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Thomas LONIGAN

Thomas LONIGAN

Victoria Police

Mounted Constable

Regd. # 2423

Shot – Murdered

34 old

Died  26 October 1878

Constable Lonigan
Constable Lonigan

 

Thomas LONIGAN - VicPol - Murdered - Oct1878 - Grave 1
Thomas LONIGAN – VicPol – Murdered – Oct1878 – Grave 1

Kelly victims will not be forgotten, say descendents

Date
Lawrence Money

Journalist

Mounted constable Thomas Lonigan was just 34 when he died in October 1878 and, on Thursday at Mansfield cemetery, there was no doubting the cause – he was “murdered by armed criminals”. It says so on his tombstone and at a service to mark the restoration of the graves of Lonigan, Sergeant Michael Kennedy and Constable Michael Scanlan, the sentiment was clear. This was no place for fans of Ned Kelly.”A murderer and a bully,” said Leo Kennedy, great grandson of Sergeant Kennedy. “The effect of his murders still linger because of those who use his murders as an icon.”

Deborah Tunstall, great-great-granddaughter of Lonigan, said the service – attended by more than 100 police, descendants and locals – finally “brought justice” for the three men killed at Stringybark Creek so many years ago.

Kelly was executed in 1880 after being found guilty of murdering Constable Lonigan.

The three graves – in different locations due to the religious considerations of the time – were badly damaged along with other graves by vandals in the 1960s.

Police Minister Kim Wells told the service that the state government had allocated funds to restore the graves of Victorian police officer throughout the state.

The Mansfield service was a stirring sight, under a cloudy sky with the police pipe band, uniformed members of the Shrine guard and many locals in period costume. Police Commissioner Ken Lay said that, to some, the three policemen had become pawns in history, remembered as “mere footnotes to the lives and excesses of those murderous people”.

“Today, let’s do them the honour of stripping away some of the clutter. The simple truth is that they were asked to do something difficult, something very dangerous, simply because it was their job to do it.”

Commissioner Lay said Constable Scanlan had known there was a good chance he would not return. “Before he left Mooroopna on his horse he told a mate he could have his dog should he die while chasing the Kelly gang. As we all know, he did. These three men hold a sacred place in Victoria police history, as do 154 other Victorian member killed in the line of of duty.”

26Oct 1878

Lonigan, Thomas

Constable (2423)

On the 25th October, 1878 Sergeant Michael Kennedy and Constables Lonigan, Michael Scanlan and Thomas McIntyre rode into the Wombat Ranges searching for Ned and Dan Kelly, who were wanted for the attempted murder of Constable Alex Fitzpatrick at Eleven Mile Creek, near Benalla, on 15th April, 1878.
That evening the policemen established a camp near Stringbark Creek, and the following day Kennedy and Scanlan set off to patrol the area whilst McIntyre and Lonigan remained behind. Towards evening the camp site was attacked by the Kelly’s, together with their associates Steve Hart and Joe Byrne. Constable Lonigan was shot dead whilst Constable McIntyre was captured and held hostage. The outlaws then hid themselves around the camp, and left McIntyre on view as a decoy. When Kennedy and Scanlan returned Ned Kelly called on them to “bail up”, then almost immediately the outlaws began firing and the policemen were cut down. In the confusion McIntyre was able to escape and raise the alarm.

Over the next two years the Kelly gang, as they became known, remained at large, only coming out of hiding to make two much publicised raids, one on the township of Euroa, and the other at Jerilderie. Finally, in June, 1880 they received information that an associate, Aaron Sherritt, had betrayed them, and a large contingent of police were travelling to Euroa by train to arrest them. The gang moved swiftly. They murdered Sherritt, took over the township of Glenrowan and imprisoned the residents, and wrecked the railway line in the near vicinity. They then settled down to wait, planning to set upon the police party after their train ran off the rails at the point of sabotage. A local resident managed to allow the gang to release him, and he warned the approaching police and averted a disaster. Soon after the gang were cornered in a local hotel. A siege developed and Dan Kelly, Steve Hart and Joe Byrne were killed. Ned Kelly managed to escape, and returned later in his famous “suit of armour”, and attempted to shoot it out with police. Soon overpowered, he faced trial at Melbourne for killing Lonigan, and was hanged at 10.00 a.m. on 11th November, 1880.

http://www.remember.org.au/Honour-Roll/1870s




Thomas Edward WALLINGS

Thomas Edward WALLINGS

New South Wales Police Force

Regd. #  ‘ P ‘ 716 

( ‘P’ = Pre 1862 when NSWPF “Officially” commenced )

Rank: Mounted Constable – 15 July 1855

Senior Constable – appointed 1 March 1862

Sergeant 2nd Class – appointed 1 June 1868

Senior Sergeant – appointed 1 November 1877

Stations, Molong ( January 1865 ), Mudgee ( September 1869.  Sgt In Charge of Mudgee to Bathurst Gold Escort ), Dubbo – death

ServiceFrom  15 July 1855  to  20 September 1878 = 23+ years Service

Awards?

Born: ? ? 1838 in Dubbo ( although other records state a native of England )

Died on:  Friday 20 September 1878

Cause:  Shot – Murdered

Event location:  Marthaguy Creek, ( near Warren ), NSW

Age: 40

Funeral date:

Funeral location:

Buried at:  Old Dubbo Cemetery, Myall St, Manera Hts, Dubbo, Church of England Portion, Section R2

Memorial location:

Thomas WALLINGS
Thomas WALLINGS

 

INSCRIPTION:<br /> THOMAS WALLINGS<br /> ? in the Police<br /> many years a faithful<br /> public servant<br /> He was shot dead<br /> whilst in the execution<br /> of his duty<br /> at Wombobbie<br /> on the 20th Sep. 1878<br /> aged 40 years<br /> This memorial was erected by the<br /> Government of New South Wales<br /> also<br /> Charles C. WALLINGS<br /> died 17th May 1903<br /> aged 30 years<br /> The Lord gave and the<br /> Lord hath taken away.<br />
INSCRIPTION:
THOMAS WALLINGS
? in the Police
many years a faithful
public servant
He was shot dead
whilst in the execution
of his duty
at Wombobbie
on the 20th Sep. 1878
aged 40 years
This memorial was erected by the
Government of New South Wales
also
Charles C. WALLINGS
died 17th May 1903
aged 30 years
The Lord gave and the
Lord hath taken away.

 

INSCRIPTION: THOMAS WALLINGS ? ? ? He was shot dead ? of ? at ? on the 20th Sep. 1878 aged 40 years ? ? also Charles C. WALLINGS died 17th May 1903 aged 30 years The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away.
INSCRIPTION:
THOMAS WALLINGS
? in the Police
many years a faithful
public servant
He was shot dead
whilst in the execution
of his duty
at Wombobbie
on the 20th Sep. 1878
aged 40 years
This memorial was erected by the
Government of New South Wales
also
Charles C. WALLINGS
died 17th May 1903
aged 30 years
The Lord gave and the
Lord hath taken away.

 

Thomas IS mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance

 

On the night of Thursday 19 September, 1878 Sergeant Wallings, Senior Constable William Souter and Constable John Walsh were searching for a gang of bushrangers ( Captain Midnight & his gang ) when they set up a bush camp near the Wonbobbie Inn, Marthaguy Creek (near Warren).

The following day ( Friday 20 September ) at 6am the three police rode to the inn where they suspected they might find the bushrangers. Constables Souter and Walsh remained on guard outside while Sergeant Wallings approached the inn. Meanwhile, Constable Souter saw a man about 50 metres away carrying a rifle. He rode over to him and was told he would be shot if he came any closer. Souter called to the other police who rode down to him.

Sergeant Wallings then fired a warning shot and told the man to surrender, however the man replied that he himself would fire if the police came any closer. Sergeant Wallings then advanced on the man and pointed his revolver at him. The man then turned suddenly and dropped to one knee. As he did so, he fired at the sergeant, hitting him in the chest. In the confusion the offender ran a short distance away and took cover from the police. A short gun battle took place, however, the offender, being far better armed with a rifle, compared to the police revolvers, managed to escape. The two constables then directed their attention to assisting the wounded sergeant. The wound suffered by Sergeant Wallings ( shot through the heart and lung ) proved to be severe, and he unfortunately passed away almost immediately.

A few weeks later, the Sydney Morning Herald dated 10 October, 1878 reported the death of the murderer, informing its readers that “News has just reached the metropolis that the man who shot Senior Sergeant Wallings at Dubbo has been killed by the police, shortly after he committed the murder. The cold-blooded villain shot Wallings in the execution of his duty. He was pursued by Sub-Inspector Duffy and Constables Latton and Gray of Bourke, in the most unrelenting manner, and traced to the borders of Queensland, where he made a desperate resistance. The police shot at the horse he was riding and fatally wounded the murderer, whose name is said to be George Gibson. This man’s death is one which has not in any way been regretted by the general community. It was such a death as luckily there is not much necessity for now-a-days. The police deserve the congratulations of the public here for their bravery in this instance, which however, is only of a piece with much the New South Wales police have accomplished in the suppression of crimes of this nature. A movement has been initiated for relieving the widow and eight children of Wallings.

The sergeant was born in 1838 and joined the police force on 15 July, 1855. In 1862 he became a member of the newly-formed New South Wales Police Force. At the time of his death he was stationed at Dubbo. The offender was the bushranger “Midnight“.