RECORDS OF CANTERBURY PILGRIMS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21907, 7 October 1936, Page 13

RECORDS OF CANTERBURY PILGRIMS

to m* bditob of rei mass. Sir,— l note in “The Press’' a report oi the quarterly meeting of the Early Settlers Association. 1 wonder whether a portion of the policy of the Canterbury Pilgrims’ and Early Settlers’ Association is to encourage members to contribute to the meetings or to the association’s archives and records notes on the voyage out and detail! of the first days of settlement. There must be some of the pilgrims and early settlers who kept diaries. Has the association Inherited or otherwise secured such valuable data for the future historians or novelists or biographers of Canterbury? I would suggest that at each meeting the officers should arrange for a reminiscence to be contributed by a pilgrim or settler.—Vours. etc.. TIMARUVIAN OF 75. Feilding. Sept. 27, 1936.

Commenting on this letter, the secretary of the Canterbury Pilgrims and Early Settlers’ Association says: The objects of the association, inter alia, are: (a) To collect and preserve books, papers, and other articles and records of historic interest illustrative of the manners, customs, etc.; ib) to collect and place on record such anecdotes and reminiscences of early Canterbury as can be got from the original settlers and their descendants; (c) generally to encourage all attempts to engender and spread a knowledge of the history of Canterbury. At many of the quarterly gatherings reminiscences have been given bv settlers and their descendants. Last year Mr Theo. Barker (grandson of Dr. Barker) gave an address. The late Selwyn Bruce gave a talk with lantern slides, of which his book has a very interesting and valuable collection. On one occasion Mr C. Hastings Bridge read his father’s diary of the voyage and arrival of his ship at Lyttelton. The association welcomes gifts of diaries and historical records which It guarantees to preserve and make available for future historians.