Melville was a bushranger, part of a gang which robbed a dray from the Melbourne Gold Escort Company on 20 July 1853, twenty miles from McIvor in Victoria, resulting in the murder of Thomas Flookes. Melville was hanged on Monday 3 October 1853. His body was handed over to his wife. 'Because of the public display put on by Mrs Melville to condemn the police, this was the last time that remains were handed over and from that point on those executed were buried in prison grounds' (Ned Kelly's World website,
http://www.nedkellysworld.com.au ).
