Antoine (Br Michel) Colombon

From THE FIRST WAVE OF FRENCH MARISTS by Michael O'Meeghan SM, 2008, 9.

Br MICHEL (Antoine) COLOMBON, aged 26 (on arrival in New Zealand in Group I on 10 Jan 1838).

He remained at the Hokianga station till the arrival of Group II in mid 1839 when he was transferred to Kororareka. In mid-1840 he left the Marists, though for a few years retained some link with them by acting as a catechist at Whangaroa. Later he lost contact. His last years were at Reefton where he was a jobbing gardener known as Antonio Michel, alternatively "Jimmy the Gardener". He died there on 14 March, 1880, aged 68, and is buried in Reefton Cemetery as Antonio Michel.

A footnote from Doc 71 gives this useful list of primary documents:

This is the first mention of the problems of Brother Michel (Antoine Colombon), who had been among the first group of missionaries who had left Le Havre on 24 December 1836 (Cf Docs 1 [3,5], 24 [3,13], 27 [1,3], 28 [17]. In September 1838 Father Servant called him “good Brother Michel” (Doc 31 [2]). In June 1839, according to Father Baty, Brother Michel was convalescing at the Bay of Islands (Docs 32 [2] and 76 [2]. In August 1839 Pompallier said that Brother Michel was at Hokianga with Fathers Servant and Baty, and Brother Elie-Régis (Etienne Marin) (Doc 33 [7]). On 3 March 1840 the Brother accompanied Father Viard and the Bishop on a voyage along the coast of the North Island (Doc 51 [1])

Maybe him? A. Michel, Fruiterer, Molesworth St., Westport in 1873

Resident in Reefton - known as Jemmy the Gardener Inangahua Times 1877

Death Notice from Inangahua Times Funeral Notice from the same paper

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