Cressy (ship)
Encyclopedia
The Cressy was one of the first four ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s in 1850 to carry emigrants
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to the new colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of Canterbury in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The Cressy was the last to arrive on 27 December. The other ships were Charlotte-Jane
Charlotte-Jane
The 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.-Arrival in Lyttelton:...
, Sir George Seymour
Sir George Seymour (ship)
The Sir George Seymour was one of the first four ships in 1850 to carry emigrants from England to the new colony of Canterbury in New Zealand. The other three ships were Cressy, Charlotte-Jane and Randolph.-Voyage:...
and Randolph
Randolph (ship)
Randolph was a 664-ton ship-rigged merchant vessel constructed in 1849 in Sunderland. She was one of the first four ships to settle Christchurch, New Zealand ....
.
The passengers aboard these four ships were referred to as the "Canterbury Pilgrims" of Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
. Their names are inscribed on a marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
plaque in Cathedral Square in the centre of Christchurch.
Notable passengers
- Harry AllwrightHarry AllwrightHarry Allwright was a 19th century Member of Parliament in Canterbury, New Zealand.Allwright arrived in Lyttelton on the Cressy on 27 December 1850. He was thus one of the Canterbury Pilgrims....
(1836/1837 – 1892), Member of Parliament for the Lyttelton electorate 1879–1887 - Arthur Dudley DobsonArthur Dudley DobsonSir Arthur Dudley Dobson was a pioneer surveyor, engineer and explorer. Born in London, he came to Lyttelton, New Zealand in 1850 on one of the First Four Ships. He is best known for taking the first party of Europeans over Arthur's Pass.-Early life:Arthur Dudley Dobson was born in Islington,...
(1841–1934), pioneer surveyor and engineer, son of Edward Dobson - Edward DobsonEdward DobsonEdward Dobson was Provincial Engineer for the Canterbury Province from 1854 to 1868.-Early life:Edward Dobson was born in London, probably in 1816 or 1817. His parents were John Dobson, a merchant, and Elizabeth Barker. By the time he started his apprenticeship as an architect and surveyor in...
(1816–1908), Provincial Engineer - Michael Brennan Hart (1814? – 1878), Mayor of Christchurch 1874–1875