KELLY, William Sydney 1880-1918
Born 14 September 1880; died 27 November 1918; buried 28 November 1918; age 38
New South Wales
William was born on 14 September 1880 in Young, New South Wales to Sarah Jane FREDERICKS(1) . He was registered with the name William FREDERICKS (with no middle name) and no father’s name. Its not known whether he was known as William, Bill, Billy, etc.
Sarah (a domestic servant) married James KELLY (contractor) at Young on 6 January 1882, 17 months after William’s birth(2) and thereafter William became known with his stepfather Kelly’s surname. Eight further children were born to Sarah and James, one in Young, the remainder in nearby Gundagai after the family relocated there. Stepfather James was a carter and the town’s nightsoil man, often in trouble with the local law for mistreating his horses, being drunk & disorderly, and flinging nightsoil around the town! They lived at the Railway Line, a place of very poor housing, and according to local lingo they were from ‘the wrong side of the railway line’ in what appears to have been a very class-conscious society.
When William was around 14 years old the following notice was published in the local newspaper. It’s not known what was behind it – perhaps he’d tried to run away and blamed it on someone else:
To whom it may concern.
I HEREBY give notice that I will prosecute any person or persons who entices or attempts to entice my son, William, to leave his home.
JAMES KELLY, Railway Line(3).
William's relationship with his mother was probably the only thing keeping him in Gundagai. However, Sarah died 23 June 1904 of septicaemia when miscarrying her 10th child. Shortly afterwards William broke ties with his family by moving to New Zealand, by which time he had a tattoo on one forearm of a cross inscribed “In Memory of My Mother”(4).
New Zealand
In New Zealand William added a middle name - Sydney, sometimes spelled Sidney. He lived at various addresses in Whanganui and Wellington
William, aged 26, married Mary Eleanor BOURKE (known as Eleanor), aged 20, on 28 October 1908 at Whanganui(5) . Eleanor was the daughter of Christopher Stephen George BOURKE (born 1854 in Jersey, Channel Islands of Irish parents, died 1926 Wellington) and Mary Harriet POWER (born 1862 Birmingham, England, died 1933 Wellington).
William and Eleanor had ten children, four of whom died in infancy or childhood. Two were buried in the Catholic section at Karori Cemetery prior to their father’s death – Alfred, on 19 August 1916, aged 6 months, and Joseph Andrew, aged 4 months on 24 October 1918, a mere 4 weeks before his father.
William enlisted for WWI service on 31 May 1916, aged 35, service number 16896, and served at home as a truck driver in the stores department in Featherston(6). He was discharged on 5 February 1918.
Nine months later, on 24 November 1918, he was admitted to hospital at St Patrick’s College at 69 Kent Terrace, a temporary hospital set up for influenza patients. He died 3 days later on 27 November, aged 38 years(7). William joined his predeceased children in the family plot in Karori Cemetery, Section ROM CATH, Plot number 74 T, on 28 Nov 1918(8). William died 10 years before any grandchildren were born, so they were never to know him. There have been no photos found of William or Eleanor to date.
Excerpt from the influenza patient list courtesy of St Patrick’s College
The aftermath
William’s death left Eleanor to struggle on alone with 7 children aged 10 and under. Another son, Thomas Percival, aged 9, died in July 1923 and he too was buried in the family plot. New Zealand did not have social security at the time and there is no evidence that Eleanor received a war pension. She may have had practical assistance from her two brothers, however there was a depression to get through and they had their own families to tend. One of William’s half brothers, John, had arrived in New Zealand from Gundagai and stayed with her sometimes, however for various reasons he probably added to her burden. It seems she was always running out of money to pay the rent and had to move addresses many times, usually to small and cramped houses, full of boarders as well as her family. One adult daughter, Agnes, was bedridden for many years and Eleanor stepped in to look after her children and household. Her life was one long hardship.
The death of her only surviving son Christopher in Crete in 1941 was the final straw that broke her back. He was a kind hearted, genial and funny man, universally liked. Eleanor was very close to him and emotionally dependant. Mentally she couldn’t cope and despite the endeavours of her children (with special mention to daughter Ellen Winnifred ‘Winnie’ Bates) Eleanor had to be admitted to Raventhorpe psychiatric hospital, Drury, Auckland in 1953. She died there on 13 Dec 1953 of heart failure, aged 66.
Researched and written by Janice Borg
Footnotes:
Although Mary Eleanor died in Auckland, she was interred in the family plot at Karori Cemetery, with her husband and 3 sons. Presumably the family were able to arrange her transportation from Auckland and for her interment. There is no marker on the grave.
The Kelly plot was not serviced by the 1918 Influenza project team, as it is one of many family plots which pre-existed the first deaths from influenza. The focus of the project was on the areas where those who died without having a family plot available were buried during the epidemic. These plots were in groupings in the Anglican, Catholic, Public and Services sections, and are quite distinct for the closely dated deaths on grave markers.
Sources:
Born 14 September 1880; died 27 November 1918; buried 28 November 1918; age 38
New South Wales
William was born on 14 September 1880 in Young, New South Wales to Sarah Jane FREDERICKS(1) . He was registered with the name William FREDERICKS (with no middle name) and no father’s name. Its not known whether he was known as William, Bill, Billy, etc.
Sarah (a domestic servant) married James KELLY (contractor) at Young on 6 January 1882, 17 months after William’s birth(2) and thereafter William became known with his stepfather Kelly’s surname. Eight further children were born to Sarah and James, one in Young, the remainder in nearby Gundagai after the family relocated there. Stepfather James was a carter and the town’s nightsoil man, often in trouble with the local law for mistreating his horses, being drunk & disorderly, and flinging nightsoil around the town! They lived at the Railway Line, a place of very poor housing, and according to local lingo they were from ‘the wrong side of the railway line’ in what appears to have been a very class-conscious society.
When William was around 14 years old the following notice was published in the local newspaper. It’s not known what was behind it – perhaps he’d tried to run away and blamed it on someone else:
To whom it may concern.
I HEREBY give notice that I will prosecute any person or persons who entices or attempts to entice my son, William, to leave his home.
JAMES KELLY, Railway Line(3).
William's relationship with his mother was probably the only thing keeping him in Gundagai. However, Sarah died 23 June 1904 of septicaemia when miscarrying her 10th child. Shortly afterwards William broke ties with his family by moving to New Zealand, by which time he had a tattoo on one forearm of a cross inscribed “In Memory of My Mother”(4).
New Zealand
In New Zealand William added a middle name - Sydney, sometimes spelled Sidney. He lived at various addresses in Whanganui and Wellington
William, aged 26, married Mary Eleanor BOURKE (known as Eleanor), aged 20, on 28 October 1908 at Whanganui(5) . Eleanor was the daughter of Christopher Stephen George BOURKE (born 1854 in Jersey, Channel Islands of Irish parents, died 1926 Wellington) and Mary Harriet POWER (born 1862 Birmingham, England, died 1933 Wellington).
William and Eleanor had ten children, four of whom died in infancy or childhood. Two were buried in the Catholic section at Karori Cemetery prior to their father’s death – Alfred, on 19 August 1916, aged 6 months, and Joseph Andrew, aged 4 months on 24 October 1918, a mere 4 weeks before his father.
William enlisted for WWI service on 31 May 1916, aged 35, service number 16896, and served at home as a truck driver in the stores department in Featherston(6). He was discharged on 5 February 1918.
Nine months later, on 24 November 1918, he was admitted to hospital at St Patrick’s College at 69 Kent Terrace, a temporary hospital set up for influenza patients. He died 3 days later on 27 November, aged 38 years(7). William joined his predeceased children in the family plot in Karori Cemetery, Section ROM CATH, Plot number 74 T, on 28 Nov 1918(8). William died 10 years before any grandchildren were born, so they were never to know him. There have been no photos found of William or Eleanor to date.
Excerpt from the influenza patient list courtesy of St Patrick’s College
The aftermath
William’s death left Eleanor to struggle on alone with 7 children aged 10 and under. Another son, Thomas Percival, aged 9, died in July 1923 and he too was buried in the family plot. New Zealand did not have social security at the time and there is no evidence that Eleanor received a war pension. She may have had practical assistance from her two brothers, however there was a depression to get through and they had their own families to tend. One of William’s half brothers, John, had arrived in New Zealand from Gundagai and stayed with her sometimes, however for various reasons he probably added to her burden. It seems she was always running out of money to pay the rent and had to move addresses many times, usually to small and cramped houses, full of boarders as well as her family. One adult daughter, Agnes, was bedridden for many years and Eleanor stepped in to look after her children and household. Her life was one long hardship.
The death of her only surviving son Christopher in Crete in 1941 was the final straw that broke her back. He was a kind hearted, genial and funny man, universally liked. Eleanor was very close to him and emotionally dependant. Mentally she couldn’t cope and despite the endeavours of her children (with special mention to daughter Ellen Winnifred ‘Winnie’ Bates) Eleanor had to be admitted to Raventhorpe psychiatric hospital, Drury, Auckland in 1953. She died there on 13 Dec 1953 of heart failure, aged 66.
Researched and written by Janice Borg
Footnotes:
Although Mary Eleanor died in Auckland, she was interred in the family plot at Karori Cemetery, with her husband and 3 sons. Presumably the family were able to arrange her transportation from Auckland and for her interment. There is no marker on the grave.
The Kelly plot was not serviced by the 1918 Influenza project team, as it is one of many family plots which pre-existed the first deaths from influenza. The focus of the project was on the areas where those who died without having a family plot available were buried during the epidemic. These plots were in groupings in the Anglican, Catholic, Public and Services sections, and are quite distinct for the closely dated deaths on grave markers.
Sources:
- Birth NSW 28084/1880. This familial relationship is confirmed by several DNA tests.
- Marriage NSW 1882/6865
- The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW :1868 - 1931) Fri 1 Feb 1895
- Archives NZ: WWI Service # 16896 - William Sydney Kelly noted he was born in NSW on 16 Sept 1882 [sic, actually 1880], current employer W.L. Carvell, last resided 169 Glasgow St Wanganui. Highest rank: corporal. The service record WW1 48037 of his half-brother John Kelly supports William’s Gundagai origins and father James.
- Marriage NZ 1908/8383 - Mother’s maiden name incorrectly recorded as McLaughlin
- Archives NZ: WWI Service # 16896 - William Sydney Kelly noted he was born in NSW on 16 Sept 1882 [sic, actually 1880], current employer W.L. Carvell, last resided 169 Glasgow St Wanganui. Highest rank: corporal. The service record WW1 48037 of his half-brother John Kelly supports William’s Gundagai origins and father James.
- St Patrick's College Old Boys’ Association, provided by Kevin Bourke. BDM NZ Deaths 1918/12059 4010 – father recorded as James Kelly, no mother’s name.
- Wellington Cemetery Record number 66380; Location Section ROM CATH, Plot number 74 T
