Shep's Place Family Tree

Because of her father Allen's unreasonable dislike of Germans, in spite of the family friendship with the Krichauffs and Fischers of Bugle Ranges, Nell kept her engagement to Mrs. Krichauff's brother Justus Christian Wilhelm Fischer a secret. She had hoped to overcome Allen's prejudice and eventually gain his consent. Willi, as he was known to the Wilsons, had been born in 1838 at Schleswig-Hostein and was extremely hardworking and was eventually to become quite well-to-do.

Unknown to Nell, her father had arranged with his friend Oscar Lines who had long since given up public house keeping to farm at Reedbeds, now part of Woodville, that his eldest son John should marry Nell. It is doubtful if she even knew him well as John had farmed with his father and had about this time taken up land at Dublin, north of Adelaide. When Nell told of her preference and of her acceptance of Willi's sapphire and pearl ring there was such an explosion of wrath that she was intimidated into complying with Allen's decree. In retrospect it seems rather poor spirited of her and if Ellen tried to take her part she was unsuccessful.

The younger members all knew how Allen took the ring from Nell and himself off to Bugle Ranges where he found Willi industriously fencing. Willi took back his ring and dropped it into a newly dug post hole, rammed home the post and remarked that if Nell would not wear it no other woman ever should. Willi did marry two years later, Sarah Annie Hague, and farmed at Langhorne Creek. He fathered 6 children and prospered. By 1904 he retired to Strathalbyn where he had purchased the "great" house, "Watervilla" in Mill Street that was built in 1879 and had been the centre of social events of the town. Willi died aged 79 and was buried at the Strathalbyn Cemetery on 19 Aug 1917. It was only a year or so previously, that with hair and beard snowy white that he met Marion's youngest daughter Violet Lakeman. She was staying at Stacey Street Norwood with his sister Mrs. Krichauff, "Tante Dora". He kept saying how like Violet was to his "little sweetheart, Nell" and added, "I did love her so. I should have been your uncle you know".

John Lines was a pleasant, kindly man who became a Justice of the Peace and well liked and respected in the Dublin community. He had the worst of the bargain in an embittered, austere and unfriendly woman, at least that is how the Lakemans saw her. Once when Grandma Ellen was staying with them at "Lily Cottage", Grange, Nell arrived to see her mother. To her nieces who answered the door knock she said "tell Mrs. Wilson I wish to speak to her", as though they were strangers. She walked up and down outside the house talking to her mother for some time then went away.

Olive, the 3rd Lakeman daughter, once spent a day at the Dublin farm during a holiday with her uncle Allen at Mallala, a few miles distant. Her memory of that day was of a harsh voice calling from the house that she was not to pick the garden mignonette but to get wild flowers next door.

When John Lines died aged 61 in 1902 he left Nell comfortably off. When the farm was sold she went to live with her brother Oscar and his family near Adelaide and removed to Sydney with them about 1906. She was with them for 30 years and was in her 90th year when she died at a Sydney nursing home in 1933.

Note: "Tante Dora" - close friend of the Wilson women, was born Dorothea Arwolina Sophie Fischer in 1836 at Schleswig-Holstein and was betrothed in childhood to Friedrich Eduard Heinrich Wulf Krichauff. He accompanied Ludwig Fischer and his family ‎(Dora, Theodore, Willi)‎ and Mrs. Fischer to S.A. by the "Alfred" in 1848 and took up land next to the Fischers at Bugle Ranges. In due course he married Dora and their sons were Alfred, Edward, Frederick and Sophus. From 1857 Mr. Krichauff was M.P. for Mt. Barker. At that time members did not receive any salary. He walked to Adelaide to attend Parliament and was one of those instrumental in passing female franchise. Afterwards Dora continually cautioned her female friends and relatives to make full use of their votes. The Krichauffs retired to Adelaide, first to a house at Charles Street opposite John Martins, then to Stacey Street, Norwood where Violet Lakeman often stayed. Dora died there aged 83 on 9 Sep 1919 after a long illness, ‎(cancer)‎ and a few days earlier Violet, by then Mrs. Keith Stevenson, went to see her for the last time and was directed to open a tallboy drawer to get a gift for the expected child ‎(E.M.S.)‎. This was a beautifully and finely knitted cotton towel, still owned by E.M.S. and a five pound note which was a generous gift in those days. Tante Dora very much regretted that Ellen ‎(Nell)‎ was not permitted to marry her brother Willi Fischer.