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Who was Ann Jones? What did reporter Cookson say about Ann
Jones? ,,,,,
The name of Ann Jones may not be one Australians know off the top of their heads, however she was a major part of the siege at Glenrowan. She was the landlady who owned the Inn the siege took place in. She was the one who stopped the prisoners from leaving, a terrible mistake. She lost a son at Glenrowan to police gunfire and had not long previously to that had to endure the pain of losing a child in an accident. Her daughter Jane would die in 1882 and therefore Ann was to suffer yet again. As the siege at Glenrowan turned into utter chaos, Ann ran around screaming abuse at both the police and the Kelly gang. She ran in and out unconcerned of the bullets flying all about. She would lose everything in the fire lit by the police at Glenrowan. To add insult to injury the police arrested her as a sympathiser under the Felons Apprehension Act . They believed that she was in with the gang, ironically the locals believed she was in with the police! She rebuilt the Inn, only to have it destroyed by fire yet again. Ann rented the building out as a police barracks for some time as well. I feel very sorry for Ann, she made some fatal errors of judgement and would suffer for the rest of her life. She wrote
many sad letters to the police seeking assistance for her suffering
family. When you think about what happened at Glenrowan, spare a thought for poor Mrs Jones. As I researched Ann Jones, owner of the Inn, I quickly realised that
everyone had a different
opinion about her. What a surprise, differences in the Kelly story. It is interesting to note that Ann Jones told Constable Bracken before the siege that she would never take the Kelly 'blood money' under any circumstances.
Eric Lambert:'In her thirties, blond, bosomy & amiable, she was also a Widow, and many a guest had lusted for her'. Keith Dunstan:'The lady in charge was Ann Jones, thirty five, buxom and talkative'. Bill Wannan:'(Glenrowan Inn)...was owned by a plump, hearty woman'.
Gary Dean: 'Ned and the Others', 'Ann Jones (nee Kennedy) was born at Newport, Country Tipperary, Ireland in 1830. After migrating to Victoria, she married Owen Jones in 1854, and they had eleven children. They moved to Glenrowan in the late1860's, and while her husband eventually obtained a job working for the railways - which took him away from home for months at a time - she ran the Glenrowan Inn. At the time of the siege Mrs. Jones was a widow, her husband having died some months previously'. Justin
Corfield:
'Owen (Jones) was
forced into bankruptcy........................................ Eric
Lambert:'In
her thirties, blond, bosomy & amiable, she was also a Widow, Owen Jones:'.....have been away working since 1878, I have sent money home regularly every month......my wife obtained a publican's-license for a house at Glenrowan to try to supplement what I sent..........I never had any hand in the management of the house......whatever arrangements my wife makes will be final as far as I am concerned, I am sir, your obedient servant Owen Jones. The husband of Ann Jones Glenrowan'. The above letter was sent to Mr. Chomley Esq Aug 19th 1885
HOW MANY CHILDREN BELONGING TO MRS JONES WERE AT THE INN DURING THE SIEGE? Ian Jones: 'Ned left her four young sons asleep, locked in a separate kitchen'. Gary Dean: 'Mrs Jones four sons remained locked in the house'. Ann Jones:'...and locked my four little boys in as he saw they was asleep..' ** Mrs Jones
also had John Jones (died from wounds received in the battle) & Jane Jones
(would later die from being wounded at the Siege)
WHAT WAS ANN JONES CHARGED WITH AND WHEN? Gary
Dean: 'On the 12 Sep 1881 Mrs
Jones was arrested in Melbourne on a charge of inviting and harbouring the Kelly Gang in her hotel. She spent some
weeks in the gaol Justin
Corfield:'
Ann Jones was charged with concealing an outlaw, but was acquitted at Ann Jones was tried at the Beechworth Assizes on the tenth day of May 1881
The Herald. Thursday Evening. November 25 1880. PROSECUTION OF MRS JONES. (By Electric Telegraph- From our Special Reporter.) Wangaratta, This Day. At the
Wangaratta Police Court this morn- A
REPORT USED RE THE CASE FOR COMPENSATION VICTORIA POLICE -[57] [R7629] Police Department Benalla I beg to report for the Superintendents
information that from inquiries made at Glenrowan I find that when the outlaws
roused up Mr Stanistreet the Stationmaster and his family at about 3 o'clock on
the morning of Sunday the 27th of June last they compelled him to accompany him
to the residences of the Reardon and Sullivan platelayers on the Railway line
and having taken all prisoners, together with one Larkin lodging with Reardon,
and the latters family, they got the platelayers tools from a box at the station
and marched the lot to the spot where the two lengths of rails were then taken
up and all returned to the station-masters house where the outlaws kept guard
bringing in a contractor names Piazzi and others before daylight. At breakfast
time Mrs. Jones came from her hotel to the station masters house and asked the
"boys" (Kellys) to come up to breakfast, and the two Kellys went,
Byrne and Hart remaining. Mrs. Stanistreet knew from Ned Kelly that Mrs. Jones
was aware that the gang were at her place, for in conversation during the early-morning Kelly said he was sorry that he roused up Mrs. Jones, that he he thought she heard them coming but that he afterwards found she did not. The platelayers hear (sic) in Benalla were not interfered with, nor did they know, that I can learn, of the presence of the outlaws until the attack was made. During Sunday all the prisoners made by the outlaws were taken up to Mrs. Jones' hotel except the stationmasters family. The gang had previously conversed freely with Mrs. Stanistreet who secured two leather bags nearly full of ammunition, and a ? with bullet moulds and a pair of police handcuffs no.409 key no. 88 which Steve Hart dropped at times when fooling about the house, and which she still retains. Ned Kelly also spoke of his shooting the police near Mansfield. Steve Hart recognized Reardons son (younger than the one that was shot) and said to him " you are the boy that told me where to find our horses when we lost them (believed a few weeks before) the boy said "I recollect telling a man where some horses were but I didn't know you again." Mr. & Mrs. Stanistreet with Mr. Curnow the Schoolmaster consulted together whenever an opportunity offered of cheer-mating (sic) the outlaws and when all the prisoners were taken to Jones hotel the Stanistreet family were left at their own place until the train was heard. Hart and Byrne keeping watch on them, Mr. Stanistreet was then marched up to the train where they met Dan Kelly who said "Do you here the train, what's this for?" the stationmaster said "I think it's stopping" when Dan Kelly said "you must give them the all clear signal that the coast is clear" the stationmaster replied "no you can shoot me first" they took him inside without further molestation. Among the prisoners prisoners were two young men named McAuliffe known to be sympathisers and during the firing Byrne, one of the outlaws, called on McAuliffe to come out and assist but although the elder McAuliffe answered him he did not respond and soon afterwards Byrne was shot. I see a man named George Metcalf now an inmate of the Eye and Ear Hospital Melbourne from injury received on his eye on this occasion , have made a statement to the effect that when a prisoner of the Kelly's in Jones' hotel and sheltered in the chimney he was injured from a bullet firing from the outside striking a brickwork which struck him in the eye now I find that Ned Kelly before daylight on that Sunday morning called out a contractor named Adolpho Piazzi from his tent near the railway-line and that Piazzi attempted to use his gun when Kelly fired at him and very nearly shot him and afterwards later in the day when Metcalf was bailed up outside the Station-masters masters' house Kelly was fiddling with this gun of Piazzis' when it exploded striking Metcalf in the face, the blood came from his face and Mr. Stanistreet's son got him water to wash it off and Kelly then said "I did not mean to fire, it went off accidentally", and no doubt whatever object Metcalf may now have in asserting that he was wounded when inside Jones' hotel by a shot fired from the outside this account of the case is the correct one. A. Eason I.C.D 393Source: Public Record Office Victoria.
Letter from Ann Jones............ Glenrowan August 11 1886 Mr Deakin Sir I am taking the liberty to write you a small note hoping you will not forget to grant me the 100L which you have promised me. I am in debt 200L for my police Barracks which is situated in Glenrowan, and I have 10L to paid every 6 months for interest, and by getting that soon it will gave me 5L. If you had granted me the board you would have given me the 300L I asked for for it was through waiting on police I had to wait on the Outlaws. I was never allowed to account for myself from the day of the outlaws to the present time hoping that I am not intruding too much upon you I have the honour to be Sir your most Obt Srv Mrs Ann Jones Glenrowan.
The burning of the Glenrowan Inn. Note: Ann Jones has often been spelt Anne Jones in error.
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