Intentions to Marry, 1860

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840372, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

Imaged by Luke Howison at Archives NZ Wellington, December 12 2024

Page 156

District of Nelson Quarter ending 30 September 1860 Registrar John Poynter

Date of Notice

Names and Surnames of Parties

BDM Match

Condition

Calling or Profession

Age

Dwelling Place

Length of Residence

Marriage Place

Folio

Consent

Date of Certificate

Officiating Minister

13 August 1860

John Wilson
Henrietta Gardiner

John Wilson
Henrietta Gardiner
💍 1860/3953

Bachelor
Spinster

Baker

23
20

Bridge Street Nelson
Waimea Road Nelson

Two years
Eighteen years

the residence of William Gardiner, Waimea Road, Nelson

William Gardiner father

28 August 1860

Rev. Patrick Calder

No	44
Date of Notice	13 August 1860
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Wilson	Henrietta Gardiner
	💍 1860/3953
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Baker
Age	23	20
Dwelling Place	Bridge Street Nelson	Waimea Road Nelson
Length of Residence	Two years	Eighteen years
Marriage Place	the residence of William Gardiner, Waimea Road, Nelson
Folio
Consent	William Gardiner father
Date of Certificate	28 August 1860
Officiating Minister	Rev. Patrick Calder

16 August 1860

Hermann Fayen
Annie Barrett

Hannan Fayer
Annie Barrett
💍 1860/3679

Widower
Spinster

Labourer

29
22

Richmond Waimea East
Richmond Waimea East

Two years
One month

the residence of Mr. Hermann Fayen, Richmond, Waimea East

35 August 1860

Rev. Decimus Dolamore

No	45
Date of Notice	16 August 1860
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Hermann Fayen	Annie Barrett
BDM Match (81%)	Hannan Fayer	Annie Barrett
	💍 1860/3679
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Labourer
Age	29	22
Dwelling Place	Richmond Waimea East	Richmond Waimea East
Length of Residence	Two years	One month
Marriage Place	the residence of Mr. Hermann Fayen, Richmond, Waimea East
Folio
Consent
Date of Certificate	35 August 1860
Officiating Minister	Rev. Decimus Dolamore

16 August 1860

Francis John Hill
Madeline Pahll

Francis John Hill
Madeline Pahl
💍 1860/3724

Bachelor
Spinster

Mariner

25
23

Milton Street Nelson
Van Dieman Street Nelson

eleven months
eighteen years

the residence of Mr. William Pahll, Van Dieman Street

22 August 1860

Rev. Jonathan Innes

No	46
Date of Notice	16 August 1860
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Francis John Hill	Madeline Pahll
BDM Match (96%)	Francis John Hill	Madeline Pahl
	💍 1860/3724
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Mariner
Age	25	23
Dwelling Place	Milton Street Nelson	Van Dieman Street Nelson
Length of Residence	eleven months	eighteen years
Marriage Place	the residence of Mr. William Pahll, Van Dieman Street
Folio
Consent
Date of Certificate	22 August 1860
Officiating Minister	Rev. Jonathan Innes

22 August 1860

Samuel Meggett Mackley
Mary Elizabeth Allan Trist

Samuel Meggitt Mackley
Mary Elizabeth Allan Trist
💍 1860/3727

Bachelor
Spinster

Chemist

28
23

Collingwood. Nelson
Brook Street Nelson

Two months
Two years

the residence of Mr. Thomas Heyward storekeeper, Brook Street, Nelson

4 Sept 1860

Rev. Jonathan Innes

No	47
Date of Notice	22 August 1860
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Samuel Meggett Mackley	Mary Elizabeth Allan Trist
BDM Match (98%)	Samuel Meggitt Mackley	Mary Elizabeth Allan Trist
	💍 1860/3727
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Chemist
Age	28	23
Dwelling Place	Collingwood. Nelson	Brook Street Nelson
Length of Residence	Two months	Two years
Marriage Place	the residence of Mr. Thomas Heyward storekeeper, Brook Street, Nelson
Folio
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 Sept 1860
Officiating Minister	Rev. Jonathan Innes

22 August 1860

Walter Davidson
Mary Jane Malcolm

Walter Davidson
Mary Jane Malcolm
💍 1860/3956

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer

21
18

Richmond Wamea East
Richmond Waimea East

eighteen months
eighteen yrs

the residence of Mr. Andrew Malcolm wheelwright, Richmond

Andrew Malcolm father

6 Sept 1860

Rev. Patrick Calder

No	48
Date of Notice	22 August 1860
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Walter Davidson	Mary Jane Malcolm
	💍 1860/3956
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer
Age	21	18
Dwelling Place	Richmond Wamea East	Richmond Waimea East
Length of Residence	eighteen months	eighteen yrs
Marriage Place	the residence of Mr. Andrew Malcolm wheelwright, Richmond
Folio
Consent	Andrew Malcolm father
Date of Certificate	6 Sept 1860
Officiating Minister	Rev. Patrick Calder

31 August 1860

Patrick Leahy
Margaret Hagan

Patrick Leahy
Margaret Hagan
💍 1860/3715

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer

28
17

Waimea South
Waimea South

two years
Seventeen years

the Catholic Church in Waimea West

James Hagan father

31 August 1860

Rev. Antoine Marie Garin

No	49
Date of Notice	31 August 1860
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Patrick Leahy	Margaret Hagan
	💍 1860/3715
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer
Age	28	17
Dwelling Place	Waimea South	Waimea South
Length of Residence	two years	Seventeen years
Marriage Place	the Catholic Church in Waimea West
Folio
Consent	James Hagan father
Date of Certificate	31 August 1860
Officiating Minister	Rev. Antoine Marie Garin

8 September 1860

Christian Frederick Augustus Deucker
Cleanor Kimber Stirling

Christian Frederick Augustus Dencker
Eleonor Kimber Stirling
💍 1860/3911

Bachelor
Widow

Gentleman

25
32

Waimea East
Waimea East

five years
fifteen years

the residence of The Rev: J.W.C. Heine Lutheran Minister, Lower Moutere

8 Sept 1860

Rev Jno. Will. Chr. Heine

No	50
Date of Notice	8 September 1860
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Christian Frederick Augustus Deucker	Cleanor Kimber Stirling
BDM Match (94%)	Christian Frederick Augustus Dencker	Eleonor Kimber Stirling
	💍 1860/3911
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Gentleman
Age	25	32
Dwelling Place	Waimea East	Waimea East
Length of Residence	five years	fifteen years
Marriage Place	the residence of The Rev: J.W.C. Heine Lutheran Minister, Lower Moutere
Folio
Consent
Date of Certificate	8 Sept 1860
Officiating Minister	Rev Jno. Will. Chr. Heine

10 September 1860

James Blick
Sarah Emily Biggs

James Blick
Sarah Emily Biggs
💍 1860/3682

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer

23
26

Brook Street Nelson
Waimea Road Nelson

sixteen years
Nine years

the residence of Samuel Biggs shoemaker, Waimea Road

10 Sept 1860

Rev. Decimus Dolamore

No	51
Date of Notice	10 September 1860
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Blick	Sarah Emily Biggs
	💍 1860/3682
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer
Age	23	26
Dwelling Place	Brook Street Nelson	Waimea Road Nelson
Length of Residence	sixteen years	Nine years
Marriage Place	the residence of Samuel Biggs shoemaker, Waimea Road
Folio
Consent
Date of Certificate	10 Sept 1860
Officiating Minister	Rev. Decimus Dolamore

14 September 1860

John George Miles
Alice Harriott Smith

John George Miles
Alice Harriett Smith
💍 1860/3781

Bachelor
Spinster

Flock owner

22
20

Waimea South
Waimea South

One week
Three months

the protestant Episcopalian Church, Waimea South

Declaration that no person in N.Z. hath authority to consent

14 Sept 1860

Rev. Samuel Poole

No	52
Date of Notice	14 September 1860
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John George Miles	Alice Harriott Smith
BDM Match (98%)	John George Miles	Alice Harriett Smith
	💍 1860/3781
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Flock owner
Age	22	20
Dwelling Place	Waimea South	Waimea South
Length of Residence	One week	Three months
Marriage Place	the protestant Episcopalian Church, Waimea South
Folio
Consent	Declaration that no person in N.Z. hath authority to consent
Date of Certificate	14 Sept 1860
Officiating Minister	Rev. Samuel Poole

18 September 1860

John Lyne
Mary Disher

John Lyne
Mary Disher
💍 1860/3685

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer

21
17

Richmond Waimea East
Richmond

sixteen years
three years

the residence of Mr. Henry Ingham farmer, Stoke

Robert Disher father

19 Sept 1860

Rev. Decimus Dolamore

No	53
Date of Notice	18 September 1860
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Lyne	Mary Disher
	💍 1860/3685
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer
Age	21	17
Dwelling Place	Richmond Waimea East	Richmond
Length of Residence	sixteen years	three years
Marriage Place	the residence of Mr. Henry Ingham farmer, Stoke
Folio
Consent	Robert Disher father
Date of Certificate	19 Sept 1860
Officiating Minister	Rev. Decimus Dolamore

24 September 1860

William Thomas Pitcher
Louisa Close

William Thomas Pitcher
Louisa Close
💍 1860/3772

Bachelor
Spinster

Sawyer

26
16

Suburban North
Suburban North

Six years
Seven years

the office of the Registrar of marriages, Nelson

Stephen Close father

26 Sept 1860

The Registrar (John Poynter)

No	54
Date of Notice	24 September 1860
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Thomas Pitcher	Louisa Close
	💍 1860/3772
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Sawyer
Age	26	16
Dwelling Place	Suburban North	Suburban North
Length of Residence	Six years	Seven years
Marriage Place	the office of the Registrar of marriages, Nelson
Folio
Consent	Stephen Close father
Date of Certificate	26 Sept 1860
Officiating Minister	The Registrar (John Poynter)

26 September 1860

Henry Balme
Elizabeth Frances Redfearn

Henry Balme
Elizabeth Frances Redfearn
💍 1860/3763

Bachelor
Spinster

Coachbuilder

26
21

Trafalgar St Nelson
Bridge St. Nelson

four years
three days

the protestant Episcopalian Church, Nelson

27 Sept 1860

Rev. Henry Meysey Turton

No	55
Date of Notice	26 September 1860
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Henry Balme	Elizabeth Frances Redfearn
	💍 1860/3763
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Coachbuilder
Age	26	21
Dwelling Place	Trafalgar St Nelson	Bridge St. Nelson
Length of Residence	four years	three days
Marriage Place	the protestant Episcopalian Church, Nelson
Folio
Consent
Date of Certificate	27 Sept 1860
Officiating Minister	Rev. Henry Meysey Turton

29 September 1860

John McArtney the younger
Bridget Lydia Bowerman

John McArtney
Bridget Lydia Bowerman
💍 1860/3959

Bachelor
Spinster

Tinplate worker

28
22

Bridge St. Nelson
Bridge St. Nelson

eighteen years
five weeks

the residence of Mr. John McArtney Sen, Bridge St., Nelson

29 Sept 1860

Rev. Patrick Calder

No	56
Date of Notice	29 September 1860
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John McArtney the younger	Bridget Lydia Bowerman
BDM Match (76%)	John McArtney	Bridget Lydia Bowerman
	💍 1860/3959
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Tinplate worker
Age	28	22
Dwelling Place	Bridge St. Nelson	Bridge St. Nelson
Length of Residence	eighteen years	five weeks
Marriage Place	the residence of Mr. John McArtney Sen, Bridge St., Nelson
Folio
Consent
Date of Certificate	29 Sept 1860
Officiating Minister	Rev. Patrick Calder

These records have been automatically transcribed and must be verified using the page image (below)

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What is an Intention to Marry?

The 1854 Marriage Act required Pakeha settlers (and later Maori) to register their intention to marry from 1855. The resulting Notices of intention to marry were sent by the district registrars to the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages and bound into large volumes, each containing a year of notices. These registers were eventually deposited with Archives New Zealand.

What information does an ItM record?

A typical Intention to Marry notice records:

the bride and groom's full names
occupation of the groom (and sometimes the bride)
their ages
district where the marriage would take place
how long they had resided in the district
Where the marriage would take place (eg, a specific church)
Who would officiate the marriage (eg, a minister)
The date of the notice and also a date when the certificate was issued. Marriages had to take place within 3 months, and usually occurred within a week or so of the certificate date.
If one of the parties was under 21, a parent who consented to their marriage was usually specified

These details can provide clues for genealogical and historical research. Knowing the date and district makes it easier to look for wedding notices in Papers Past, and the amount of time that the parties had resided in a district can offer clues to whether a person was born in NZ, or when they immigrated.

However, finding individual records in the Intentions to Marry registers was typically a slow and manual process, usually requiring an in-person visit to Archives NZ's Wellington office (during limited opening hours) and using a handwritten card catalogue index to look up individual names.

Eight years of the registers had been digitised by Archives NZ prior to 2024, but even these digital versions required the use of a manual index and usually examining several pages to locate specific records.

What is the Intentions to Marry Project?

This project aims to transcribe the New Zealand Intentions to Marry registers (from 1855 to 1925) with the assistance of new technology (AI), making the records freely available and easily searchable.

The ITM records have also been cross-referenced with the registered marriages at DIA Births, Deaths and Marriages, where possible (a small fraction of the recorded intentions to marry did not become a registered marriage).

Currently we have almost all records between 1855 and 1903. More registers are being added almost every week.

The project is led by Luke Howison, a web developer who made the free genealogical research search tool NZ Ancestor Search Helper and Archway-style Collections Search. There are also some wonderful volunteers assisting with digitising the registers.

Can I volunteer to help?

Yes, you can! You can sign up to correct errors in the transcribed records and match ITMs with registered marriages.

I am also looking for Wellington-based volunteers to help me digitise more years of the registers. I can provide lighting equipment and a 'clicker' (to trigger your phone's camera).

How is the transcription done?

There are several steps to digitising and transcribing the records:

Digitising the registers (taking clean, straight, high-quality photos)
Processing the digitised pages by straightening, cropping and sharpening the images
Transcribing each page with a combination of AI tools
Matching each ITM with a registered marriage when possible
Human verification of the transcribed information

The main LLM (AI) used are the Google Gemini Pro and Flash models, which have excellent 'Vision' capabilities, and a generous free tier.

Archives NZ has released the register years they have digitised (1865-69, 1872, 1874 and 1880) under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license.

The Intention to Marry registers (up to 1925) are more than 100 years old, so their Crown Copyright has expired, putting them in the public domain. This also applies to any 'mechanical reproductions' (eg, pictures or photocopies) of their content without substantial alteration.

The transcribed records on this website are released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal license, which allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, even for commercial purposes, while giving credit to the creator (NZ Intentions to Marry Project).