DOWSETT

Railway guard Jesse Dowsett was heavily involved in the siege and was well rewarded for his
efforts, both by the police and the Kelly Reward Board.
Dowsett was present on the train with the first attacking party and was
present during the entire siege and was there as Ned was captured.
The police in appreciation of his bravery gave him Ned's pistol.
They also made the unusual decision to give him the boot that was cut
from Ned's wounded foot. On top of this he scored the mustard tin Ned
used, still full of cartridges!

He was awarded one hundred and seventy five pounds for his efforts at
Glenrowan.

In 1926 'The Victorian Railways' magazine interviewed a then 84 year old
Jesse Dowsett.

The article included the following:

Everyone was excited. Exclamations of "Look out, he is going to fire",
"There he is behind that tree", "Look at Little Dowsett, what a plucky fellow
he is"; "It must be the devil".

His work in connection with the capture was not overlooked by the Railway Department.
Mr. Dowsett was promoted to the position of Senior guard running between Melbourne and
Bendigo, and he received an increase of 1/- a day. (for the entire article see Brian McDonald's
reprint in 'Ned Kelly, by them that were there'.)

Jesse Dowsett's signature.

Below is an interesting item from a book titled 'The Bushrangers'.(Joy & Prior)

                "In Sydney we had little more success with the grandson of
                Jesse Dowsett, the railway guard. The grandson, a senior
                advertising executive, was affable and willing to help, but
                ......"Old Jesse souvenired Ned Kelly's pistol at Glenrowan,
                all right," he said. "I only wish I had it now. But Jesse did the
                smart thing: he sold the pistol for as high a price as he could.
                And my sister, who lives in Victoria, is not too keen on Kelly publicity..."

Mr. Dowsett in 1926.
Vic Railways Mag.
Courtesy Brian McDonald.

Albury Banner 1880.

Dowsett Fights Kelly

Jesse Dowsett, guard on the Victorian Railways states: I came up on the train that left Benalla at five o'clock on Monday morning, and on arriving at Glenrowan I found that they were still firing at the hotel. I had a Colt's breach-loading revolver supplied to me by our department. A woman was screaming near the hotel. I called upon her in a low voice to come on, and she walked towards me. She proved to be Mrs. Reardon, with an infant in her arms. I caught hold of her and brought her down to the platform and handed her over to the reporters. After getting some cartridges from another guard I made my way back again to the front from tree to tree. Got pretty close up to the house and was challenged by the police. I replied 'Railway.' Went alongside of a constable, and at this time there was warm firing from the skillion window. All at once I saw the figure of a man looming up in the bush about 150 yards away. I called out to Senior Constable Kelly, "my god, what is that?". The senior constable ordered the troopers who were nearer the man to challenge him and to shoot him down if he did not answer. The man only replied by firing four or five shots at us with a revolver, and steadily advanced, as if making for the hotel................................

AN AUCTION OF A PISTOL SAID TO BE JESSE'S.

Source: ettimprint.com