William Thomas McGavin

  General Notes:

William and Julia ran a Hotel at Morven, New South Wales. He was a hotelkeeper in 1911 and is referred to as a Retired Hotelkeeper on his son James' death certificate in 1952. In 1919 when daughter Julia married he was recorded as a Labourer.

He lived with his son, James Francis McGavin, on his property named "Blackwood" for a few years before he died.
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Ned Kelly and the McGavins
Mary Zeta McGavin had told her son that the Kelly Brothers (Ned and his younger brother Dan) had called in to see the McGavins while riding past one day. When they left Ned gave them his pistol as a memento because he said they will not see him again. Another descendant recalls her Father Esmond (Digger) McGavin and Grandmother Mary Catherine McGavin (nee Lonergan) talk about the McGavins knowing Ned Kelly because his family lived next to them. The pistol passed from William Thomas McGavin to his son and then grandson. . It is believed that the pistol was given to a neighbour who was a member of a Pistol Club and was licensed to own a pistol. ANother descnedant recalls seeing a small sepia photo [about 4" x 3"] that her father Esmond (Digger) McGavin had. The photo was printed on thick paper and looked like a very old professional photographer's studio production. Her father told her that the man in the photo was Ned Kelly. It had the name "Ned Kelly" written on the back.

Ned Kelly was born in December 1854; William Thomas McGavin was born in June 1855. The Kelly's moved north to Avenel in 1864. Ned's father "Red" died on 27 December 1866 when Ned was 12. Soon after Reds death his widow Ellen moved the family to Greta to be closer to her family the Quinn's. Greta is about 8 miles west of Millbank so it is likely that this was the time when Ned Kelly's' family were neighbours of Andrew Ingram McGavin who was living at "Millbank" in the 1860's. Andrew Ingram McGavin would have been an associate of Ned and his brother Dan during their teen years.

Ned Kelly was captured at Glenrowan on 28 June 1880. He was hung on 11 November 1880.

It is likely that the Kelly Brothers stop-off at the McGavin farm occurred in June 1880 shortly before the Glenrowan Siege, Glenrowan being about 20 miles west of the McGavin Farm "Millbank". This was before William Thomas was married at Corowa in 1882. As William Thomas was a similar age to the Kelly brothers, it is likely that the Pistol was given to William Thomas McGavin.

Bob Williams has kindly provided this story.

  Noted events in his life were:

• He worked as a Labourer at the time of his marriage on 9 Nov 1882 in Corowa, New South Wales, Australia.

• He worked as a Farmer at the time of Julia's birth on 8 Nov 1895.

• He worked as a Hotelkeeper at the time of son Edward's marriage on 31 Aug 1911 in prob Morven, , New South Wales, Australia.

• He worked as a Labourer at the time of his daughter, Julia's marriage on 4 Nov 1919.

• He worked as a Retired Publican according to son James' Death Certificate in 1952.

• He resided at the time of son Octimus' enlistment in the AIF on 3 Oct 1916 in Squatters Hotel, Wagga Wagga, , New South Wales, Australia.

William married Julia Margaret O'Sullivan, daughter of Thomas Denis O'Sullivan ** and Ellen Jordan **, on 9 Nov 1882 in Catholic Church, Corowa, New South Wales, Australia. (Julia Margaret O'Sullivan was born on 1 Aug 1866 in Corowa, New South Wales, Australia, died on 8 Jan 1919 in Oaklands, New South Wales, Australia and was buried on 9 Jan 1919 in R/C Cemetery, Oaklands, New South Wales, Australia.). The cause of her death was Cerebral haemmorhage.

  Marriage Notes:

Witnesses were Michael Francis Sullivan, Julia's brother and a Margaret Cecilia Kennedy

William next married Minnie Hide, daughter of James Wilson Hide and Janet Bemeron, on 9 Nov 1882 in Catholic Church, Corowa, New South Wales, Australia. (Minnie Hide was born about 1871 in Cape Town, South Africa.)

  Marriage Notes:

Witnesses were Michael Francis Sullivan, Julia's brother and a Margaret Cecilia Kennedy