Historical information
The LHLG newsletter of 1918 features this image and notes that they accompanied their shipmaster father Captain Aviss, of the Barque Inverneill who with his wife Catherine Florence Aviss, travelling through dangerous European waters, brought the family of three children to visit Melbourne. The two children featured are Margaret and Ronald, born at sea in 1915. Their young sister, Ruth Neil, was also born at sea on the 27 August 1918. The family re-united with a first meeting for the children and grandparents, Captain and Mrs Frampton, who "had lost two ships to enemy submarines and were now on their third". The family participated in "a happy Communion service in our chapel , in which the parents and grandparents joined this formed the keystone of their visit to Melbourne".
Unfortunately the young Mrs Aviss contracted the Spanish influenza on their arrival in St John, New Brunswick, Canada, she succumbed in November 1918 after spending a week in the Parks Hospital.
Herbert Aviss was left with 2 toddlers and a 3 month old baby. He went back to England with his children in March 1919 on passenger ship, accompanied by a nurse.
Martin Frampton and his wife were in New York at the time, but they probably learnt about Catherine's death in the local newspaper. A memorial plaque in her name unveiled in the chapel at the Mission in April 1919.
The parents and grandparents left their names and signatures in the visitor book (0149) on the 28 April 1918.
Significance
One of the rare stories of seafarer visits illustrated with a photograph of the children of a family accustomed to life aboard ship. The impact of influenza also affected this family and others are recorded amongst the supporters of the Mission and reflects the widespread impact that the epidemic of the post WW1 period had on people, Mission activities and restrictions affecting public events.
Both Framptons and Aviss are noted in the annals of the Cape Horne society.
Physical description
Small monochrome photograph of two small children, a girl and a boy posed in front of the ship's wheel of a sailing vessel
Subjects
- shipboard life,
- seafarer families,
- martin frampton,
- elizabeth frampton,
- herbert aviss,
- children,
- catherine florence aviss nee frampton,
- wwi,
- world war one,
- great war,
- first world war,
- german,
- submarine,
- u boat,
- torpedo,
- spanish influenza,
- flu,
- pandemic,
- st john,
- new brunswick,
- sea mites,
- wheel,
- boy,
- girl,
- margaret aviss,
- ronald aviss,
- ruth aviss,
- ruth neill aviss,
- ruth neill paterson nee aviss (1918-2017),
- ronald aviss (1915-1996)
References
- The Inverneill under sail, 1915 State Library of SA image from A.D. Edwardes Collection. Photograph and summary of builder, owners and end of service.
- Catherine Aviss nee Frampton
