John King (1875 - 1956)

Born 19 Mar 1875 in 11 Mile Creek, Glenrowan, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Violante Amelia Victoria (Knight) Kelly-King — married 4 Mar 1899 in Auckland, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 2 Mar 1956 at age 80 in Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Biography

John 'Jack' King

Early Life

John King was One of Ned Kelly's half-brothers his parents were Ned's mother Ellen Quinn and her second husband a American George King John was born March 19 1875 ,after a getting in trouble with the law,George King fled from Victoria and his children by Ellen ended up with the name Kelly.John was only five when his 2 big brother's Ned and Dan had their famous last stand against the Victorian police at Glenrowan

Circus years

John, known as Jack Kelly, earned an honest living and became a noted horseman and horse breaker by the late 1890's,Jack soon became part of a the famous Wirth's Circus who recruited him along with his wife Violet, as stunt riders and 'world champion' stock whip crackers and rope spinners. A tour of Australia, South Africa and Asia followed which, for the Kellys, ended in Western Australia in early 1906. They started to raise a family they really liked Perth after an earlier circus visit Jack worked as a motorman with the local tramways company he and Violet obtained a house in Knebworth Avenue, Highgate Hill.

Recruited by the WA Police

Soon afterwards the WA Police Force recruited Jack Kelly Commissioner Frederick Hare was keen on improving the Mounted Section and needed a horse breaker and riding instructor a former circus mate of Jack's suggested he apply,Jack Kelly is believed to have been nervous about the business because of his family's notoriety in addition the Kelly connection had been used by the circus for advertising purposes. Everyone in town will have known who he was it did not matter. John Kelly, regimental number 880, became a probationary constable in the WA Police Force on March 12, 1906 and a second class constable on August 1 of the same year.

According to one account of Jack Kelly's life the interviewing officer who inducted him into the Force had this to say: "We are not interested in your brother's deeds we understand you are in no way responsible for them, and that you have led a blameless life. You are also reputed to be an outstanding horseman you will be judged solely on your own behaviour and your own work". Mounted trooper Kelly seems to have enjoyed his time in the Police Force and, despite the supposed lack of 'interest' in Ned's deeds, the police did not hesitate from taking obvious advantage of a publicity opportunity.

In those days mounted officers often staged displays and 'tournaments', both to provide public entertainment at Royal Show time and other holidays and to highlight the skills of the troopers. In one 'tournament', Jack played step-brother Ned Kelly in a staged shoot-out between police and bushrangers. Jack Kelly was a 'superstar' in policing events which were included in Perth festivals and shows for a couple of years ,the Mounted section was based at the old police stables in Roe Street, now part of the city precinct called Northbridge.

Tournament staged by Mounted Officers to highlight the skills of the troopers in one tournament Jack played his half-brother Ned Kelly

Later years

Jack career as a WA mounted trooper was relatively short, because a couple of years later when the circus was back in town and the Kellys were made an offer they could not refuse. Constable Jack Kelly resigned on April 4 1908 and left for a world tour that would bring him international renown to the point that he was on talking terms with royalty.

Jack Kelly and his wife Violet travelled the world and had a long and full life he and Violet were made honorary members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and moved south through the Americas in the course of work with Barnum and Bailey's Circus. Jack Kelly eventually enlisted in the Australian army when the great war broke out in 1914,he served in several battles on the Western Front and reached the rank of sergeant.

In the 1920s he returned to Argentina, the scene of a very successful pre-war tour, and became a highly paid instructor at the famous El Caballo Blanco riding school it dosent look like he ever returned to Australia John (Jack) Kelly died in Buenos Aires on March 2, 1956.

One does have to wonder what Ned and Dan thoughts would of been on their younger brother becoming the one thing they hated the most a copper maybe their thoughts would of been at last a honest trooper a KELLY

Sources

• West Australia Police Mounted Trooper John Kelly Regimental No 880, In WW1 Sgt John Kelly A.I.F