PASSING OF PIONEER

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1940, Page 4

PASSING OF PIONEER

DEATH OF MR. W. CLEMOW V/ith the death at his residence, Brecon Road, Stratford, recently of Mr. William F. Clemow, aged 81 years, Central Taranaki lost one of its early and wellknown pioneers. Mr. Clemow had farmed in the Stratford district for well over half a century and endured the trials which were the lot of the first settlers in bringing unbroken country into its present state of cultivation. Mr. Clemow, who was born at Coldrenick, Cornwall, ia 1859, came to New Zealand with his parents as a boy in 1872. The family voyaged to the Dominion in the ship Cardaus and landed at New Plymouth, thus beginnirig an almost life-long residence in the province for Mr. Clemow. During his early life Mr. Clemow helped make some of Taranaki'.? early history when he was one of a party which left New Plymouth about 54 years ago to fight a disastrous bush fire which swept across a great tract of country from Te Roti to Inglewood. Shortly after this, Mr. Clemow took up a bush section on Brecon Road, where he remained until the time of his death. He was married to Miss Cathrine Crago, Otahuhu, in 1891, who predeceased Hm in December of last year. They are survived by two daughters, Mesdames F. J. Peek, Morrinsville, and E. T. Burrough, Picton. The funeral, which took place at the Kopuatama cemetery last week, was very largaly attended, there being a long cortegef Many wreaths were deposited on the casket. The pallbearers were four nephews, Hudson and Charles (Opunake Road, Stratford), Jack- (Douglas) and Frank Clemow (Eltham) and Messrs. F. J. Peek (Morrinsville) and C. A. Marchant (Stratford).