James Crowe Richmond
Encyclopedia
James Crowe Richmond was a New Zealand politician, engineer, and an early painter in watercolours of the New Zealand landscape.
, England
, the son of Christopher Richmond, barrister and his wife, Maria Wilson. He was educated at Hackney Grammar School, at Hove
House, Brighton
and at the school attached to University College London
. He was apprenticed to the engineer Samuel Clegg
and from 1845 served on the staff of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
for three years working on the Great Western Railway
in southern England.
Richmond emigrated to New Zealand with his younger brother Henry Richmond
on the Victory on 3 October 1850. The ship arrived in Auckland
in February 1851 and the two walked south to Taranaki where they purchased a few acres near the home of their aunt Helen, who had married John Hursthouse and had also settled in Taranaki. Eventually members of the Richmond, Hursthouse, Atkinson
and Ronald families, who were related by marriage, all settled near one another in the area.
Richmond returned to England in 1854 and married Mary Smith on 21 August 1856 before returning to New Zealand on the Kenilworth, which arrived in New Plymouth
on 8 July 1857.
for Omata
at a 16 April 1860 by-election. He remained in Parliament until he resigned in 1865, as he was called to the Legislative Council
, where he remained for only four months. He then represented Grey and Bell from 1866
to 1870, when he was defeated.
Mary had left for Nelson
with other Taranaki refugees from the Land Wars
in 1860. In 1862 he joined her and became the editor of the Nelson Examiner while continuing his political career. After the fall of the Fox Ministry, he also became the Commissioner of Crown Lands. He served on the Nelson Provincial Council
and was also appointed provincial secretary from 1863-65.
.
Richmond travelled with his three eldest children to England and Europe in 1873 but returned to Nelson by January 1881. He continued to travel frequently.
, which he was visiting, on 19 January 1898.
Early life
Richmond was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the son of Christopher Richmond, barrister and his wife, Maria Wilson. He was educated at Hackney Grammar School, at Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
House, Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and at the school attached to University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. He was apprenticed to the engineer Samuel Clegg
Samuel Clegg
Samuel Clegg was a British civil engineer.Clegg was born at Manchester on 2 March 1781, received a scientific education under the care of Dr. Dalton. He was then apprenticed to Boulton and Watt, and at the Soho Manufactory witnessed many of William Murdoch's earlier experiments in the use of coal...
and from 1845 served on the staff of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
for three years working on the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
in southern England.
Richmond emigrated to New Zealand with his younger brother Henry Richmond
Henry Robert Richmond
Henry Robert Richmond was a 19th century New Zealand politician and farmer, and brother of James Crowe Richmond and William Richmond. They were part of the Richmond-Atkinson family of Taranaki who were all related by marriage....
on the Victory on 3 October 1850. The ship arrived in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
in February 1851 and the two walked south to Taranaki where they purchased a few acres near the home of their aunt Helen, who had married John Hursthouse and had also settled in Taranaki. Eventually members of the Richmond, Hursthouse, Atkinson
Harry Atkinson
Henry Albert "Harry" Atkinson served as the tenth Premier of New Zealand on four separate occasions in the late 19th century, and was Colonial Treasurer for a total of ten years...
and Ronald families, who were related by marriage, all settled near one another in the area.
Richmond returned to England in 1854 and married Mary Smith on 21 August 1856 before returning to New Zealand on the Kenilworth, which arrived in New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
on 8 July 1857.
Political career
Richmond was elected unopposed as Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Omata
Omata (New Zealand electorate)
Omata was a Taranaki electorate in the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 to 1870. It was based on the township of Omata.-Members:The following Members of Parliament represented the Omata electorate:...
at a 16 April 1860 by-election. He remained in Parliament until he resigned in 1865, as he was called to the Legislative Council
New Zealand Legislative Council
The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed.-Role:...
, where he remained for only four months. He then represented Grey and Bell from 1866
New Zealand general election, 1866
The New Zealand general election of 1866 was held between 12 February and 6 April to elect 70 MPs to the fourth term of the New Zealand Parliament. 13,196 votes were cast....
to 1870, when he was defeated.
Mary had left for Nelson
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
with other Taranaki refugees from the Land Wars
New Zealand land wars
The New Zealand Wars, sometimes called the Land Wars and also once called the Māori Wars, were a series of armed conflicts that took place in New Zealand between 1845 and 1872...
in 1860. In 1862 he joined her and became the editor of the Nelson Examiner while continuing his political career. After the fall of the Fox Ministry, he also became the Commissioner of Crown Lands. He served on the Nelson Provincial Council
Nelson Province
The Nelson Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-History:The Marlborough Province split away from the Nelson Province on 1 November 1859 because the majority of the income of the Provincial Council came from land sales in the...
and was also appointed provincial secretary from 1863-65.
Art
He formed a close and lifelong friendship with John Gully and continued to paint and sketch in what little spare time he had.Later life
Mary died in Nelson on 29 October 1865 having never fully recovered from the birth of her fifth child, and this event left Richmond 'harassed & broken'. However, by 1866 he was back in politics and moved his family to Taranaki. By 1869 the family had moved back to Nelson. Other family connections were also living there, including his brother William's family and his sister Maria and her husband, Arthur AtkinsonArthur Richmond Atkinson
Arthur Richmond Atkinson was an independent conservative Member of Parliament in New Zealand.He represented the City of Wellington electorate from 1899 to 1902 when he was defeated. He stood for Wellington East in 1908....
.
Richmond travelled with his three eldest children to England and Europe in 1873 but returned to Nelson by January 1881. He continued to travel frequently.
Death
Richmond died at the house of his daughter, Ann Elizabeth, in OtakiOtaki, New Zealand
Otaki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District of the North Island of New Zealand, situated half way between the capital city Wellington, 70 kilometres to the southwest, and Palmerston North, 70 kilometres to the northeast. It marks the northernmost point of the Wellington Region. The town's...
, which he was visiting, on 19 January 1898.
External links
- Artworks by James Crowe Richmond in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- Biography in the 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
- James Crowe Richmond, Artist (eText)
- Fairfield House and the Atkinson and Richmond Families
- http://www.pukeariki.com/en/stories/immigration/richmond.htm Richmond & Atkinson Family history in Taranaki