Charlotte Jane


Charlotte Jane was one of the First Four Ships in 1850 to carry emigrants from England to the new colony of Canterbury in New Zealand.
The ship is remembered in the name of a road, Charlotte Jane Quay, in the port town of Lyttelton.

Arrival in Lyttelton

Randolph, Cressy, and Charlotte Jane together carried an estimated 790 passengers. In addition, about another 60 worked their passage on the ships or deserted and disembarked. The first of the vessels to arrive was Charlotte Jane in Lyttelton on 16 December 1850 in the morning. Randolph followed that afternoon. Sir George Seymour arrived on 17 December, followed by Cressy on 27 December. Charlotte Jane carried the equipment for the production of the region's first newspaper, the Lyttelton Times, which was first published less than one month after the ship's arrival.

Passengers

Charlotte Jane carried approximately 154 passengers. Exact numbers are not known because the surgeons' lists and the shipping lists do not match, and some young children were not counted.
The passengers aboard these four ships were referred to as "the Pilgrims". Their names are inscribed on marble plaques in Cathedral Square in the centre of Christchurch, where 157 passengers are listed.

Notable passengers

The first passenger who leapt onto the shore was James FitzGerald, who became an important politician in New Zealand. One of Charlotte Jane's most notable passengers was the architect Benjamin Mountfort. Charles Bowen was later Speaker of the New Zealand Legislative Council. James Stuart-Wortley was a member of the 1st New Zealand Parliament before he returned to England in 1855. James Temple Fisher was elected to Parliament in 1876. Edward Bishop was the 6th Mayor of Christchurch. Harriet Ritchie became the first nurse at Lyttelton Hospital. Alfred Barker was the surgeon on the voyage. He was Canterbury's first doctor.