Timeline: 1865 - Second gang

This Timeline documents all the information discovered for bushranger Frederick Ward and his accomplices Patrick Kelly and Jemmy the Whisperer who bushranged in late 1865, with associated source-references. Many of the referenced newspapers are now accessible online (see Newspapers Online).
                                                                                                                                                     Copyright Carol Baxter 2011
 

Sep-Oct 1865: Having left Mary Ann Bugg in the Tamworth district with her children, Thunderbolt was joined by Patrick John Kelly (for further information see Patrick Kelly)

Shortly before 16 Oct 1865: Thunderbolt and another man (suspected to be Kelly) robbed magistrate Hugh Bryden of Collymongle (near Mogil Mogil) when he was near Old Oreel, about 35 miles west of Millie on Thalaba Creek[1]

Late Oct 1865: Thunderbolt joined by ‘Jemmy the Whisperer’ (for further information see Jemmy the Whisperer)

Late Oct 1865: Senior Constable Roche of Wee Waa was out searching for information about Thunderbolt’s whereabouts without success (according to a correspondent on 8 Nov) as the gang was apparently back somewhere in the mountains; Thunderbolt was reported to keep his woman and children in an isolated spot, using the place as their rendezvous when not on the road[2]

Early Nov 1865: Report by someone who rode with them that Thunderbolt, Kelly and another (probably Jemmy) had crossed the Barwon and were returning to their headquarters in the Warrego district having been to the Namoi for fresh horses; also mentioned another recruit named Billy McDougal who had scouted for them at the Namoi but who was not with them[3]

7 Nov 1865: Thunderbolt, Kelly, Jemmy & another two men (identities unknown) visited the almost completed police station on the Bokhara River, then robbed Mr Thorold’s Dumble station on the Bokhara and stole a revolver from Superintendent Alfred Trotter and a £5 note from a Brisbane visitor (presumably the ‘Mr Kennedy of Queensland’ mentioned in another report), the latter reporting that the robbers wanted only firearms and money and included outlaw John Dunn (‘fair hair and thin light whiskers and moustache’; however Dunn had auburn hair and as Strickland was working as a horsebreaker in the Wammerawa Creek district, south-west of Walgett, between Aug/Sep and Dec 1865 so this was undoubtedly an error and probably a reference to Jemmy); the gang also robbed Curriwillinghi the same day (near current Hebel QLD) and some hawkers and travellers including a man named Rogalsky and Mr Peberdy Jnr[4]

Pre-20 Nov 1865: Report from Walgett that four policemen and a blacktracker were pursuing Thunderbolt & gang; Pre-29 Nov: police return to their quarters after unsuccessfully chasing them for two weeks; gang reported to have left the district (evidently leaving the two unidentified members behind)[5]

Nov-Dec 1865: Rumours in Roma, Queensland, that Thunderbolt was responsible for the spate of robberies in the vicinity; these were undoubtedly incorrect as Thunderbolt was active in NSW and heading south-east to the Tamworth district[6]

3 Dec 1865: Property stolen from blacksmith William Muir of Barraba, apparently by Ward & Kelly[7]                   

4 Dec 1865: Reward of £100 for Thunderbolt’s apprehension announced, having been requested by Inspector General of Police on 29 Nov[8]

After 4 Dec 1865: Thunderbolt’s gang stole the racehorse Eucalyptus from Mr Duff at Werris Creek (presumably on their way from Barraba to Quirindi), and were rumoured to have visited Mr Single’s place at Werris Creek and Mr Ferrier’s at Breeza[9]

8 Dec 1865: Thunderbolt’s gang robbed Benjamin Cook’s Bird in Hand inn and the hamlet of Quirindi, arriving around 11am and partying until late afternoon when the Wallabadah troopers arrived; they returned about 9pm and remained for another two hours until the troopers returned[10]

8 Dec 1865: On the Breeza road north-west of Quirindi, Thunderbolt’s gang reportedly robbed William Matthews of Murrurundi around 4pm that same day, taking a mare and money[11]
NB. This does not quite fit with the other known details so perhaps the robbery occurred on the 7th. 

9 Dec 1865: Around 9am, Thunderbolt’s gang robbed John Martin Davis’ Freemason’s Arms at Currabubula[12]

10 Dec 1865: Thunderbolt & Jemmy robbed Acheson, the Gunnedah-Tamworth mailman, a few miles beyond Carroll then took the mail-bag with them to Carroll[13]

10 Dec 1865: Thunderbolt’s gang robbed William Griffin’s Albion Inn at Carroll around 4/5pm and remained carousing; two constables stumbled upon them around 8/9pm, and Kelly and Fred fled on horseback as the police fired at Fred; Jemmy fired back, helping Fred to escape, and wounded Constable Lang in the process[14]

Mid-Dec 1865: Police searched for the gang, following leads that took them to Narrabri; Fred was trying to catch some horses on the Wallah run and demanded assistance from an Aboriginal man who refused; Fred shot at him twice; reports suggested that the gang was heading back to the Culgoa district; the police had returned to the stations by 22 Dec[15]

23 Dec 1865: According to newspaper reports, Thunderbolt, Dunn & two others robbed Mr Rouse’s station on the Macquarie River, however this was not Thunderbolt who was near Collarenebri at the time[16]

27 Dec 1865: Thunderbolt’s gang robbed Messrs Bagot’s Mogil Mogil and Goondoobline (Gundabluie) stations and John Eckford’s Burren Burren station, not far from the Queensland border (Bagot’s robbery report in the Police Gazette said Mooney station and lists the wrong date), taking four horses, saddles and a gun from Goondoobline[17]
NB. As the gang then struck Collarenebri itself, they appear to have been heading south, indicating that they robbed Goondoobline first, then Burren Burren which lies immediately north of Mogil Mogil, then Mogil Mogil; this also suggests that at some point after leaving the Narrabri district they crossed the border into Queensland to elude the police then from somewhere between Curriwillinghi (now Hebel) and Mungindi headed south towards Collarenebri.

27 Dec 1865: At 8pm Thunderbolt’s gang robbed Mr Fletcher’s store at Collarenebri then William Earl’s public house across the river where they remained partying until after 2am; they then headed east[18]

30 Dec 1865: Thunderbolt’s gang bailed up Henry Chambers’ Meroe inn (Moree)[19]

Late Dec 1865: Report on 30 Dec 1865 that police from Cannonbar had encountered Thunderbolt’s gang and that Dunn was wounded and captured (NB. Thunderbolt & Dunn never joined forces); Dunn reported on 10 Jan to be recovering from the effects of his wounds; he escaped soon afterwards and was recaptured on 15 Jan 1866 near Dubbo police barracks; he was later executed at Sydney (for full details see Newspapers Online)[20]

6 Jan 1866: Report that four armed men, supposed to be Thunderbolt’s gang, held up station near Dubbo [from Western Post]; reports prove unfounded[21]

Early Jan 1866: Some months prior to Apr 1866 (according to reports), Thunderbolt’s gang stole a horse from Mr King of Eulowrie Station on the Horton River, 16 miles south-west of Bingara. The horse was recovered in April 1866 by the Nundle police[22] 
NB. This robbery probably occurred while Thunderbolt’s second gang headed south from Moree early in Jan 1866 as Thunderbolt rode the horse back to the Gloucester district; the gang was probably still together at the time as Jemmy the Whisperer later robbed the same property

Early Jan 1866: Thunderbolt’s gang split up, apparently soon after the Eulowrie robbery, leaving Kelly and Jemmy to continue their own bushranging spree alone (for further information about his accomplices, see Patrick Kelly and Jemmy the Whisperer); Thunderbolt headed south-south-east towards the Wallabadah district and Mary Ann (for further information about Fred’s activities, see Timeline: 1866) 

Late Jan 1866: Police capture bushranger near Mudgee who was reported to be member of Thunderbolt’s gang; proved to be a man named Lloyd with no connection to Thunderbolt[23]

Feb 1866: Walgett police patrolling the Upper Barwon found one of Thunderbolt’s camps with three exhausted horses, one stolen by Thunderbolt’s second gang from Bagot’s Goondoobline station on 27 Dec 1865 (NB. The camp was being used by Kelly & Jemmy at the time – see above); meanwhile, police keep watch on gunyah near Merriwa for a few days thinking it was Thunderbolt’s hideout but discover their error when the bushmen owners return[24]


Sources                       
[1] Maitland Mercury 24 Oct 1865 p.4, 23 Nov p.4, 16 Dec p.2; Brisbane Courier 14 Nov 1865 p.2 (from Tamworth Examiner 11 Nov); Sydney Morning Herald 21 Nov 1865 p.2; Sydney Mail  25 Nov 1865. Re Bryden’s location near Old Oreel: NSW Government Gazette 1848 p.1228
[2] Maitland Mercury 14 Nov 1865 p.3
[3] Brisbane Courier 2 Dec 1865 p.5 (from Toowoomba Chronicle 26 Nov)
[4] NSW Police Gazette 1865 p.406; Brisbane Courier 2 Dec 1865 p.5 (from Toowoomba Chronicle 26 Nov); Sydney Morning Herald 21 Nov 1865 p.2, 19 Dec 1865 p.7, 20 Dec 1865 p.2 (from Maitland Mercury); Maitland Mercury 23 Nov 1865 p.4, 28 Nov 1865 p.3 (from Tamworth Examiner 25 Nov)
[5] Maitland Mercury 5 Dec 1865 p.3, 16 Dec 1865 p.2
[6] Brisbane Courier 16 Dec 1865 p.4
[7] NSW Police Gazette 1865 No. 51 (20 Dec 1865) p.442; Samson Directory 1867-68 p.445; Greville’s Directory NSW 1875-77, p.34
[8] CSIL: Inspector General of Police to Principal Under Secretary, 29 Nov 1865 [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 No.65/5452]; NSW Government Gazette 1865 No.256 (5 Dec 1865) p.2735
[9] Maitland Mercury 16 Dec 1865 p.5; Sydney Morning Herald 21 Dec 1865 p.2; Armidale Express 23 Dec 1865 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 16 Dec)
[10] NSW Police Gazette 1865 No.50 (13 Dec 1865) pp.432 & 436; Brisbane Courier 13 Dec 1865 p.2; Maitland Mercury 14 Dec 1865 pp.2 & 3(x2), 16 Dec 1865 p.5(x2), 21 Dec 1865 p.3, 27 Jan 1865 p.2; Armidale Express 23 Dec 1865 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 16 Dec), Sydney Morning Herald 13 Dec 1865 p.4, 21 Dec 1865 p.2; Re Cook family/inn: NSW Government Gazette 1865 p.2045, Maitland Mercury 24 Mar 1866 p.3, 25 Oct 1866 p.4
[11] Armidale Express 23 Dec 1865 p.4 & Hobart Mercury 6 Jan 1866 p.3 (from Tamworth Examiner 16 Dec); NSW Police Gazette 1865 No.50 (13 Dec 1865) p.432
[12] Armidale Express 23 Dec 1865 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 16 Dec), 10 Feb 1866 p.2; Maitland Mercury 16 Dec 1865 p.5. Re Davis: Greville’s NSW Directory 1875-77, p.207; NSW Government Gazette 1865 p.1694, 1875 p.3973
[13] NSW Police Gazette 1865 No.50 (13 Dec 1865) p.432; Armidale Express 23 Dec 1865 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 16 Dec); Argus 14 Dec 1865 p.5; Maitland Mercury 14 Dec 1865 p.2
[14] NSW Police Gazette 1865 No.50 (13 Dec 1865) p.437, No. 52 (27 Dec 1865) p.451; Armidale Express 23 Dec 1865 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 16 Dec), 13 Jan 1866 p.4a; Sydney Morning Herald 21 Dec 1865 p.2, 26 Oct 1866 p.6; Argus 14 Dec 1865 p.5; Brisbane Courier 15 Jan 1866 p.4; Maitland Mercury 14 Dec 1865 p.2, 16 Dec p.5, 25 Oct 1866 p.2; Clerk of the Peace –Maitland Circuit Depositions: Re Patrick John Kelly [SRNSW 9/6490]
[15] Sydney Morning Herald 21 Dec 1865 p.2, 29 Dec p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 23 Dec)
[16] Argus 29 Dec 1865 p.5; Brisbane Courier 30 Dec 1865 p.5, 17 Jan 1866 Supp. p.1
[17] NSW Police Gazette 1866 No.4 (24 Jan 1866) p.28 (incorrectly lists crime as 22 Dec 1865); Maitland Mercury 9 Jan 1866 p.2 (x2: one from Tamworth Examiner 6 Jan)
[18] Armidale Express 13 Jan 1866 p.4 & Brisbane Courier 15 Jan 1866 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 6 Jan); Clerk of the Peace – Depositions for Maitland Circuit: Re Patrick John Kelly: William Earl’s statement, 13 Mar 1866 [SRNSW 9/6490]
[19] NSW Police Gazette 1866 No. 3 (17 Jan 1866) p.18; Sydney Morning Herald 10 Jan 1866 p.5 (from Tamworth Examiner 6 Jan); Boughton, C.F. ‘No. 27: Adjacent Districts’ unattributed article [ML ref: Frederick Ward newspaper cuttings]
[20] Argus 1 Jan 1866 p.5, 11 Jan 1866 p.5, 17 Jan 1866 p.5; Brisbane Courier 2 Jan 1866 p.2
[21] Brisbane Courier 8 Jan 1866 p.4, 15 Jan 1866 p.4
[22] NSW Police Gazette 1866 No.17 (25 Apr 1866) p.148, No.19 (9 May 1866) p.168
[23] Argus 29 Jan 1866 p.5; Sydney Morning Herald 8 Feb 1866 p.5 (from Mudgee Liberal)
[24] Maitland Mercury 22 Feb 1866 p.2, 27 Feb p.2