The Charlotte Jane and the Randolph bring the first of the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton, New Zealand.

The Charlotte Jane and the Randolph were two of the four ships that carried the first group of settlers to Canterbury, New Zealand, as part of the Canterbury Association’s planned colonization in the mid-19th century. The ships were not associated with the Canterbury Pilgrims, as the term “Canterbury Pilgrims” is more commonly used to refer to the group of English Puritans who sailed on the Mayflower to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620.

The Canterbury Pilgrims in New Zealand were part of the Canterbury Association’s settlement scheme, which aimed to establish an Anglican community in the South Island of New Zealand. The Charlotte Jane and the Randolph were among the first ships that arrived in Lyttelton, Canterbury, in December 1850, carrying the initial group of settlers. The other two ships that made up the First Four Ships were the Sir George Seymour and the Cressy.

These early settlers played a crucial role in the establishment of the Canterbury region and the city of Christchurch, contributing to the development of the agricultural and economic infrastructure of the area. The arrival of the First Four Ships is often considered a significant event in the history of European settlement in Canterbury,