Ben Hall
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Ben Hall (9 May 1837 - 5 May 1865) was a noted Australian bushranger of the 19th century.
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[edit] Early life
Ben Hall was born on 9 May 1837, near Maitland (though some reports incorrectly say Breeza[1] [2]), in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. His parents were Benjamin Hall (b. Bristol, England 1802) and Eliza Somers (b. Dublin, Ireland 1807), both convicted for minor stealing offences and transported to New South Wales. They married in 1834 and had numerous children; Ben Junior was the fourth child and third son. After they received tickets of leave, they moved to the Hunter Valley, where Benjamin Senior worked for Samuel Clift on the Doona run. In about 1839, Benjamin squatted on a small area of land in an isolated valley north of Murrurundi. Here Benjamin built a rough hut and began raising cattle and collecting any wild cattle and horses he could find in the hills. In 1842, he bought a small block of land near Murrurundi, where he established a butcher shop. The family were hard-working, but there were numerous brushes with the law regarding the dubious ownership of cattle and horses.
About the end of 1850, Ben Senior moved down to the Lachlan River area, taking with him the children Ben Junior, William, Mary and his stepson Thomas Wade. It appears that Ben Junior never returned to Murrurundi, although his father died in 1851. Young Ben worked on numerous cattle properties along the Lachlan and gained a reputation as a hard-working and reliable stockman.[citation needed]
In 1856, at the age of 19, Hall married Bridget Walsh (1841 - 1923) at Bathurst.[1] One of Bridget's sisters was the mistress of Frank Gardiner; another sister married John Maguire. On 7 August, 1859, Ben and Biddy (as she was called) had a son, whom they named Henry. In 1860, Ben Hall and John Maguire jointly leased the "Sandy Creek" run of 10,000 acres (40 km²) about 50 km south of Forbes. Hall built a house, sheds and stockyards and established a stock of cattle which he sold at the Lambing Flat goldfield; this was where he met Frank Gardiner.
[edit] Bushranger
What happened next in his life remains shrouded in mystery, but circumstances and chance caused Ben Hall to turn from a successful grazier to an infamous bushranger. By early 1862, his marriage was in trouble, and Biddy left to live with a man named James Taylor from Humbug Creek, which flows south from Lake Cowal[citation needed]. At this time, there were many highwaymen operating around the area where Ben Hall lived. After Biddy left, he began associating with the notorious Frank Gardiner. In April 1862, Ben was arrested on the orders of Police Inspector Sir Frederick Pottinger for participating in an armed robbery whilst in the company of Gardiner. The charge was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
On 15 June 1862, Gardiner led a gang of 10 men, including Hall, and robbed the gold escort coach near Eugowra of more than 14,000 pounds in gold and banknotes.
Hall and several others were arrested in July, but once again the police were unable to gain enough evidence to formally charge him. He was released about the end of August. However, he and his partner at Sandy Creek faced mounting legal costs and were forced to transfer the lease of the property to a Forbes publican named John Wilson.
From then on, estranged from his wife and young son, and with the property gone, Ben Hall gradually drifted into a life of crime.
In one instance of his period of bushranging, Hall and his gang bailed up Robinson's Hotel in Canowindra and held all the people of the town captive for three days. The hostages were allegedly not mistreated, and were provided with entertainment. The local policeman was subjected to some humiliation by being locked in his own cell. When the hostages were set free, the gang insisted on paying the hotelier and giving the townspeople “expenses”. The aim, which was achieved, was to make public the gang’s power and lampoon the police.[citation needed]
During an attempted robbery of the gold coach near Araluen, John Gilbert killed Sgt. Parry and then Constable Nelson was killed by John Dunn at Collector. In early 1865, the authorities determined on radical legislation to bring an end to the careers of Ben Hall together with Johnny Gilbert and John Dunn. The Felons Apprehension Act was pushed through NSW Parliament for the specific purpose of declaring Hall and his comrades outlaws, and meant that they could be killed by anyone at any time without warning.
By May 1865, Ben Hall had decided to escape from New South Wales. However, he was betrayed by a man who had previously given the gang assistance and protection. The police were waiting, and at dawn on 5 May 1865 Ben Hall was ambushed by eight policemen who were armed with double-barrelled shotguns and .56 calibre Colt rifles. Hall was outnumbered eight to one, and fled without firing a shot. He was shot in the back as he ran away, eventually being shot 30 times.
Ben Hall's body was taken back to Forbes where an official inquest was held. He was buried at Forbes cemetery and a headstone was erected in the 1920s. His grave is well maintained and attracts many visitors.[3]
In 2007, Peter Bradley, a descendent of Ben Hall's younger brother Henry, announced he was calling for the inquest into the bushranger's death to be reopened. Bradley believes that as the Felon Apprehension Act had not yet come into force when Hall was killed, he was deliberately killed, despite the original inquest finding a cause of justifiable homicide.[4] He cited that the Act did not become law until May 10, five days after Hall was shot to death by police [4].
A memorial called "Ben Hall's Wall" is located in Breeza, south of Gunnedah, New South Wales.
"Ben Halls Gap" is a small section of State Forest named in memory of the bushranger's father, and is located south of Nundle, New South Wales.
[edit] Folklore
- A number of folk songs celebrate Hall's life and exploits. The most notable is Streets of Forbes, which has been recorded by numerous singers and groups. Others include The Ballad of Ben Hall's Gang,The Death of Ben Hall and The Ghost of Ben Hall.
- A possible reason for Ben Hall's position as a hero rather than a criminal, and his immortalization in history as a rebel against the government of the time cannot be understood easily. He has been seen as a "chivalrous champion of the people".[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Ben Hall. Interesting certificates: bushrangers. NSW Births Deaths and Marriages. Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
- ^ Orr, Hazel K. (2003). Ben Hall. Bushranger profiles. University of New England, School of Education - "The Bushranger Site". Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
- ^ "Ben Hall - Bushranger"
- ^ a b "Family seeks justice for Bold Ben's demise", -- Meacham, Steve, The Age, March 31, 2007
5. The Judas Covenant, by Peter Bradley. An account of the betrayal and death of Ben Hall.
[edit] External links
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