ANNIVERSARY OF CANTERBURY

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21967, 16 December 1936, Page 18

ANNIVERSARY OF CANTERBURY

ARRIVAL OF FIRST FOUR SHIPS

PROVINCE NOW 86 YEARS OLD

Canterbury as a settlement is 86 years old to-day. The Charlotte Jane, the first of the historic First Four Ships chartered by the Canterbury Association to bring pilgrims to the settlement, dropped anchor in Lyttelton harbour, at 10 a.m. on December 16, 1850, and was followed by the Randolph (the same day), the Sir George Seymour (the next morning), and the Cressy (on December 27). The First Four Ships brought to Canterbury 717 pilgrims, who were selected as "a slice of English society cut from top to bottom," and were to found the ideal colony according to the plans of Edward Gibbon Wakefield. The pilgrims were a band of Englishmen and Englishwomen such as had probably never before been gathered together. There were clergy, landowners, engineers, and labourers. . ~ They were selected as specially suitable and desirable people to found a new English society in the Antipodes, people whose high ideals and remarkable industry laid a foundation such as few other provinces or colonies have rnioyed. To-day only eight of the mlgrims are alive. There are also still living five early settlers known as "antediluvians," who were here before the First Four Ships arrived. Canterbury Pilgrims The list of Canterbury pilgrims living is as follows*.— CHARLOTTE JANE. Mr A. L. Barker, Wainui, Winchester, South Canterbury. RANDOLPH. Mrs E. D. Howell (nee Elizabeth Waghorn), Lincoln. Mr Eli Smart, Ormond street, Woodville. Mr Randolph Harper, St. Albans. SIR GEORGE SEYMOUR. ' Mrs Louise A. Clothier (nee Louise Denton), Southland. The Rev. F. G. Brittan, 11 Chapter street, St. Albans. The Rev. F. R. Inwood, 21 Cracroft terrace, Cashmere. CRESSY. Mr Richard Evans, Otorohanga, Bay of Plenty. "Antediluvians" The following is a list of the remaining settlers who were in Canterbury before the arrival of the First Four Ships, according to the records of the Canterbury Pilgrims' and Early Settlers' Association:— Mrs Georsre Breitmeyer (nee Elizabeth Brown), Price's Valley, Little River. Born Akaroa, 1842. Mr William Gilbert, Carrick street, St. Albans. Born Peraki, 1843. Mrs Annie Taylor (n£e Annie Manson), Barbadoes street, Christchurch. Born Head of the Bay, 1846. Mr Robert Gilbert, Carrick street, St. Albans. Born Opukutahi (Tikau Bay), 1846. Mr A. R. Pavitt, 121 Tennyson street, Beckenham. Arrived Akaroa in the Monarch, 1850. Quiet Celebration The anniversary will be quietly celebrated in the city. Many years ago it was one of the most important and popular holidays, but to the regret of the Canterbury Pilgrims' and Early Settlers' Association, and largely owing to the proximity of the day to Christmas, it has been abandoned as a public holiday, and will be recognised this year by few institutions. The Pilgrims* Association held a garden party on Saturday, and members attended special services at Lyttelton on Sunday. To-day the only ceremony will be the annual one at Lyttelton—the signalling of the arrival of the Charlotte Jane.