Skip to content

The First Four Ships

The First Four Ships to Canterbury, New Zealand 1850

Menu
  • Home
  • Charlotte Jane
    • About the Ship
    • Passenger List
    • Charlotte Jane Voyage to NZ
    • Charlotte Jane 1900 Photo
  • Randolph
    • About the ship
    • Passenger List
    • Randolph Voyage to NZ
    • Randolph 1900 Photo
  • Sir George Seymour
    • About the ship
    • Passenger List
    • George Seymour Voyage to NZ
    • George Seymour 1900 Photo
  • Cressy
    • About the ship
    • Passenger List
    • Cressy Voyage to NZ
    • Cressy 1900 Photo
  • The 1900 Photos
    • Charlotte Jane 1900 Photo
    • Randolph 1900 Photo
    • Sir George Seymour 1900 Photo
    • Cressy 1900 Photo
    • Other Passengers
Menu

Randolph Chaney

Randolph Chaney

Randolph Chaney
Randolph Chaney

Return to Randolph Group Photo

Original information:
George (1803-1883) and Sarah (1808-1894) Chaney were the oldest couple on the Randolph. They boarded with four young children, an 18-year-old son (William) and a 17-year-old daughter. Randolph was born on board.

George and William were stonemasons. They had worked on Canterbury Cathedral in England and had been recruited to build the proposed Cathedral for Christchurch. Frustrated at delays for this Cathedral, and irritated at having to build the Lyttelton Prison, William bought property at the northern end of Marshlands Road, which today bears the name Chaneys Corner.

In 1895, Randolph moved his family of 11 children to Riccarton, where he worked in the newly opened Islington Freezing Works.

A son, George Chaney, enlisted in August 1916. He arrived in France in time for the Messines offensive, and fought at Passchendaele, before being detached to the School of Instruction for further training in early November. Rejoining his unit on November 20, he was killed nine days later and is commemorated at the New Zealand memorial at Buttes New British Cemetery at Polygon Wood.

Readers’ Response:
Randolph Theodore Chaney, Born September 10, 1850 at Sea in the “Bay of Biscay”, on board the ship “Randolph”
Died November 06, 1928 Christchurch, New Zealand. Buried at St Peters Churchyard Upper Riccarton, Christchurch, New Zealand
Immediate Family: Son of William George Chaney and Sarah Susannah Chaney
Husband of Sarah Ann Chaney 1

Footnotes:
1. Additional information supplied by John Walker

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

About this site

This website was created as a centenary project for the Canterbury Pilgrims & Early Settlers Association
1923 - 2023
Canterbury Pilgrims & Early Settlers Association

Website Development: John Walker

The 1900 Photos

In December 1900 photographs of surviving passengers of the First Four Ships were taken. Is your ancestor in one of the photos?


The 1900 Photographs

Charlotte Jane 1900 Photo

Randolph 1900 Photo

Sir George Seymour 1900 Photo

Cressy 1900 Photo

Thank You

The Canterbury Pilgrims & Early Settlers Association wish to thank Stuff.co.nz and The Press for permission to use the photos and information contained in the section "The 1900 Photos"
© 2025 Canterbury Pilgrims & Early Settlers Association