Interesting graves in South Australia:
Jane Macmenimen
Jane Macmenimen, a waiter at the then very remote Salt
Creek wine shanty, was murdered by Malachi Martin in early
February 1862 because he suspected that she had found out
about his previous murders. Later Martin was accredited
with at least two other murders in the area.
Jane Macmenimen, an Irish immigrant was a hardworking woman
of decent character originally employed by the proprietors
of the establishment, William and Catherine Robinson (nee
Bracken). After Catherine Robinson was widowed in June
1856, she married her employee, Malachi Martin in 1858.
Just why Martin came to suspect Jane knew of his past deeds
was never disclosed. However, something caused Martin to
develop an elaborate plan to dispose of the Irish servant.
In February 1862, he persuaded his wife to take a holiday
at Macclesfield where the Robinsons had lived prior to
going to Salt Creek and Mrs Martin left in one of the vessels
that serviced Salt Creek from Goolwa. On 4 February Martin
sent Wilson, the other servant, to a neighbour's place
on a mission to borrow a saddle.
When Wilson returned, Jane had gone and Martin claimed
that she had taken up with some overlanders en route to
Mount Gambier. Wilson became suspicious when he discovered
that Jane had taken nothing with her and her quarters had
become very untidy and yet she was known for her tidiness.
While Wilson never took the matter any further, Jane’s
sister in Wellington then became concerned and after many
enquiries, traced and contacted all parties who passed
through Salt Creek at the right time.
On 27 May 1862, an aborigine from Kingston named Major
McKenzie out hunting about two kilometres to the north
of the wine shanty discovered Jane’s body. The body
was recovered and taken to Wood’s Well where, after
the formal identification, she was buried about one kilometre
north of the homestead. The police quickly traced the crime
back to Martin and after a trial, he was executed at the
Adelaide Gaol in December 1862 and so became, himself,
the subject of an interesting grave, a topic to be detailed
in a future article.
Sources
Tom McCourt & Hans Mincham, The Coorong and lakes
of the Lower Murray, Gillingham Printers, Adelaide 1987, pp94–105.
Jill Statton [ed], Biographical Index of South Australians
1836–1885 Vol 3 p1372.
Tony Cobiac [ed], SA Marriages Index of registrations 1842
to 1916
Tony Cobiac [ed], SA Deaths Index of registrations 1842
to 1915
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