Eva Theresa Mylott (27 February 1875 – 20 March 1920) was an Australian

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...

opera singer.

Early life

Eva Mylott was born in Tuross Head, New South Wales, Australia. Her parents, Patrick Mylott (1838-1899), an importer of wine and

spirits Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

and Mary Heffernan (1839-1931) (the daughter of Edmund and Honora Heffernan), were Irish

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

s who settled in the Colony of New South Wales. Patrick was born 1838 in County Mayo, the son of Patrick Mylott and Mary McDermott. He arrived in 1861 aboard the John Masterman. Mylott became a protégé of Dame

Nellie Melba Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic dramatic coloratura soprano (three octaves). She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early 20th centur ...

and in 1902, she went to England with her to pursue an opera career outside Australia.

Personal life

On 17 June 1917 in New York City, she married American businessman John Hutton Gibson (died 1937); they had two sons:

Hutton Gibson Hutton Peter Gibson (August 26, 1918 – May 11, 2020) was an American writer on sedevacantism, a World War II veteran, the 1968 ''Jeopardy!'' grand champion and the father of 11 children, one of whom is the actor and director Mel Gibson. Gibs ...

in 1918 and Alexis Mylott Gibson. Mylott died in 1920, aged 45, in

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair () is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. ...

, after slipping in the shower and injuring her neck, leaving two-year-old Hutton and infant Alexis in the care of her husband, who died seventeen years later.

Legacy

Mylott was the paternal grandmother of the actor and film director

Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor, film director, and producer. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apoca ...

References

External links

Eva Mylott, from the official website of Tuross Head, NSW
1875 births 1920 deaths 19th-century Australian women opera singers Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in Illinois Australian contraltos Australian emigrants to the United States Australian people of Irish descent Operatic contraltos Singers from New South Wales Gibson family {{Australia-opera-singer-stub