Biography contributed by Bernadette Siebert.
Lavinia Jane Cruller was born in 1868 in Whangaroa, Northland, daughter of American-born Rufus Cruller and Rachel nee Bowyer.
In 1887, with the permission of her father Rufus, and at the Registrar's Office, Wangaroa, Lavina married Allen Nisbet. He was a bushman born in Kaeo, Northland, in 1864, son of Canadian, Alexander Guild Nisbet and his NZ born wife Mary Rogers.
Allen and Lavinia stayed in the Kaeo area, where he was a contractor and eventually buying land and becoming a farmer. They had nine children, although only the daughters lived to adulthood:
- Gertrude Rose (1887 -1976)
- Minnie Ethel (1889 -1961)
- Mary Ann Adeline (1890 -1971)
- Archibald Leopold (1892 -1893) died aged 1y
- Andrew Leopold (1894 -1895) died aged 10mths
- Nina Alice (1899 -1971)
- Thomas Edward (1900 -1900) died aged 2 days premature
- Ivy Myra (1902 -1955)
- Richard Allen (1903 -1914) died aged 10y
Lavinia Jane died in Apr 1937, aged 68y in Kaeo, and buried in Kaeo Cemetery. The headstone read, “Loved and remembered today, as in the hour you passed away”.
The next year Allen remarried to Minnie Gertrude Stephenson (1863 -1947). In October 1946 aged 82 in Kaeo and was buried with Allen in the Kaeo Cemetery. His probate, worth 21 000 pounds left household effects to daughter Ivy, and also 9 acres with the right of his widow Minnie to the dwelling house and ½ ac for her lifetime and 10 pounds a month. Then he left more parcels of land to daughter Nina and her son Ronald, and to daughter Mary Ann, to daughters Gertrude and Minnie equal shares in a farm, any balance after the death of his wife equally amongst daughters.
Lavinia is the sister-in-law of #375 Gertude Nisbet Kaeo and #375 Agnes Nisbet and #375 Jennie Nisbet, and daughter-in-law of #375 Mary Ann Nisbet
Sources
- Findagrave
- Intentions to Marry 1887 Wangaroa
- Archway probate Allen
- PAPERS PAST Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 82, 8 April 1937, Page 1
- Historical BDMs
- Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com)