George Metcalf was a prisoner in the Glenrowan
Inn during the siege.
He was wounded in the eyes during the battle and the police claimed that
Ned
shot him by accident, whereas George maintained he was hit by the
police.
Why would George make up such a story if Ned had actually shot him? It
seems
possible that he was able to receive greater compensation and medical
attention
if shot by police. At least that is the impression I get from police
documents.
They (the police) believed Ned accidentally shot George whilst playing
around
with an unfamiliar rifle. Either way the poor man was to be wounded in
the eyes
and not live more than a few months after the siege.
This house (above) was in Baynton St Kynton.(sorry about the
quality)
Robert Metcalf (George's father) is seen standing out front.
The house still stands, I have been kindly contacted by the new
owners who have
renovated the house.
(Consent to publish house on right by David White (no relation to
me) a descendent of
George Metcalf.
196 Collins St E
1, July 1880
Chief Commissioner Police
Sir,
A patient came to Melbourne
recently injured in the eye during
the attack by Police of the
“Kelly Gang” I admitted him
tentatively into the eye & ear
Hospital till I communicated
with the head of the department,
whether he is a fit case
For the ????, the rules
being very stringent as
to our admitting any other,
will the authorities pay up
I admitted him privately as he
states he is unable to so
himself – otherwise he can
remain where he is ?
Your obedt servt
Andrew ???????
December 9, 1880
Will the Hon: The Chief Secretary have the goodness to approve the -----
in reimbursement of
expenses incurred on behalf of one Geo Metcalfe - now dec[eased].
At the termination of the proceedings at Glenrowan, Metcalf, (who was
one of the persons detained
in Mrs. Jones's house) presented himself to the police and informed them
that an injury to his eyes,
which was apparent, was caused by a gunshot fired in Mrs. Jones's house
by the police, and he asked
for medical aid. Believing the man's story Superintendent Sadleir
recommended him to Capt. Standish
for assistance, and, on the representations of the latter, Metcalfe was
admitted as an outpatient of
the Eye and Ear Hospital. Capt. Standish at the same time arranged with
Mr. Chas. Wilson, landlord
of the "Rose of Melbourne" hotel, Young St, Fitzroy, to board and lodge
Metcalfe until the termination
of his treatment at the eye hospital.
On the 11th October Metcalfe was taken seriously ill and was at once
removed to the Melbourne
Hospital where he died on the 15th ----.
From information given to the police there seems strong grounds to doubt
Metcalfe's story, and good
reason to believe that his injury was the result of the accidental
discharge of a gun when in the hands
of Edward Kelly prior to the arrival of the police at Glenrowan. As ----
Mr. Wilson was engaged by
Capt. Standish to maintain Metcalfe, and as Metcalfe is now dead, I beg
to recommend that
Mr. Wilson's charges be paid. I may add that when, in October, I learned
Metcalfe was dangerously ill
in Mr. Wilson's house I requested the latter to have him removed to the
Melbourne Hospital with as little
expense as possible.
C.H. Nicholson
(Thanks
Sharon)
From genealogical Metcalf family website: '
The tale of George
William METCALF born at Fingal, Tasmania on 7 July 1846.
George was the fourth child of the convict
- Robert METCALF and his wife, Sarah ELLIS. From about the age
of 5 years he lived with his family in the town of Kyneton. As he
reached adulthood,
he became well known in the district of Kyneton where he always bore an
excellent character as a steady,
hardworking man.
George did not marry and just before his 34th birthday - on Sunday 28
June 1880 - he was shot during
the Ned Kelly siege at Glenrowen (sic).
He was employed with five
others in quarrying stone near Glenrowen (sic) and on the morning of the
celebrated
Sunday was wakened by the Ned Kelly gang, and along with his mates was
compelled to tear up the line.
Afterwards he was locked up with the others in the Glenrowen (sic) Hotel
and when the fight commenced was
lying on the floor near the chimney.
He was severely wounded in the eyes by the first volley that was fired
by the police. After the fight he was sent
down to the Eye and Ear Institution at Melbourne.
He was discharged from the
hospital in early October 1880, but stayed in Fitzroy at "the Wilson's"
for further
treatment and until he was fit enough to travel back to Kyneton.
He died on the 15 October
1880 from the injuries received four months previously at Glenrowen
(sic).
In a letter dated 12
September, to his sister Sarah he says:
Dear Sarah,
You must excuse me for not
writing before. My eyes were too weak and I didn't like to bother Mr
Wilson,
and I didn't know anyone else, but it's better late than never.
My eyes are getting on very
well, but I don't know when I can leave Melbourne, for they are very
weak yet.
I pass my time very well
when the sun is not too strong I go down Bourke Street every evening.
Last week I got a pass from
Mr Tichanar a watchmaker, to go in to the exhibition but I could not see
much,
for they were only unpacking then.
I like Wilson's, they are
very nice people, I don't send my washing out.
I havn't (sic) seen Mr
Thornton since I left the hospital. I expect (he) is in work.
I expect you will put this
letter in a glass case and keep it. I don't put the words so close for
it makes my eyes water.
It will take two trains to
bring this letter.
"There is a man at Wilson's,
a tall short complexioned gentleman. He is 5'6" in height and 27 years
of age,
pink hair, green eyes, mauve eyebrows, swallow tail trousers and double
barrelled frock coat with tripe collar.
He is deaf and dumb of one eye, and limps a little with the other"
That's all I have to
say. I send my kind love to all, I will tell you.
Remember me to father and mother and them
all.
Yours truly,
George Metcalf.
George was in Melbourne for
treatment for his eyes when he wrote this letter.
There’s Always a ‘Black Sheep’ Amongst Your Ancestors.
East Yorkshire's link
with
an infamous Australian
gang shoot-out
By Peter Hopper
George Metcalf innocently got himself
mixed up in the infamous outlaw Ned Kelly
Gang siege - an event much like the Bonnie
Parker and Clyde Barrow shoot-out in
America- but this one in faraway Australia a
long time ago, in 1880.
What's that got to do with East
Yorkshire, you may well ask? Well, George's
father, Robert snr. was born in Beverley,
and his son, also Robert, was the bad-boy
brother of my great, great grandmother, Ann
Hopper (nee Metcalf) , who married Spurn
Point lifeboat coxswain Fewson Hopper in the
mid-19th century.
St.
Mary's Church in Beverley A
further generation back to George's
grandparents, Robert and Mary Metcalf
produced a total of nine children. All were
born in the Beverley parish of St Mary's,
and christened in the town's Lairgate
Independent Church.
Robert jnr. was born in 1815 and was soon
in serious trouble with the law as a young
man. He was transported to Van Diemen's Land
(the original name given by Europeans to
Tasmania, now part of Australia) on board
the good ship Moffatt, arriving on
9th May 1834, having been sentenced to seven
years imprisonment at York in March the
previous year.
His stated offence was manslaughter. "I
quarrelled with my master's son, Charles
Voss, while we were at work," he said. "I
had a knife in my hand and struck him with
it in the left side. He lived 24 hours after
it."
Robert's jail record was reasonably good,
having only one other conviction, that of
insolence and being absent frequently, for
which he was given 14 days solitary
confinement. However, he was granted a "free
certificate" in May 1850.
It was in 1838 that Robert applied for
permission to marry Sarah Ellis. Sarah was
then aged 19, having arrived in Van Diemen's
Land as a children's maid two years earlier.
On arrival, she was employed by Major Gray,
of St Pauls, the name then given to the
Fingal area.
Sarah and Robert were wed at Cambelltown
in 1839, and their marriage was blessed with
six children, the fourth being George, who
was born in Fingal on 7th July 1846.
From about the age of five, George was
living with his family in the town of
Kyneton. As he reached adulthood, he became
well known in the district and had the
reputation of being of good character and a
steady, hardworking man.
George did not marry, and just before his
34th birthday, Sunday, 28th June 1880, he
found himself in the wrong place at the
wrong time while employed with five other
men in quarrying stone near Glenrowen. It
was the morning that the notorious Ned Kelly
gang came to town - with the police not far
behind, guns out ready to corner them.
George and his mates were locked up by
the gang in the Glenrowen Hotel and when the
shoot-out with the police commenced, George
was lying on the floor near the chimney. He
was severely wounded in both eyes by the
first volley thought to have been fired by
the police, though there is some dispute
about that and other reports suggest that he
could have been shot by the feared Ned Kelly
himself.
Ned Kelly's entry on Wikipedia The
Kelly Gang, its leader the son of an Irish
convict also sent to Van Diemen's Land, had
done some dastardly deeds: robbing banks and
giving money to some of the lower class
settlers in Victoria who helped to shelter
them, before they killed three policemen in
an earlier shoot-out.
After the gun fight at Glenrowen, George
Metcalf he was sent to the Eye and Ear
Institution in Melbourne, and was later
discharged from the hospital in early
October 1880, but stayed at "the Wilson's,"
intending to stay there until he was fit
enough to travel back to Kyneton.
George was one of a number of hostages
taken by the gang, but died from his
injuries on 15th October 1880, four months
after the shoot-out.
What of the infamous gang? Ned Kelly was
seriously wounded but survived to be hanged,
while the other three gangsters were all
killed by the police marksmen.
The article above was written by a relatively new visitor to this
site (and descendent of George), Peter Hopper.
Thank you also to yet another descendent Leone Fabre for her
information about George.
The tale of George
William METCALF born at Fingal, Tasmania on 7 July 1846.
St.
Mary's Church in Beverley A
further generation back to George's
grandparents, Robert and Mary Metcalf
produced a total of nine children. All were
born in the Beverley parish of St Mary's,
and christened in the town's Lairgate
Independent Church.
www.nedonthenet.com