The Corlett Family

In the early hours of the 18th September 1850, the passengers of the ‘Sir George Seymour’ – the third of our First Four Ships – heard one of the distress calls that no one at sea wants to hear.  FIRE! It is not reported whether the watch-keeper (name of the male passengers who strolled the …

DIAMOND HARBOUR – Mark Pringle Stoddard (1819 – 1885)

Charlotte Godley (wife of Christchurch’s founder John Robert Godley) didn’t miss a thing.  During her short time in New Zealand, she observed and met some of the very early colourful characters of Canterbury.  None escaped the fury of her pen when she wrote letters home to her mother in England. Mr. Mark Pringle Stoddard was …

J.C Watts-Russell (1825 – 1875) & Alfred Creyke (1831 – 1892)

You couldn’t have had two closer friends than J.C. (pictured) and Alfred. The grew up together as their fathers were friends, owned land together, married the same women, travelled together and are even buried in the same cemetery in Upper Riccarton, Christchurch. It’s the land these men owned that puts them on the map…the suburb …

The Press – since 25/5/1861

Nihil stile quod non honestum – Nothing is useful that is not honest – The Press – www.press.co.nz motto.So true. The Press are onto something!I was completely ecstatic to see this in the foyer of the new Press Building on Gloucester Street.This pillar displays the very first edition of The Press, dated 25th May 1861. …

J.C. Watts-Russell

Christchurch Cemeteries: Filling You In On Our Buried Past – John Charles (J.C.) Watts-Russell Date and Place of Birth: 1825 at Ilam Hall, Staffordshire, England Date and Place of Death: 2nd April 1875, Cathedral Square, Christchurch (after short severe illness) A Canterbury Association Settler: Arrived on the ‘Sir George Seymour’ – 17th December 1850 – …