The most common version that describes Ruby Bland's death on the internet tells us that a crazed priest got Ruby pregnant, he then aborted her baby and then killed her, buried her near the reformatory. This version is totally false. I will now put forward what we actually know about Ruby's death.
A friend helping Kevin McNeil with his research contacted a friend at the Kapunda Hospital and was able to obtain administration records for late 1909 but was unable to obtain the medical records as they were not available. She ascertained that Ruby had been admitted to the Kapunda Hospital on the 15th November 1909 with suspected stone in the bile duct from the liver. She was there thirteen days before Dying on the operating table on the 28th November 1909.
She was listed as a "Catholic of no fixed address". It was stated that she had this condition for five years, since the age of 13 years old. Kevin's friend who at the time worked in a medical practice asked some of the staff about Cholelithiasis. One of the nursing staff (Registered Nurse) stated that in her opinion it was very unusual for this condition to develop in one so young. A doctor also confirmed this was the case, not unknown but very rare and even more so in the days days mentioned because of the dietary differences between then and now.
During the time Ruby was in hospital she was issued with a Baptism Certificate on the 23rd November 1909, five days before she died on the operating table. A note attached to certificate it reads.."Ruby Bland Baptised conditionally at the hospital before going into surgery. Afterwards she died". I find this very odd why a girl born into a Catholic family, incarcerated in a Catholic reformatory be issued with a Baptism Certificate that had a note attached saying "conditionally baptised". Did Ruby ask to be re-baptised knowing she was going to die or did the Catholic Clergy knowing she was not going to survive feel the need to baptize her. At the time Ruby was in hospital there was a Catholic priest on the hospital board, Mon. George Williams who was also the head of the Saint Rose Church in Kapunda. I believe that Mon. William could have been with Ruby and may have given Ruby the last rights and may have authorised the baptism for her before going into surgery.
Kevin McNeil while at the Death Certificates a second time noticed something curious. Under the cause of death - Cholelithiasis - postoperative shock appeared "5 years". It was a different ink and appeared contemporaneous with the rest of certificate. Was the certificate altered after it had been written, and if so why?
On Ruby's death certificate it stated that her usual address was Mt. Poole NSW, next of kin Elizabeth Pens of Remark. She was incarcerated at Saint Johns Reformatory yet the hospital records put her down as "Catholic of no fixed address". Did the Catholic Church attempt to dissociate or even attempt to hide the fact that Ruby was an inmate at Saint Johns Reformatory?
If there had been an attempt to hide the fact that Ruby was in a custodial situation at the reformatory, what were the authorities trying to hide? According to the medical data available Ruby was gravely ill but I am very suspicious about Ruby's medical condition being a stone in the bile duct of the liver at such a young age. What got my alarm bells ringing was that she was in hospital for thirteen days before going into surgery. Looking at the circumstantial evidence the hospital staff knew she was going to die yet they waited thirteen days before sending her to surgery. This led me to the assumption that Ruby suffered from some other condition or trauma that led to her death. I believe there is a distinct possibility that she was physically beaten while incarcerated at the reformatory by the residing Chaplin. I don't think it was a deliberate attempt to kill her, most likely some type of punishment that may have gotten out of hand.
The Catholic Church and the State Children's Department of South Australia knew the resident Chaplin was abusive towards the girls in the reformatory. I believe it is possible that the true diagnosis of Ruby's condition was altered to protect the Catholic Church and the State Children's Department of South Australia from any scandal that could embarrass the two parties.
What happened next completes the coverup up of Ruby's un-timely death. Within 24 hours of her death she was buried at Saint Johns Cemetery only 90 metres from were she was incarcerated. No autopsy was performed or any investigation conducted into her death. Ruby being buried so soon after her death left no time for relatives to be contacted or have time to collect the body. Ruby's older sister who lived in Renmark and was registered as the next of kin, yet she chose not to claim the body. This I find strange, why would you not want to claim your baby sister? Again I put forward, why did the family abandon the youngest member of the family, what did she do or what were they trying to hide. It appears that both the authorities and her family attempted to erase Ruby's memory from history. This appears to be an obvious observation when the family history is read with only two lines of incorrect information on the last page of the family tree document.
Some time after the documentary "The Most Haunted Town in Australia" was aired a gravesite was erected in Ruby Bland's honour, with a freshly painted wrought iron fence and cross. It was erected by Peter Swann a local historian and curator of the Saint Johns site. It was a very honourable gesture and should be applauded. The only question I have is why was it done after the documentary was aired?
Kevin McNeil searched through the death certificates and found that Ruby'd grave had no gravesite number making it impossible to locate the exact location of the gravesite. Peter Swann disagreed and believes that she is buried were he placed the refurbished gravesite.
It is difficult to say who is correct but it will an on going debate well into the future.
Did any other girls die?
One of the myths about the Saint Johns Reformatory was that a crazed priest went crazy and killed a lot of the girls at the reformatory.
The reality is that no girls actually died at the Saint Johns Reformatory. Ruby was the only girl to die under suspicious circumstances and she died at the Kapunda Hospital. There were only two other girls to die at Kapunda while under the care of the State Children's Department . A 13 year old girl died from Tetanus. the other being a 16 year old girl who died from Meningitis. Both girls were in halfway houses and both were claimed by their families.
- Saint Johns Reformatory Research Project
-----
From a contributor:
I just ordered and recieved the birth transcript for Ruby Olive Muray Bland RUBY OLIVE MURRAY BLAND, her details are as follows;
Gender - FEMALE
Date of Birth - birth - 7 OCT 1891
Place - LAKE VICTORIA, RIVER MURRAY, DISTRICT OF WENTWORTH
Father - WILLIAM BLAND
Occupation - LABORER
Place of Birth - BULBECK (SIC) FRANCE
Age - 47
Date of Marriage - 21 JUL 1867
Place of Marriage - PORT ELLIOTT, S AUST
Mother - MARGARET JANE WHITE MOONIE (SIC) PONDS, VICTORIA
Age - 39
Previous Issue - 2 MALES, 4 FEMALES LIVING
Informant - MARGARET JANE BLAND, MOTHER, LAKE VICTORIA, RIVER MURRAY
Present at Birth - CATHERINE HAYNES
Registered 25 NOV 1891 - WENTWORTH
A friend helping Kevin McNeil with his research contacted a friend at the Kapunda Hospital and was able to obtain administration records for late 1909 but was unable to obtain the medical records as they were not available. She ascertained that Ruby had been admitted to the Kapunda Hospital on the 15th November 1909 with suspected stone in the bile duct from the liver. She was there thirteen days before Dying on the operating table on the 28th November 1909.
She was listed as a "Catholic of no fixed address". It was stated that she had this condition for five years, since the age of 13 years old. Kevin's friend who at the time worked in a medical practice asked some of the staff about Cholelithiasis. One of the nursing staff (Registered Nurse) stated that in her opinion it was very unusual for this condition to develop in one so young. A doctor also confirmed this was the case, not unknown but very rare and even more so in the days days mentioned because of the dietary differences between then and now.
During the time Ruby was in hospital she was issued with a Baptism Certificate on the 23rd November 1909, five days before she died on the operating table. A note attached to certificate it reads.."Ruby Bland Baptised conditionally at the hospital before going into surgery. Afterwards she died". I find this very odd why a girl born into a Catholic family, incarcerated in a Catholic reformatory be issued with a Baptism Certificate that had a note attached saying "conditionally baptised". Did Ruby ask to be re-baptised knowing she was going to die or did the Catholic Clergy knowing she was not going to survive feel the need to baptize her. At the time Ruby was in hospital there was a Catholic priest on the hospital board, Mon. George Williams who was also the head of the Saint Rose Church in Kapunda. I believe that Mon. William could have been with Ruby and may have given Ruby the last rights and may have authorised the baptism for her before going into surgery.
Kevin McNeil while at the Death Certificates a second time noticed something curious. Under the cause of death - Cholelithiasis - postoperative shock appeared "5 years". It was a different ink and appeared contemporaneous with the rest of certificate. Was the certificate altered after it had been written, and if so why?
On Ruby's death certificate it stated that her usual address was Mt. Poole NSW, next of kin Elizabeth Pens of Remark. She was incarcerated at Saint Johns Reformatory yet the hospital records put her down as "Catholic of no fixed address". Did the Catholic Church attempt to dissociate or even attempt to hide the fact that Ruby was an inmate at Saint Johns Reformatory?
If there had been an attempt to hide the fact that Ruby was in a custodial situation at the reformatory, what were the authorities trying to hide? According to the medical data available Ruby was gravely ill but I am very suspicious about Ruby's medical condition being a stone in the bile duct of the liver at such a young age. What got my alarm bells ringing was that she was in hospital for thirteen days before going into surgery. Looking at the circumstantial evidence the hospital staff knew she was going to die yet they waited thirteen days before sending her to surgery. This led me to the assumption that Ruby suffered from some other condition or trauma that led to her death. I believe there is a distinct possibility that she was physically beaten while incarcerated at the reformatory by the residing Chaplin. I don't think it was a deliberate attempt to kill her, most likely some type of punishment that may have gotten out of hand.
The Catholic Church and the State Children's Department of South Australia knew the resident Chaplin was abusive towards the girls in the reformatory. I believe it is possible that the true diagnosis of Ruby's condition was altered to protect the Catholic Church and the State Children's Department of South Australia from any scandal that could embarrass the two parties.
What happened next completes the coverup up of Ruby's un-timely death. Within 24 hours of her death she was buried at Saint Johns Cemetery only 90 metres from were she was incarcerated. No autopsy was performed or any investigation conducted into her death. Ruby being buried so soon after her death left no time for relatives to be contacted or have time to collect the body. Ruby's older sister who lived in Renmark and was registered as the next of kin, yet she chose not to claim the body. This I find strange, why would you not want to claim your baby sister? Again I put forward, why did the family abandon the youngest member of the family, what did she do or what were they trying to hide. It appears that both the authorities and her family attempted to erase Ruby's memory from history. This appears to be an obvious observation when the family history is read with only two lines of incorrect information on the last page of the family tree document.
Some time after the documentary "The Most Haunted Town in Australia" was aired a gravesite was erected in Ruby Bland's honour, with a freshly painted wrought iron fence and cross. It was erected by Peter Swann a local historian and curator of the Saint Johns site. It was a very honourable gesture and should be applauded. The only question I have is why was it done after the documentary was aired?
Kevin McNeil searched through the death certificates and found that Ruby'd grave had no gravesite number making it impossible to locate the exact location of the gravesite. Peter Swann disagreed and believes that she is buried were he placed the refurbished gravesite.
It is difficult to say who is correct but it will an on going debate well into the future.
Did any other girls die?
One of the myths about the Saint Johns Reformatory was that a crazed priest went crazy and killed a lot of the girls at the reformatory.
The reality is that no girls actually died at the Saint Johns Reformatory. Ruby was the only girl to die under suspicious circumstances and she died at the Kapunda Hospital. There were only two other girls to die at Kapunda while under the care of the State Children's Department . A 13 year old girl died from Tetanus. the other being a 16 year old girl who died from Meningitis. Both girls were in halfway houses and both were claimed by their families.
- Saint Johns Reformatory Research Project
-----
From a contributor:
I just ordered and recieved the birth transcript for Ruby Olive Muray Bland RUBY OLIVE MURRAY BLAND, her details are as follows;
Gender - FEMALE
Date of Birth - birth - 7 OCT 1891
Place - LAKE VICTORIA, RIVER MURRAY, DISTRICT OF WENTWORTH
Father - WILLIAM BLAND
Occupation - LABORER
Place of Birth - BULBECK (SIC) FRANCE
Age - 47
Date of Marriage - 21 JUL 1867
Place of Marriage - PORT ELLIOTT, S AUST
Mother - MARGARET JANE WHITE MOONIE (SIC) PONDS, VICTORIA
Age - 39
Previous Issue - 2 MALES, 4 FEMALES LIVING
Informant - MARGARET JANE BLAND, MOTHER, LAKE VICTORIA, RIVER MURRAY
Present at Birth - CATHERINE HAYNES
Registered 25 NOV 1891 - WENTWORTH
The most common version that describes Ruby Bland's death on the internet tells us that a crazed priest got Ruby pregnant, he then aborted her baby and then killed her, buried her near the reformatory. This version is totally false. I will now put forward what we actually know about Ruby's death.
A friend helping Kevin McNeil with his research contacted a friend at the Kapunda Hospital and was able to obtain administration records for late 1909 but was unable to obtain the medical records as they were not available. She ascertained that Ruby had been admitted to the Kapunda Hospital on the 15th November 1909 with suspected stone in the bile duct from the liver. She was there thirteen days before Dying on the operating table on the 28th November 1909.
She was listed as a "Catholic of no fixed address". It was stated that she had this condition for five years, since the age of 13 years old. Kevin's friend who at the time worked in a medical practice asked some of the staff about Cholelithiasis. One of the nursing staff (Registered Nurse) stated that in her opinion it was very unusual for this condition to develop in one so young. A doctor also confirmed this was the case, not unknown but very rare and even more so in the days days mentioned because of the dietary differences between then and now.
During the time Ruby was in hospital she was issued with a Baptism Certificate on the 23rd November 1909, five days before she died on the operating table. A note attached to certificate it reads.."Ruby Bland Baptised conditionally at the hospital before going into surgery. Afterwards she died". I find this very odd why a girl born into a Catholic family, incarcerated in a Catholic reformatory be issued with a Baptism Certificate that had a note attached saying "conditionally baptised". Did Ruby ask to be re-baptised knowing she was going to die or did the Catholic Clergy knowing she was not going to survive feel the need to baptize her. At the time Ruby was in hospital there was a Catholic priest on the hospital board, Mon. George Williams who was also the head of the Saint Rose Church in Kapunda. I believe that Mon. William could have been with Ruby and may have given Ruby the last rights and may have authorised the baptism for her before going into surgery.
Kevin McNeil while at the Death Certificates a second time noticed something curious. Under the cause of death - Cholelithiasis - postoperative shock appeared "5 years". It was a different ink and appeared contemporaneous with the rest of certificate. Was the certificate altered after it had been written, and if so why?
On Ruby's death certificate it stated that her usual address was Mt. Poole NSW, next of kin Elizabeth Pens of Remark. She was incarcerated at Saint Johns Reformatory yet the hospital records put her down as "Catholic of no fixed address". Did the Catholic Church attempt to dissociate or even attempt to hide the fact that Ruby was an inmate at Saint Johns Reformatory?
If there had been an attempt to hide the fact that Ruby was in a custodial situation at the reformatory, what were the authorities trying to hide? According to the medical data available Ruby was gravely ill but I am very suspicious about Ruby's medical condition being a stone in the bile duct of the liver at such a young age. What got my alarm bells ringing was that she was in hospital for thirteen days before going into surgery. Looking at the circumstantial evidence the hospital staff knew she was going to die yet they waited thirteen days before sending her to surgery. This led me to the assumption that Ruby suffered from some other condition or trauma that led to her death. I believe there is a distinct possibility that she was physically beaten while incarcerated at the reformatory by the residing Chaplin. I don't think it was a deliberate attempt to kill her, most likely some type of punishment that may have gotten out of hand.
The Catholic Church and the State Children's Department of South Australia knew the resident Chaplin was abusive towards the girls in the reformatory. I believe it is possible that the true diagnosis of Ruby's condition was altered to protect the Catholic Church and the State Children's Department of South Australia from any scandal that could embarrass the two parties.
What happened next completes the coverup up of Ruby's un-timely death. Within 24 hours of her death she was buried at Saint Johns Cemetery only 90 metres from were she was incarcerated. No autopsy was performed or any investigation conducted into her death. Ruby being buried so soon after her death left no time for relatives to be contacted or have time to collect the body. Ruby's older sister who lived in Renmark and was registered as the next of kin, yet she chose not to claim the body. This I find strange, why would you not want to claim your baby sister? Again I put forward, why did the family abandon the youngest member of the family, what did she do or what were they trying to hide. It appears that both the authorities and her family attempted to erase Ruby's memory from history. This appears to be an obvious observation when the family history is read with only two lines of incorrect information on the last page of the family tree document.
Some time after the documentary "The Most Haunted Town in Australia" was aired a gravesite was erected in Ruby Bland's honour, with a freshly painted wrought iron fence and cross. It was erected by Peter Swann a local historian and curator of the Saint Johns site. It was a very honourable gesture and should be applauded. The only question I have is why was it done after the documentary was aired?
Kevin McNeil searched through the death certificates and found that Ruby'd grave had no gravesite number making it impossible to locate the exact location of the gravesite. Peter Swann disagreed and believes that she is buried were he placed the refurbished gravesite.
It is difficult to say who is correct but it will an on going debate well into the future.
Did any other girls die?
One of the myths about the Saint Johns Reformatory was that a crazed priest went crazy and killed a lot of the girls at the reformatory.
The reality is that no girls actually died at the Saint Johns Reformatory. Ruby was the only girl to die under suspicious circumstances and she died at the Kapunda Hospital. There were only two other girls to die at Kapunda while under the care of the State Children's Department . A 13 year old girl died from Tetanus. the other being a 16 year old girl who died from Meningitis. Both girls were in halfway houses and both were claimed by their families.
- Saint Johns Reformatory Research Project
-----
From a contributor:
I just ordered and recieved the birth transcript for Ruby Olive Muray Bland RUBY OLIVE MURRAY BLAND, her details are as follows;
Gender - FEMALE
Date of Birth - birth - 7 OCT 1891
Place - LAKE VICTORIA, RIVER MURRAY, DISTRICT OF WENTWORTH
Father - WILLIAM BLAND
Occupation - LABORER
Place of Birth - BULBECK (SIC) FRANCE
Age - 47
Date of Marriage - 21 JUL 1867
Place of Marriage - PORT ELLIOTT, S AUST
Mother - MARGARET JANE WHITE MOONIE (SIC) PONDS, VICTORIA
Age - 39
Previous Issue - 2 MALES, 4 FEMALES LIVING
Informant - MARGARET JANE BLAND, MOTHER, LAKE VICTORIA, RIVER MURRAY
Present at Birth - CATHERINE HAYNES
Registered 25 NOV 1891 - WENTWORTH
A friend helping Kevin McNeil with his research contacted a friend at the Kapunda Hospital and was able to obtain administration records for late 1909 but was unable to obtain the medical records as they were not available. She ascertained that Ruby had been admitted to the Kapunda Hospital on the 15th November 1909 with suspected stone in the bile duct from the liver. She was there thirteen days before Dying on the operating table on the 28th November 1909.
She was listed as a "Catholic of no fixed address". It was stated that she had this condition for five years, since the age of 13 years old. Kevin's friend who at the time worked in a medical practice asked some of the staff about Cholelithiasis. One of the nursing staff (Registered Nurse) stated that in her opinion it was very unusual for this condition to develop in one so young. A doctor also confirmed this was the case, not unknown but very rare and even more so in the days days mentioned because of the dietary differences between then and now.
During the time Ruby was in hospital she was issued with a Baptism Certificate on the 23rd November 1909, five days before she died on the operating table. A note attached to certificate it reads.."Ruby Bland Baptised conditionally at the hospital before going into surgery. Afterwards she died". I find this very odd why a girl born into a Catholic family, incarcerated in a Catholic reformatory be issued with a Baptism Certificate that had a note attached saying "conditionally baptised". Did Ruby ask to be re-baptised knowing she was going to die or did the Catholic Clergy knowing she was not going to survive feel the need to baptize her. At the time Ruby was in hospital there was a Catholic priest on the hospital board, Mon. George Williams who was also the head of the Saint Rose Church in Kapunda. I believe that Mon. William could have been with Ruby and may have given Ruby the last rights and may have authorised the baptism for her before going into surgery.
Kevin McNeil while at the Death Certificates a second time noticed something curious. Under the cause of death - Cholelithiasis - postoperative shock appeared "5 years". It was a different ink and appeared contemporaneous with the rest of certificate. Was the certificate altered after it had been written, and if so why?
On Ruby's death certificate it stated that her usual address was Mt. Poole NSW, next of kin Elizabeth Pens of Remark. She was incarcerated at Saint Johns Reformatory yet the hospital records put her down as "Catholic of no fixed address". Did the Catholic Church attempt to dissociate or even attempt to hide the fact that Ruby was an inmate at Saint Johns Reformatory?
If there had been an attempt to hide the fact that Ruby was in a custodial situation at the reformatory, what were the authorities trying to hide? According to the medical data available Ruby was gravely ill but I am very suspicious about Ruby's medical condition being a stone in the bile duct of the liver at such a young age. What got my alarm bells ringing was that she was in hospital for thirteen days before going into surgery. Looking at the circumstantial evidence the hospital staff knew she was going to die yet they waited thirteen days before sending her to surgery. This led me to the assumption that Ruby suffered from some other condition or trauma that led to her death. I believe there is a distinct possibility that she was physically beaten while incarcerated at the reformatory by the residing Chaplin. I don't think it was a deliberate attempt to kill her, most likely some type of punishment that may have gotten out of hand.
The Catholic Church and the State Children's Department of South Australia knew the resident Chaplin was abusive towards the girls in the reformatory. I believe it is possible that the true diagnosis of Ruby's condition was altered to protect the Catholic Church and the State Children's Department of South Australia from any scandal that could embarrass the two parties.
What happened next completes the coverup up of Ruby's un-timely death. Within 24 hours of her death she was buried at Saint Johns Cemetery only 90 metres from were she was incarcerated. No autopsy was performed or any investigation conducted into her death. Ruby being buried so soon after her death left no time for relatives to be contacted or have time to collect the body. Ruby's older sister who lived in Renmark and was registered as the next of kin, yet she chose not to claim the body. This I find strange, why would you not want to claim your baby sister? Again I put forward, why did the family abandon the youngest member of the family, what did she do or what were they trying to hide. It appears that both the authorities and her family attempted to erase Ruby's memory from history. This appears to be an obvious observation when the family history is read with only two lines of incorrect information on the last page of the family tree document.
Some time after the documentary "The Most Haunted Town in Australia" was aired a gravesite was erected in Ruby Bland's honour, with a freshly painted wrought iron fence and cross. It was erected by Peter Swann a local historian and curator of the Saint Johns site. It was a very honourable gesture and should be applauded. The only question I have is why was it done after the documentary was aired?
Kevin McNeil searched through the death certificates and found that Ruby'd grave had no gravesite number making it impossible to locate the exact location of the gravesite. Peter Swann disagreed and believes that she is buried were he placed the refurbished gravesite.
It is difficult to say who is correct but it will an on going debate well into the future.
Did any other girls die?
One of the myths about the Saint Johns Reformatory was that a crazed priest went crazy and killed a lot of the girls at the reformatory.
The reality is that no girls actually died at the Saint Johns Reformatory. Ruby was the only girl to die under suspicious circumstances and she died at the Kapunda Hospital. There were only two other girls to die at Kapunda while under the care of the State Children's Department . A 13 year old girl died from Tetanus. the other being a 16 year old girl who died from Meningitis. Both girls were in halfway houses and both were claimed by their families.
- Saint Johns Reformatory Research Project
-----
From a contributor:
I just ordered and recieved the birth transcript for Ruby Olive Muray Bland RUBY OLIVE MURRAY BLAND, her details are as follows;
Gender - FEMALE
Date of Birth - birth - 7 OCT 1891
Place - LAKE VICTORIA, RIVER MURRAY, DISTRICT OF WENTWORTH
Father - WILLIAM BLAND
Occupation - LABORER
Place of Birth - BULBECK (SIC) FRANCE
Age - 47
Date of Marriage - 21 JUL 1867
Place of Marriage - PORT ELLIOTT, S AUST
Mother - MARGARET JANE WHITE MOONIE (SIC) PONDS, VICTORIA
Age - 39
Previous Issue - 2 MALES, 4 FEMALES LIVING
Informant - MARGARET JANE BLAND, MOTHER, LAKE VICTORIA, RIVER MURRAY
Present at Birth - CATHERINE HAYNES
Registered 25 NOV 1891 - WENTWORTH
Inscription
Daughter of William and Margaret Jane Bland
Died Nov 26th 1909
aged 1? years
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