Comments on: Ellen’s Inquest

By: ann odyne

ann odyne — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 22:35:19 +0000

what time? more like what day. I know that area very well. they had to cross the Barongarook Creek twice in the pitch dark, and at the second crossing (12 kms from Corangamite Street) it is at the bottom of a steep decline and then rise. their poor horse.

By: Merron Riddiford

Merron Riddiford — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:49:35 +0000

Thanks for your comment Catherine. It is possible she wasn’t drunk although her track record probably didn’t help the finding. Given she had at least 33 appearance for d&d in the Colac Police Court, it would have been easy for the coroner to hand down the finding he did. Pity they didn’t have toxicology reports in those days!

By: Merron Riddiford

Merron Riddiford — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:44:22 +0000

Hi Kerryn
Ellen was very interesting. One time that she was picked up for d&d, she said she had a cold, so she thought she would have a bit of a tipple, all said in an Irish accent.
Merron

By: Merron Riddiford

Merron Riddiford — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:42:03 +0000

Thank you Frances. In George wife’s statement she confirms the remains lying in the next room of their house were that of Ellen. Given the state of the remains, having in them house, let alone having to identify them must have been horrific.

By: Merron Riddiford

Merron Riddiford — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:39:34 +0000

Thank you Ann for your comment. You always give me a different side of the story and you are right, Mary Ann probably had been keeping an eye on Ellen. And, yes, I don’t think Ellen would have known much. I thought of the Herons too travelling so late in the dark. I wonder what time they got home?

By: Catherine

Catherine — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 10:09:24 +0000

Great researching Merron. How sad if Ellen was not drunk at all. The Herron’s saw her only two hours before her daughter-in-law noticed the fire and they said she seemed “perfectly sober.”

By: ancestorchaser

ancestorchaser — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 22:56:25 +0000

sad story. Ellen was certainly an interesting character.

By: Frances from A Rebel Hand

Frances from A Rebel Hand — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 22:37:37 +0000

Such a sad story. Merron, and well told. Her poor son…

By: ann odyne

ann odyne — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 21:16:33 +0000

Being .05, we can assume her death was not as horrific for her as for us, but the wider story tells us a lot about 1880′s lifestyle in Colac. Bread and vegetables could be purchased at 6pm on a Tuesday, and the Herons were clip-clopping toward Barongarook in the pitch dark at 11pm. The poor grand-daughter was probably supposed to keep an eye on Gran and her rum (until catching a cold saved her the duty of it).
130 years later though, people are still knocking candles over and causing housefires. You’re a terrific researcher MR.