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NORWEGIAN EMIGRATION - THE DEBORA EXPEDITION SUMMARY The Debora Expedition sailed from Bergen in 1879 to establish a Norwegian colony on an Indian Ocean atoll called Aldabra. The organisers endeavoured to find practical and Christian people to create a settlement based on the teachings of the Norwegian preacher Hans Nielsen Hauge (1771 -1824). The expedition was aborted in Madagascar - a few of the participants remained in Madagascar and the rest settled in the British colony of Port Natal (Durban). They were the first group of Norwegian emigrants to settle in Port Natal. The forty-seven persons who took part in the Debora Expedition were:- Captain Tobiassen and wife, mate Berentsen and wife, mate Oftedal, A Olsen and wife, I Iversen and wife, O Heidalsvig and wife (Høidalsvig), J Finsen and wife, K Bang and wife with three children (Amanda, Severin and Knut), F Larsen and wife with six children (Angel, Emil, Sigvart, the three sons of the late Sivert Andersen Hordnes, and Petra, Ludvig and Karl), H Johnsen and wife with three children (Sina, Josefine and Karl), A Andreassen and wife with three children (I don't remember their names), R Andersen, R Rasmussen, K Jensen, A Hesselberg, Grang, O Fosdal, E Eriksen, P Bang, E Ellingsen, widow Egelandsdal and Miss Serene Larsen. Two children were born on the voyage: a son to Mr and Mrs F Larsen and a son to Mr and Mrs Andreassen. |
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Michael B Fisk wrote: Andreas Hesselberg is mentioned by Sofie Norgaard in her book "A Norwegian Family in South Africa". Firstly on page 88 "One of these who rented a room from us (in Durban) was an engineer called Hesselberg. There was a lot of talk about a new railway line between Pietermaritzberg and Ladysmith" unquote. As Hesselberg was to be involved he (c. 1882) persuaded Sofie and Hans to sell out and join him. Sofie describes this terrible experience and immense hardship that was to follow. Andreas Christian Hesselberg must have caught a fever, as he boarded the steamer "Trajan" and died on the voyage from Durban to Norway Dec. 6th, 1885. He was only 27 years old at that time of his death. Andreas was born about 1857, the son of Andreas Christian Hesselberg (born July 22, 1819). The father was a ship's captain from 1850 after employment at the Royal Marine Establishment in Fredriksvern. He died in Kristiania (Oslo) on 18the Oct. 1879. He had married c. 1842 to Maren Regelsen and had six children. Son Andreas was educated as an engineer and worked for the British Railroad Company in Port Natal (1882- Nov. 1885). See: 
Michael B. Fisk: Debora PassengersMike Wilson wrote from Australia: "Andreas Christian Hesselberg, if the history here is any guide, his fever may have been Lupus (SLE)." |
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