The Stratford Sadlers and the Bard of Avon

The family of Ralph's brother John were born in Stratford, and it has been suggested that the Sadleirs originated there before Henry moved to Hackney. The family were well established merchants in the town. Ralph's nephew John Sadler became Alderman and High Bailiff of Stratford.(The variant Sadler seems to have been used most frequently for the Stratford families) His son followed him with the same positions. Another son, Hamnet (or sometimes Hamlet) and his wife Judith Sadler, bakers, were close friends to William Shakespeare (left) and his family, and were godparents to Shakespeare's twins, who were named Hamnet and Judith after the couple. Hamnet was left his uncle Roger Sadler's bakery in Stratford High Street "next the corn market" at the young age of 18. Hamnet Sadler was also a beneficiary in Shakespeare's will, when the poet left him a bequest of 26s 8d in order to purchase a memorial ring. Shakespeare's daughter Judith married a Thomas Quiney - and John Sadler the nephew of Hamnet Sadler married an Elizabeth Quiney, quite probably the sister of Thomas. The Quineys, Shakespeares and Sadlers seem to have been socially close, and perhaps we should not be surprised that the families intermarried. Though to be fair some of the Sadler kinships are probabilities rather than certainties.

Another descendant of the Sadleir who settled in Tipperary in the 17th century was John Sadleir, 1833-1919. He emigrated to Melbourne on the Great Britain in 1852. On his arrival he joined a corps of police charged with restoring order in a territory that had lost serving police officers to the gold rush. One of his first postings was to Ballarat. He rose through the force to the rank of Superintendent. He was posted to command the Upper Goulburn District which brought him into contact with Ned Kelly and his gang.

Ned Kelly was the son of an Irish transportee.  His family were probably engaged in cattle and horse rustling, though never convicted. Ned's run-ins with the law started at an early age.  He certainly became a cattle thief; in the brushes with the law that resulted, his violence against the police escalated until a confontation in 1878 when he shot and killed three constables. After several daring bank raids, in 1880 the Kelly gang was tracked to Glenrowan. Knowing that a trainload of police were coming, the gang held 70 hostages in the local inn. The police laid siege to the hotel, and in the shoot-out that ensued, the Kelly gang wore their famous body armour, fashioned from plough parts. All the gang members except Kelly were killed, and he was severely wounded in his unprotected lower legs.  Sadleir had played a prominent role in the pursuit, and it was during this encounter that John Sadleir took over command of the operation, after Superintendent Hare withdrew, having received a slightwound to the wrist. Kelly was captured, stood trial and was hanged 5 months later. It is said that Sadleir showed compassion in his treatment of the wounded Kelly. Throughout his career he seems untypically to have demonstrated an awareness of the social dimensions that were factors in the law-breaking he encountered.  A Royal Inquiry into the Kelly affair was critical of his errors of judgement. But partisan perspectives have coloured all accounts of the life of Ned Kelly, and notwithstanding the criticism, Sadleir eventually rose to the second most important role in the Stae of Victoria police.

Ned Kelly