John Edward Kelly was born into 'a moderately well-off Protestant family'. The family emigrated to Halifax, Nova Scotia when Kelly was two years old. He completed his education there and then moved to Boston, Massachusetts to serve a printing apprenticeship. Following this, Kelly re-located to New York where he 'became a member of the Fenian Brotherhood' and joined a militia regiment of the Union Army.
Kelly returned to Ireland in 1861 (to 'organize and train members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood') and found work at the Dublin newspaper, the Irish People. He took part in an Irish uprising in March 1867 and was later arrested and 'charged with high treason and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered'. His sentence was later commuted to 'penal servitude for life'.
Kelly was one of 62 Fenians who travelled aboard the Hougoumont, the last convict ship to sail for Australia. While on board, he printed and contributed to The Wild Goose: A Collection of Ocean Waifs.
Kelly was released from prison in Fremantle in 1871 as part of a general amnesty. He attempted to settle in New Zealand, but, failing that, returned to Australia for a further four years. 'While in Australia he worked a number of jobs including a stint in the in the gold mines. He also founded a Fenian support group in Sydney and managed a newspaper for a short period of time before returning to the United States in 1876. He spent some time in California before returning to Boston'. Kelly remained in the US until his death in 1884.
Source: 'Fenian Graves: Ours to Honour and Remember: John Edward Kelly (1840-1884)'
Sighted: 19/08/2014
