Cavill family

Frederick Cavill

Cavill was a sailor, and was awarded three lifesaving medals by the Royal Humane Society. He was also an apprentice on the HMY Fairy and was England's fastest man at swimming 500 yards. As he got older, he became a swimming coach and the Kensington Swimming Baths owner, where he coached Princess Mary to swim. He later moved to Australia and became one of the first people to swim and develop the front crawl.

Channel crossing attempts

First attempt

In August 1876, around a year after Matthew Webb completed the first successful crossing of the English Channel, Cavill attempted his own crossing. Webb accompanied Cavill for the swim, and Cavill used many of Webb's techniques, such as using porpoise oil and the captain George Toms. Cavill started fast, but soon ran into multiple jellyfish which caused him to feel nauseous. After consuming a large amount of Whiskey, Cavill was eventually pulled out after 10 hours of swimming. He was disorientated and had a weak pulse.

Webb criticized Cavill for using the faster side stroke rather than the older breaststroke, and for wearing a jersey. Webb also said that Cavill had only made it halfway across, which made Cavill angry and determined to give it another attempt.

Second attempt

In July 1877, Cavill attempted it a second time, this time starting in Cap Gris Nez, France and attempting to swim to Dover, England. Cavill claimed to have completed the crossing ten hours faster than Webb, but was discredited when his signed witness Mr. Gammon was discovered to have never existed. Cavill never admitted to lying, but challenged Webb to a race across the channel, which he declined.

References

Sources

References

1. [http://www.readersdigest.com.au/nellie-melba The Royal Family of Swimming] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-11-02 , ''[[Reader's Digest]]'' (Australian edition), Retrieved 21 September 2012)
2. Allen, Geoff (26 March 1961). [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PIFWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IeYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6688,6534187&dq= The saga of the swimming Cavills], ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]''
3. (29 May 1935). "Ernie Cavill Passes". Sporting Globe.
4. (2009). "Forgetting Charlie and Tums Cavill: social memory and Australian swimming history". Journal of Australian Studies.
5. (31 December 1940). "Death entry for Percy F Cavell [sic]".
6. (2 March 1914). [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8L9XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HPQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6630,5751989&dq=cavill+swimming&hl=en Cavill Freezes While Swimming: Champion Swimmer Was Unable to Stand Shock of Puget Sound Water], ''Spokane Daily Chronicle''
7. (5 May 1945). [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FpUtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=y50FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5548,3663667&dq= Sid Cavill Dies], ''[[Reading Eagle]]''
8. "The Cavill Family".
9. "Cavill, Frederick (1839–1927)".
10. "Cavill, Richmond Theophilus (Dick) (1884 - 1938) Biographical Entry - Australian Dictionary of Biography Online". Adbonline.anu.edu.au.
11. [http://www.ishof.org/Honorees/70/70cavillfamily.html The Cavill Family (AUS) - 1970 Honor Contributors] {{webarchive. link. (2007-11-04 , International Swimming Hall of Fame website, Retrieved 21 September 2012)
12. (2012). "Swimming Her Own Course: Agency in the Professional Swimming Career of Alice Cavill". The International Journal of the History of Sport.
13. (13 February 1899). "The Cavill Family". The Sydney Morning Herald.
14. (6 December 1898). "The Cavill Family". The Sydney Morning Herald.
15. "Dick Eve". Olympedia.