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Pilgrims Before Leaving England
In 1948 about 154 people from England, who were called 'the Pilgrims' planned to leave England to build a new home in New Zealand.
England was cold, wet, and the sky was full of black smoke from all of the factories, so New Zealand's green grass and clear skies attracted the rich who could afford to leave England. -
Travelling from England to New Zealand on The Charlotte Jane
The Pilgrims left Plymouth Sound in England on the 7th of September 1850 and arrived in Lyttleton, New Zealand on the 16th of December 1850. The trip took 99 days. During that trip, 1 couple got married, 1 baby was born, and 3 young children died.
The ship was small so everyone was cramped together with no private toilet, no showers and the food went rotten. It was cold, dirty, and rough on the ship. -
Arriving in Lyttleton
The Charlotte Jane was the first settler ship to land in New Zealand on the 16th of December 1850. The Christchurch Pilgrims were upset because they were told that New Zealand had lush green grass and a settlement would be readily built when for when the settlers arrived. When they arrived it was a hot summer, so the grass was brown and the town had not finished being built so some people did not have their own proper shelter. -
Walking the Bridle Path
When the Canterbury Pilgrims arrived they had to climb a steep path, up a tall hill to reach the new settlement that was being built. The only way they could bring their property to their new home was to carry everything by hand, which meant the pilgrims had to carry heavy objects like ovens and trunks of clothes over the big steep path. This was extremely hard for them as they were exhausted after their journey on the Charlotte Jane.