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 Høidalsvig (Hiedalewig) and wife, 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, 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. 
The expedition was aborted in Madagascar, a few of the participants remained in Madagascar and the rest settled in Port Natal (Durban). 

Sivert Olsen Nygaardsvig's daughter Marie Elizabeth Olsen married Sivert Andersen Hordnes the son of Anders Tollevsen Salbu. Marie lived in Nygaardsvig, she was 21 and Sivert was 29 when they married. (see Askøy Church records - original register in Bergen State Archives). Sivert Andersen, age 32, and his father-in-law Sivert Olsen Nygaardsvig, age 62, were lost at sea on the 27th of February, 1869 in a "Strong Storm". Their bodies were never found. see Askøy parish register number A 9 (1863-1877).

 After the untimely death of her first husband, Marie married Fredrik Johan Larsen Lervig. Fredrik, son of Lars Findsen Lervig and Petrikke Marie Johannesdtr, was born March 24, 1845, and was baptized in the Askøy church on April 6, 1845. Fredrik was the oldest of eight children and was a second cousin to Marie. Fredrik and Marie's common great-grandparents were John and Marthe Sjursen (Siursen) (married Askøy January 1776 - see insert below).

 Fredrik married Marie in the church at Askøy on the 10th of September 1871 and he became the foster father to the three children of Marie and her late husband Sivert Andersen Hordnes - the children's names were 'Angele Edvard'Angel Sivertsen (born 1866) and the twins Sigvart Sivertsen and Emil Sivertsen (born 1868).

 The December 1875 "Folketaelling for Kongeriget Norge" show that Fredrik Johan Larsen Lervig (Lervik) - together with his wife Marie Elisabeth Olsdtr and the children 'Angele Edvard' Angel Sivertsen, Sigvart Sivertsen and Emil Sivertsen, Petra Bendikte Larsdtr (born 1872) and Ludvig Larsen (born 1875) - lived in Krohnviken, Aarstad where Fredrik worked as a carpenter. Krohnviken is now a part of Bergen, a little south of the centre of the town. In the 1870's a number of mechanical workshops and shipbuilders were located in this area.

The Larsen Family left Bergen on the 19th of July 1879 on the schooner Debora to establish a Norwegian colony on the Island of Aldabra. After spending some weeks in Madagascar the expedition was aborted. The Debora left for Natal and arrived in Durban on the 12th of November 1879. 

Some years later Fredrik Johan Larsen purchased a 1030 acre farm in Oribi Flats, on the southern coast of Natal - the Larsen farm was close to the Norwegian settlement of Marburg. 

Marburg was the "New Homeland" of the small group of Norwegian Settlers who arrived in the British Crown Colony of Natal in 1882. Marburg was comprised of 50 farm "Lots" of 100 acres each, together with 2000 acres of "commonage". 

The Larsen family lived on the Oribi Flats farm for many years . Fredrik and his wife Marie are buried in a small graveyard on the farm. 

Emil Larsen married Gusta Dahle of Lot 30 Marburg and Nancy Larsen married Peter Lind of Lot 3 Marburg. Ref: "Norwegian Settlers Marburg, Natal 1882" and "Centenary Supplement 1882 - 1982" 

Photograph: Fredrik and Marie Larsen and Family - circa 1895 : Children: anti-clockwise from back - Petra Bendikte, Sigvart, Angel, Emil, Ludvig, Carl Martin, Finn Atlanter, Johannes, Elias Johan, Marie Fredrica. 

Notes: 

Parents of Marie Elizabeth Olsen - Nygaardsvig 

The Fana Bygdebok (4) records: "Jana" Johanna Hansdtr Hordnes (Hordneas),was the daughter of Hans Paulsen who died in 1792, Hans Knudsen, who had no children of this own, married "Siri" Sigrid Iversdtr Birkeland the widow of Hans Paulsen. Jana, being Hans Paulsen's only child, inherited her fathers portion of the farm Hordnes. Jana and Anders Tollevsen Salbu were the parents of Sivert Andersen Hordnes. 
 

The following information was sourced by Yngve Nedrebø 

The Askøy records show: Sivert Andersen, age 32, and his father-in-law, Sivert Olsen Nygaardsvig, age 62, were lost at sea Feb. 27, 1869 in a "Strong Storm". Their bodies were never found.

The Askøy records show: Sept. 10, 1871 the widow Marie Elisabeth Olsen married Fredrik Johan Larsen, age 26, and the son of Lars Findsen Lervig. They had a daughter Petra Benedikte Feb. 3, 1872. A son Ludvig Nov. 3, 1873, another Ludvig born Jan. 10, 1875. In 1875 Fredrik Johan Larsen Lervig - together with his wife Marie Elisabeth Olsdtr and the children Angele Edvard, Emil, Sigvart, Petra Bendikte and Ludvig, born 1875 - lived in Krohnviken, Aarstad. See: Folketaelling for Kongeriget Norge den 31te December 1875 P28 and P29 - in this census record Angele Ed(e)vard B-1866, Emil B-1868, Sigvart B-1868 were recorded as Sivertsen and not Larsen 

The Askøy records show: Fredrik Johan Larsen Lervig and Cathrine Marie Tollefsdatter had (out-of- wedlock) a daughter Cathrine Johanne March 8, 1866, but the child died Jan. 29, 1869. 

Askøy records - page references: Deaths of Sivert Olsen and Sivert Andersen on page 217b, numbers 12 and 13, death of the child Cathrine Johanne on page 262b, number 7, marriage of Marie Elisabeth and Fredrik Johan Larsen on page 189b, number 27, birth of Ludvig Nov. 3, 1873 on page 148b, number 78, and the second Ludvig, born January 10, 1875 on page 153d, number 11. 

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