Ellen Knight nee Reilly, 1838–1907, nurse

Ellen Riely, daughter of Thomas Riely and Eliza Duning, was born in 1837 in Ballingarry, County Tipperary, Ireland. She was baptised on 13 September 1837.

On 19 August 1856 Ellen married a miner named Charles Knight at Saint Alipius Roman Catholic church, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

They lived at Beaufort for five years and Avoca for forty-six years.

Ellen and Charles Knight had thirteen children:

1. William (1857)
2. Elizabeth (1861)
3. Emily (1862)
4. Thomas (1863)
5. Ellen (1865)
6. Emily Mary (1867) 
7. Susannah (1869)
8. Ada (1870)
9. Minnie (1872)
10. Florence (1875) 
11. Harriet (1876)
12. Charles (1879)
13. Mary Kate (1881)

Ellen was employed in Avoca as a nurse.

In 1886 she sued for unpaid fees owed to her by Mrs Tregonning.

Avoca Mail, Tuesday 4 May 1886, page 2

AVOCA POLICE COURT
Monday, May 3rd, 1886. (Before C. W. Carr, Esq., P.M.)
E. Knight v. J Tregonning— Claim for £1 10s amount due for nursing. No appearance of defendant. Complainant deposed that Mrs Tregonning came to her and engaged her to nurse her during her confinement, which she did for about a fortnight. The arrangements as to payment were made with Mrs Tregonning. The bill was sent to defendant but he returned it with a letter stating that he had advertised the fact that he would not be responsible for any debts contracted by his wife. [The letter was handed into court.] Mrs Tregonning called deposed that she was married to defendant in April 1884, by the Rev. D. S. Lindsay, and lived with her husband at Clunes until September 1885, about that time her father became very ill, and she wished to come home to him, but her husband refused to allow her to come. She then came without his permission, and returned after being absent six or seven days, when she was treated very cruelly. She came back to Avoca and has been residing with her father. She had engaged Mrs Knight to attend her and the charges, were reasonable. The Bench made an order for the amount and 5s costs to be covered by distress.

In August 1889 Mrs Knight was paid by the Avoca Ladies’ Benevolent Society for looking after a destitute woman. Later that month she cared for a neglected infant.

In 1905 Ellen Knight was registered to vote in Avoca, in the Federal electorate of Laanecoorie. Her occupation was “nurse”.

In 1906 Ellen and Charles Knight celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

Age (Melbourne, Vic), Monday 20 August 1906, page 1

KNIGHT - REILLY.— (Golden Wedding).— On the 19th August, 1856, at St. Alphius's Church, Bakery Hill, Ballarat. by the Rev. Francis Finley, Charles, second son of William and Susannah Knight, of Adelaide, South Australia, to Ellen. eldest daughter of Thomas and Bessie Reilly, Tipperary, Ireland. Present address, Barnett-street, Avoca

On 2 January 1907 Ellen Knight of Avoca was admitted to Maryborough Hospital. She was Roman Catholic, married. She had arrived in the Colony on the ship Morris which had departed from Liverpool.

Ellen died from cancer on 6 April and was buried at Avoca.

Age, Thursday 11 April 1907, page 1

KNIGHT.—On the 6th April, at her residence, Barnett-street, Avoca, after a long and painful illness, Ellen, the beloved wife of Charles Knight, and mother of Thomas, William, Mary, Mrs. Burnett, Kew; Mrs. Johnston, West Melbourne; Mrs. McKenzie, Christchurch; Mrs. Pellett, Auburn; Mrs. McCarthy, Footscray; Mrs. Morris, Moonambel, and Mrs. Arrowsmith, Fitzroy, aged 69 years

In memory of Ellen and Charles Knight her descendants have added a plaque to the Avoca cemetery memorial wall honoring early settlers.

Wikitree: Ellen (Riely) Knight (1837-1907)