James Climo who married Amelia and emigrated to NZ is my 4th gr.grandfather. He was born on 28 January 1820, in Bodmin Cornwall
He emigrated to NZ with his wife Jane Phillips (b.1821 St. Kew, Cornwall) whom he married in Stoke Damerel, Devon, on 30 October 1840. They arrived in New Plymouth NZ on 31 March 1841 on the ship, William Bryant, with Jane's widowed mother, Ann Phillips and her siblings in tow. They had 12 children, the eldest of which, Elizabeth Catherine Climo (later Pope) was the first European baby born in Taranaki. She was born on 08 November 1841. She is my 3rd gr. grandmother.
Jane died in Inglewood, NZ on 01 July 1884 of Tuberculosis & is buried in Inglewood cemetery. James married Amelia Russell (nee Kingcombe) the following year. She became a friend of James & Jane - a widow herself, she helped James nurse Jane through her illness. James & Amelia married in Halcombe, Manawatu on 24 June 1885. They moved to Havelock, in Marlborough, NZ where they lived until their deaths - James died on 11 Sept. 1911 at the age of 91 and Amelia died 3 months later on 22 December 1911 and they are buried in Havelock Cemetery.
From all the stories I have read about James, he was a very remarkable character. To live to the age of 91 in those times is a great feat. He did not retire until the age of 81, so the family stories go. He was a sawyer but he was also a respected herbalist - he learnt the Maori language fluently, and learnt everything about the culture and was respected among local Maori. He knew plants and flowers inside out. He was known for his walkabouts - he & Jane were ship-wrecked off the coast of Kawhia, and carrying their two young children on their shoulders, they walked 150 miles through dense bush, fording rivers and only receiving help from local Maori, not the missonaries. It has been noted that he also walked on foot from Auckland to New Plymouth and on another adventure, he walked from Havelock to Lyttleton, near Christchurch. (This probably one of his secrets to his longetivity)!
We have John Saunders Climo born to Thomas Climo (13 Sept 1738 - 13 Feb 1823) who married Catherine Burton (1758 - 13 Feb 1846). They married 25 December 1782 in Truro, Cornwall. John Saunders Climo was born 26 May 1799 in Egloshayle, Cornwall. He was the 8th-born child (10 children were born to Thomas & Catherine). He married Mary Mann (also known as Tarman) on 26 May 1818. John died 14 February 1847 and Mary died in 1861.
Our family records show John and Mary as James' parents and have done for many years but I know of a long-standing confusion/mystery of James Booking Climo and James Climo throughout the family. There is a baptism record for James Climo, son of John and Mary that exists from 1822 but there are 2 James Booking Climos recorded to have been born to Christopher and Mary Climo - one year apart (b. 1821 and 1822); the first of these two dying in infancy in 1822. There is a baptism record for a James Climo, in 1822, and he was the son of John and Mary.
I'm thinking this is where the confusion has begun?
