Headstone for William Liston, Agnes Slater and children - 3 children died within weeks

+4 votes
281 views

I wanted to share this headstone photo of my great-great grandparents William Liston and Agnes Slater with the community. Location: Skipton, Victoria, Australia. Date of death for Agnes: 1901.

I saw the grave for the first time in late December 2016 and was struck by the  proximity of the deaths of three of their children, buried long before their parents - 20 April, 26 April and 4 May 1894. Perhaps there was an epidemic of a contagious disease? I tried to imagine the grief of parents losing a 2yr old, a 3yr old and a 7yr old within a two week period. It was probably not unusual at that time without the benefits of modern medicine, but must have been heartbreaking even so, and I saw the large headstone as testament to their grief. 

Next step is to try to discover any disease outbreaks in that area at that time, though it's probably 'needle in a haystack' territory! I don't have a question, but if any WikiTreers are familiar with the Skipton/Beaufort/Hamilton/Ballarat areas and have any ideas for further research I'd be hugely grateful. 

Warm regards, John Haberecht 


500px-Liston-37.jpg
Click here for the image details page or here for the full-sized version (768 x 1024).

WikiTree profile: Agnes Slater
in The Tree House by John Haberecht G2G2 (2.8k points)

2 Answers

+2 votes
Thanks for sharing. Yes it is tragic when you see so many die quickly in a family. I know I have seen it in some of my records too - sometimes only one is left alive, and it could have been something like influenza, or whooping cough, and in a family in close proximity, the germs spread with fatal consequences.
by Lianne Trevarthen G2G6 Mach 4 (46.2k points)
+4 votes

I checked on disasters and epidemics and did not find anything specific for that time and place.  But these links may help you with other research:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_disasters_in_Australia_by_death_toll

https://www.webbertraining.com/files/library/docs/144.pdf

Maybe try contacting:    

Contacting the Society

Please address correspondence to:

The Secretary
Ballarat Historical Society Inc.
P.O.Box 2292
Bakery Hill VIC 3354

 

Telephone contact: (03) 4313 9610
Email: ballarathistoricalsociety@gmail.com

Another thought.  Food poisoning is a possibility as refrigeration and good health practices were not something understood as it is now.  Young children, the sick, and the elderly are considered prime targets for food poisoning that can lead to severe illness and death.  

by Laura Bozzay G2G6 Pilot (824k points)

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