Mary Ann Cotter - Do We Have the Facts?

There's a lot we know about Mary Ann Kelly. She was the wife of Edward Cotter (Son of Michael) and had many children.

Her many grandchildren and great grandchildren have created family trees with details surrounding her birth and dates for her christening.

But it is her death that makes me question the validity of the details of the trees and I think we need to look closer to find more proof.

What we know from the newspapers:
Her husband was Edward Cotter.
She lived in Burgooney.
She died on 5 December 1926 in West Wyalong, N.S.W. Australia.
We know her children consisted of 8 sons & 3 daughters. [At the time of Edward's death a year later the papers reported 6 sons & 3 daughters were still alive in 1927]
She was Church of England by faith and buried in a local cemetery

Both newspapers state her age at 65. This would put her date of birth around 1861.

However many family historians have claimed immigration records and christening records pur our Mary Kelly as born around 1850 (some as early as 1848).

If we consider for a moment that she lived in Burgooney for 47 years (a very specific time) then it puts her living at Bogan Gate around 1879. This was shortly after her marriage to Edward Cotter.

The timing of her children too makes me believe she was 65 and not 76 as the family historians would have us believe. At 76 she would have had her youngest at 53, yes not impossible but not likely. Also she would have been a 30 year old bride, once again not impossible but very old for those days.

The questions now for this family detective are was Mary born in Australia at all? Did her  family come as immigrants? Or, against what family history says were they in fact convict stock?

Some names I'd like to investigate are:
Mary Kelly daughter of John & Lucy Kelly born 1860 Binalong.
Mary Kelly daughter of James & Bridget Kelly born 1862 Yass

I have tried to find death records for John and Mary from Yass but closest I've found so far is Binalong. Edward Cotter's family were also from the Binalong area.

Family tree under construction!