The only record relating to Richard CLIMO's birth is that of his baptism on 21 March 1849 at St. Peter?s Church in Onehunga, Auckland (official records in New Zealand were not kept until 1850). The next record that exists is of his marriage: on 05 May 1871 he married Marianne Elizabeth CAMPLIN of Westport, at Holy Trinity Parish Church in Picton. Marianne was born on the Island of St. Vincent in the Windward Isles. Her mother, Angusina had been widowed soon after the birth of her second daughter. Angusina decided to leave St. Vincent so the little family set off for Sydney, New South Wales to start a new life. In 1860, Angusina married Stewart GILLON, by whom she had a son, John, before her husband was tragically killed whilst trying to intercept a runaway horse in a Sydney street. Once again, Angusina uprooted her family, this time to Westport, New Zealand. Marianne had been carefully nurtured and well-educated but in common with the CLIMO and POPE families, she and Richard lived in the sawmill settlements, moving onto new sites as the timber supply ran out. It was while they were at Hoods Bay, Pelorus in Marlborough, that their first three children were born: Annie in 1872, Richard Fredrick Johnson (Fred) in 1874 and Alice Maude in 1875.

Richard and Marianne migrated with the rest of the CLIMO family to Ormond soon after Alice Maude?s birth. Ormond was to be the birthplace of their next daughter, Angusina, who was born in 1876 but sadly, died in infancy. Ada Adaline, born in 1878 and Richard and Marianne?s sixth child, Alfred Ernest was born in Clareville, near Carterton in Wairarapa in 1880. Unfortunately at the time of his birth, Richard and Marianne had separated. A divorce followed sometime later, and in due course, each re-married.

Richard married his second wife, Fanny Ellen LUXFORD at the Fielding Registry Office in 1884. She was a widow with two daughters and one son. They lived at Halcombe, where Richard had a logging contract for Bailey?s sawmill and where their three daughters were born: Lillian May in 1884, Hazel Lylie in 1886 and Mabel Violet in 1890. It was about the time of Mabel?s birth that Bailey?s removed the saw-mill across the Rangitikei River to Rata taking the CLIMO?s with them. A new member, Roger POPE, husband of Richard?s sister Emily, joined them, as well as Richard?s brothers Robert and John and father James, as the senior manager. All went well until disaster struck. A fire swept through the mill, the timber-yards and the standing bush, putting an end to further milling in the district. So, in an effort to earn a living, Richard joined his brother John in a fishing venture at Wanganui in 1895, but this had a tragic ending. While crossing the Wanganui River Bar, their boat, which was in tow capsized. Richard and a friend were rescued but sadly, John drowned.

After his two eldest daughters, Maude and Ada married and his son Frederick went to work in the railway services Richard took Fanny and their daughters to the South Island. By 1899 they were back in the Sounds, along with the late John?s son James Henry, who had married Hettie TAYLOR, Fanny?s daughter from a previous marriage. In 1902, Richard was working at a mill in Manaroa, with Fanny in residence at Anakoha, when they crossed the Sound at Nydia Bay, re-crossing in 1905 to establish Fawcett and CLIMO?s mill at Okoha. Richard had the company of his brother James and nephews James Robert and James Henry in the mill team and Fanny was installed as Post Mistress. Soon Richard?s father, James joined them, having finally retired with his second wife, Amelia, to Havelock.

Eventually Richard and Fanny moved north to Daniel?s Mill at Masterton, leaving behind Fanny?s daughter Ada Martha TAYLOR, who had married Frank Wilson POPE, son of Emily CLIMO and Roger POPE. Their own daughter Lillian May had married her cousin Samuel CLIMO, son of Samuel (Samson) and Johanna CLIMO and settled in Havelock. In Masterton, Richard became acquainted with a Mr. John ROSSITER and the two became great friends. Later, Richard and Fanny's daughter Hazel Lylie would marry John Rossiter's son, Edwin Arthur ROSSITER.

Shortly after the outbreak of World War I, Richard visted the three surviving members of his first family: he saw Ada and her boys at Paki-Paki, near Hastings; Fred and his family at Rata and Alice Maude on her family farm near Palmerston North. His visit to Alice Maude coincided with the final Open Day at the Rangiotu Military Camp, where the New Zealand Rifle Brigade were in training. It was here that William, Robert CLIMO?s eldest son, was in the ranks. William was overjoyed when he recognised the tall bearded figure of his blue-eyed ?Uncle Dick?. But when the war was over, Richard was not present to welcome back his nephew, for he had fallen victim to the influenza epidemic of 1918 and had passed away in July of that year. He is buried in Masterton Cemetery.