Charles Christopher (Crowell) Croawell (1840 - 1920)

Born 21 Apr 1840 in Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia, Canada

Husband of Lucy Lavina (Lee) Croawell — married 12 Jul 1897 in West Coast, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 19 Nov 1920 at age 80 in Nelson, New Zealand

Biography

Charles Croawell was the son of John Croawell and Sarah Conrad.

He was an officer on a chartered ship where he met Lucy Levy. Lucy, just 15, travelling with a Governess and companion, was on her way to New Zealand to visit her married sister in Hokitika. Charles jumped ship, possibly changing his name to avoid the authorities, and settled on the West Coast. It was likely that Charles could not read or write and possibly his name was transcribed more accurately as it was pronounced.

He and Lucy had 18 children, only 15 surviving.

Charles was the first European to ship goods up the Buller in Westport. In December of 1877, Charles escaped drowning, getting dragged under water and carried downstream when Mr Carnes boat capsized at the Blackwater. His first attempt at shipping goods failed so Lucy sold some of her Rothschild jewels to finance another expedition.

Charles fought in the Maori wars and was given land in Hamilton and more in Arrowtown as a reward. He walked off the land in Hamilton thinking it too barren and sold the Arrowtown land which was quite valuable. He later worked as a contractor at Inangahua and then at Westport.

When Charles and Lucy tied the knot many years later on July 12 in 1897, her family said a Jewish burial prayer for Lucy and cut off family ties for ever. Her family were shamed by Lucy for marrying out of her religion and without approval, bringing disrepute to the Rothschild and Levy names.

About 1906, Charles and Lucy owned the Hotel in the Denniston Mine which eventually burnt down. It was said Lucy travelled up and down the incline at the mine and had no fear of doing so. The couple also owned a farm at Whitecliffs, Inungahua.

Although the couple had 18 children it wasn't a happy marriage. Charles and Lucy retired to Wellington about 1910, but and there was a parting of the ways and Charles moved in with relatives. Lucy lived with daughters Ada and Bertha.

Charles died in 1920 age 80 at the home of his daughter and is buried at Richmond cemetery. BLK 3, PLOT 54

Sources

• Find A Grave: Memorial #174782735
• https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGX9-G26X DEATH

• freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com - Maritime Provinces in NZ
• https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz : Nelson Evening Mail - 19/11/1920

• https://ancestry.com.au

NZ Electoral Rolls

NZBDM - Marriage folio 3150

NZ Cemetery Records

Footnotes

Charles is recorded as Charles Crowell and Charles Christopher Croawell. He is incorrectly linked on other trees as marrying Sarah Ann Organ in 1864. She married Charles William Henry Crowell in Auckland. ^[1]

1. ↑ *https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz MARRIAGE 1864/9317 Sarah Ann Organ Charles Croswell

Acknowledgments