CHRISTCHURCH.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16398, 18 December 1918, Page 9

CHRISTCHURCH.

6TORY OF THE EARLY DAYS.

LECTURE BY THE REV. F. G

URITTAN

A 10-turc, tho interest in which was evidenced by the largo number of people who attended, was givenr by tho Rev. F. G. Brittan, in St. Michael's Hall, last evening. The subject was "Early Christchureh," and the lecture ■vcas illustrated with slides from photographs lent by the Museum. " The lecturer commenced by dealing with colonics and colonisation, stating that colonies were as old as the history of the world. Most colonies had been influenced in their foundation largely bv religious motives. Thus the Puritans had founded .-New England, the Jloraan Catholics Maryland, and the Quakers Pennsylvania, but the woakBe s s of the majority of colonies had been that the colonists were all of one class. r.nd that the class that was least capable ot making headway in a new country. Such had not been the ea«=e with tho Canterbury pioneers. AH classes in England had been interested in the formation of tho Canterbury Association, and to that must be ascribed great deal of its ultimate success. Statesmen, men of capital, the clergy, as well as the poorer classes, had been hopeful of the future of the colony, of which Edward Gibbon Wakefield was the theoretical, if .John Robert Godley was tho practical, founder. Coming to the history of the colony, Mr Brittan said that the Canterbury Association for Settlement in New Zealand was incorporated by Royal Charter on. November 13th, 1849. Tho sottloinent was to be founded on definite Church principles. Religious and educational wants in building and maintaining schools and churches -wero provided for. New Zealand had loomed largely in the public eye as a suitable country for colonisation, Auckland, "Wellington, and Nelson having already born founded. Attention "was drawn to the stretch of country south of the Hurunui by Mr Jerningham Wakefield, who. in his book, "Travels in New Zealand," had spoken in glowing terms of its fertile plains, its abundant water sfipply, tomperate climate, and timber. The foundation of Canterbury was then decided upon, and a million acres of land were secured from the New Zealand Company. The colonists wore to pay 10s per acre for the land, 10s for surveys and buildings, £1 for religious and educational purposes, and £1 for ' emigration. Twenty churches, a similar number of schools, and the stipends j of clergy, were provided for,. but owing | io the cost of surveys, etc., having been underestimated, and far less land having been sold than was expected, the Association soon found itself at the end of its available funds, whereupon 3£r Godley mortgaged his private estate, and various curtailments of the original scheme were agreed upon. The land having been surveyed by Captain Thomas, who named the then Port Cooper, Lyttelton, a meeting of the Canterbury colonists was held in' London on April oth, 1850, Mr W. G. Brittan being in the chair. It Tfras then decided that the Society of Canterbuiy Colonist 3 should include anyone who should apply for, and be admitted to, membership within a week. Two ships filled tip readily, and another two were* chartered, the estimated duration of the voyage -to New Zealand being four months. The farewell of the Canterbury Association to the departing colonists took placo on board the Randolph at the East India Docks, where the four ships lay close together, decorated with flags. The baDd of the Coldstream Guards played, while valedictory speeches wero made by Lord. Lyttelton. Earl Nelson, Lord Wharncliffe,,.the Bishop of Norwich, and Lord John Manners, the last-named proposing ii toast, "Success' to Canterbury." One of the. farewell messages received wa& from the United- States Consul in London, who wrote declaring his "lively interest in every colony settled by the Anglo-Saxon people, particularly those who carried the principle of civic liberty, which was tho Bible in ono hand and the. British Constitution in the other."

Proceeding, Mr Brittaii gave some of the history of the voyages of the four ships. Tho Charlotte Jane, he said, left at midnight on September 7th, 1850, sighting Stewart Island" on Wednesday, December 11th, and arriving at Lyttelton on December 16th at 10 a.m. Not far behind her was tho Randolph, which dropped anchor at 3.30 p.m. on the same day. The George Seymour arrived on December 17th, •while the Cressy, the, last to arrive, reached Lyttelton on December 27th. The colonists were met by Sir Geo. Grey in H.M.S. Fly, and the settlers, numbering 1100, were soon ashore, some erecting tents ill Lyttelton, while some climbed the hills and pitched their tents on the plains. Christchurch was so called from the fact that many of the colonists were Oxford men. Very soon six hundred and forty acres were marked' off for the town site, and st&Qcts were laid oat and named after bishoprics of the United Kingdom. The Cathedral site was in the middle of the town, and four churches were to'be built at the four corners. Land purchasers of fifty acres outside the four belts were given a bonus of half an acre in Christchureh-or a. quarter of an acre in Lyttelton. Three belts were "tielined," but the .fourth, which was- not marked, has been merged intcl the beautiful parks and gardens that to-day stand on the western side of the city. Later the belts received the names they now bear, Fitzgerald, Moorhouse, Hoi- j leston, 'and Bealey avenues, from the j lirst Superintendents of the colony. In conclusion, the lecturer said that the founders of Canterbury, were they alive,. would have every reason to be satisfied with the success <if tfye Association. Although Christchurch today was often spoken of as the home of religious cranks, he believed that as a whole the people of St. 'Michael's and other churches were, by their* interest in religious education for the young, keeping steadily in vitftv the principles on which Wakefield based his principles of education—"Pro Ecclesia Dei."