tragically his 17 year old daughter died 

from burns in a backyard accident in December 1888.

 

BURKED TO DEATH IN A FIT. (1905, July 29). The Argus(Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 16. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9883098

VICTORIA. (1905, July 29). The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), p. 8. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4946330

Tombstone Tuesday - But there is no Tombstone

John Kelly died at Yackandandah on the 28th of July 1905.  He seemed to have rather a tragic life.

An Inquest was held and John was buried at the Yackandandah cemetery on the 30th of July 1905.  There is no headstone but his grave has been photographed for me by Peter Ross.
He used his green folder as a marker.


The following articles appeared in the Melbourne Argus and the Advertiser Newspapers on the 29th of July 1905. From Trove 

Then the following article appeared in the Evening Post newspaper in Wellington New Zealand where John Kelly's brother, Thomas and their nephew Alexander Morgan were living. From Papers Past news archives

John was born at Dualla, Tipperary around 1840. Parents Cornelius Kelly and Mary Moloughney.
His Baptism record was dated 20 Jun 1840 at Newpark, Sponsors were William Mahony, Mary Ryan.

Along with his brothers Thomas and William he arrived in Australia from Ireland just in time for his elder sister's wedding in Melbourne on the 30th of June 1858.

John married Mary Ann Francis at Tarraville, Gippsland, Victoria on the 6th of February 1869.  They may have had a son John born in 1869 but I have found no further record or proof of his connection.

Mary Ann and John then had a daughter they named Mary Francis.  She was born in 1871.

Then came Alice Francis about 1874.  In 1900 Alice married a Denis Winters.
Alice died at Fitzroy in 1939.

Both John Kelly's wife Mary Ann and daughter Mary Francis died in Melbourne in 1888.  I have yet to purchase their death certificates and find out where they are buried.