Intentions to Marry, 1864

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840376, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

Page 215

District of Nelson Quarter ending 31 December 1864 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

3 October 1864

George North
Mary Hart

George North
Mary Hart
💍 1864/8308

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer

24
21

Richmond
Richmond

12 years
5 years

as the residence of Richard Hart farmer, Richmond

696

3 October 1864

Rev. Edward Thomas

No	64
Date of Notice	3 October 1864
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George North	Mary Hart
	💍 1864/8308
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer
Age	24	21
Dwelling Place	Richmond	Richmond
Length of Residence	12 years	5 years
Marriage Place	as the residence of Richard Hart farmer, Richmond
Folio	696
Consent
Date of Certificate	3 October 1864
Officiating Minister	Rev. Edward Thomas

5 October 1864

John Jones Hornby
Louisa Scudder

John Jones Hornby
Louisa Scudder
💍 1864/4968

Bachelor
Spinster

Auctioneer

48
46

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

12 months
12 months

at the residence The Rev Will Kirk, Washington Valley, Nelson

723

5 October 1864

Rev. William Kirk

No	65
Date of Notice	5 October 1864
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Jones Hornby	Louisa Scudder
	💍 1864/4968
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Auctioneer
Age	48	46
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	12 months	12 months
Marriage Place	at the residence The Rev Will Kirk, Washington Valley, Nelson
Folio	723
Consent
Date of Certificate	5 October 1864
Officiating Minister	Rev. William Kirk

5 October 1864

William Joshua Hargreaves
Dorothy Ann Tiller

William Joshua Hargreaves
Dorothy Ann Tiller
💍 1864/8311

Bachelor
Spinster

Butcher

19
22

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

19 years
1 year

at the residence of Henry Hargreaves butcher, Bridge St., Nelson

697

Henry Hargreaves Father City of Nelson

5 October 1864

Rev. Edward Thomas

No	66
Date of Notice	5 October 1864
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Joshua Hargreaves	Dorothy Ann Tiller
	💍 1864/8311
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Butcher
Age	19	22
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	19 years	1 year
Marriage Place	at the residence of Henry Hargreaves butcher, Bridge St., Nelson
Folio	697
Consent	Henry Hargreaves Father City of Nelson
Date of Certificate	5 October 1864
Officiating Minister	Rev. Edward Thomas

8 October 1864

Duncan Curby
Sarah Oram Bartlett

Duncan Corby
Sarah Oram Barttett
💍 1864/8060

Bachelor
Spinster

Miner

33
21

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

5 months
20 years

at the residence of John Oram carpenter, Waimea East

724

8 October 1864

Rev. William Kirk

No	67
Date of Notice	8 October 1864
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Duncan Curby	Sarah Oram Bartlett
BDM Match (93%)	Duncan Corby	Sarah Oram Barttett
	💍 1864/8060
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Miner
Age	33	21
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	5 months	20 years
Marriage Place	at the residence of John Oram carpenter, Waimea East
Folio	724
Consent
Date of Certificate	8 October 1864
Officiating Minister	Rev. William Kirk

12 October 1864

August Fredrich Augustus Christian Schwass
Johanna Wilhelmina Katharina Eberhardt

August Frederick Gustav Christian Schwass
Johanna Wilhelmine Cathrina Eberhard
💍 1864/8115

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer

20
15

Waimea West
Waimea West

2 years
5 years

the residence of Christian Frederick Eberhardt farmer, Waimea West

949

Christopher Frederick John Schwass, father Christopher Christian Frederick Eberhardt father

13 October 1864

Rev. Jno Wm Chr. Heine

No	68
Date of Notice	12 October 1864
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	August Fredrich Augustus Christian Schwass	Johanna Wilhelmina Katharina Eberhardt
BDM Match (84%)	August Frederick Gustav Christian Schwass	Johanna Wilhelmine Cathrina Eberhard
	💍 1864/8115
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer
Age	20	15
Dwelling Place	Waimea West	Waimea West
Length of Residence	2 years	5 years
Marriage Place	the residence of Christian Frederick Eberhardt farmer, Waimea West
Folio	949
Consent	Christopher Frederick John Schwass, father Christopher Christian Frederick Eberhardt father
Date of Certificate	13 October 1864
Officiating Minister	Rev. Jno Wm Chr. Heine

14 October 1864

George Martin
Mary O Connor

George Rice
Mary Connor
💍 1864/7425

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer

27
23

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

9 months
3 months

At the Catholic Church, Nelson

774

14 October 1864

Rev. Pierre Marie Michel

No	69
Date of Notice	14 October 1864
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Martin	Mary O Connor
BDM Match (69%)	George Rice	Mary Connor
	💍 1864/7425
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer
Age	27	23
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	9 months	3 months
Marriage Place	At the Catholic Church, Nelson
Folio	774
Consent
Date of Certificate	14 October 1864
Officiating Minister	Rev. Pierre Marie Michel

25 October 1864

James Smith
Margaret Fuller

James Smith
Margaret Fuller
💍 1864/7927

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer

31
22

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

9 years
2 years

At the residence of George Herwin carter, Brook St. Valley

768

25 October 1864

Rev. Patrick Calder

No	70
Date of Notice	25 October 1864
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Smith	Margaret Fuller
	💍 1864/7927
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer
Age	31	22
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	9 years	2 years
Marriage Place	At the residence of George Herwin carter, Brook St. Valley
Folio	768
Consent
Date of Certificate	25 October 1864
Officiating Minister	Rev. Patrick Calder

31 October 1864

Richard Sellers Livingstone
Jane Meade

Richard Sellers Livingstone
Jane Meade
💍 1864/7924

Bachelor
Widow

Mariner

29
36

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

6 months
11 years

as the residence of Jane Meade widow, Hardy St., Nelson

767

31 October 1864

Rev. Patrick Calder

No	71
Date of Notice	31 October 1864
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Richard Sellers Livingstone	Jane Meade
	💍 1864/7924
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Mariner
Age	29	36
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	6 months	11 years
Marriage Place	as the residence of Jane Meade widow, Hardy St., Nelson
Folio	767
Consent
Date of Certificate	31 October 1864
Officiating Minister	Rev. Patrick Calder

2 November 1864

William Byers Sealy
Jane Ann Braithwaite

William Byers Sealy
Jane Ann Braithwaite
💍 1864/8103

Widower
Spinster

Surgeon

42
25

City of Nelson
Suburban North

5 years
3 years

at the upper School room, Suburban North

745

2 November 1864

Rev. Geo Henry Johnstone

No	72
Date of Notice	2 November 1864
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Byers Sealy	Jane Ann Braithwaite
	💍 1864/8103
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Surgeon
Age	42	25
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	Suburban North
Length of Residence	5 years	3 years
Marriage Place	at the upper School room, Suburban North
Folio	745
Consent
Date of Certificate	2 November 1864
Officiating Minister	Rev. Geo Henry Johnstone

5 November 1864

Edward Gill
Mary Scadden

Edward Gill
Mary Scadden
💍 1865/6869

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer

23
20

Suburban North
City of Nelson

11 years
12 months

At Christ Church, Nelson

Certificate not issued (vide &187)

No	73
Date of Notice	5 November 1864
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Edward Gill	Mary Scadden
	💍 1865/6869
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer
Age	23	20
Dwelling Place	Suburban North	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	11 years	12 months
Marriage Place	At Christ Church, Nelson
Folio
Consent
Date of Certificate
Officiating Minister	Certificate not issued (vide &187)

8 November 1864

James William Eves
Mary Ann Gibbs

James William Eves
Mary Ann Gibbs
💍 1864/8314

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer

20
14

Waimea South
Waimea South

18 years
14 years

at the residence of The Revd Edw Thomas, Manuka St., Nelson

698

William Eves, father; James Gibbs Father

8 November 1864

Rev. Edward Thomas

No	74
Date of Notice	8 November 1864
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James William Eves	Mary Ann Gibbs
	💍 1864/8314
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer
Age	20	14
Dwelling Place	Waimea South	Waimea South
Length of Residence	18 years	14 years
Marriage Place	at the residence of The Revd Edw Thomas, Manuka St., Nelson
Folio	698
Consent	William Eves, father; James Gibbs Father
Date of Certificate	8 November 1864
Officiating Minister	Rev. Edward Thomas

12 November 1864

Edward Rowland Williams
Rosanna Wylie

Edward Rowland William
Rosanna Wylie
💍 1864/8317

Bachelor
Spinster

Mariner

31
19

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

7 days
7 days

the residence of the Revd Edw Thomas, Manuka St., Nelson

699

Declaration: No person in N.Z having authority to consent

12 November 1864

Rev. Edward Thomas

No	75
Date of Notice	12 November 1864
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Edward Rowland Williams	Rosanna Wylie
BDM Match (98%)	Edward Rowland William	Rosanna Wylie
	💍 1864/8317
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Mariner
Age	31	19
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	7 days	7 days
Marriage Place	the residence of the Revd Edw Thomas, Manuka St., Nelson
Folio	699
Consent	Declaration: No person in N.Z having authority to consent
Date of Certificate	12 November 1864
Officiating Minister	Rev. Edward Thomas

12 November 1864

James Franklyn
Katherine Stratford

James Franklyn
Kitty Stratford
💍 1864/8064

Bachelor
Spinster

Hotel Keeper

22
21

City of Nelson
Waimea West

5 years
15 years

at the residence of George Sheppard saddler, Trafalgar St., Nelson

725

12 November 1864

Rev. William Kirk

No	76
Date of Notice	12 November 1864
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Franklyn	Katherine Stratford
BDM Match (82%)	James Franklyn	Kitty Stratford
	💍 1864/8064
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Hotel Keeper
Age	22	21
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	Waimea West
Length of Residence	5 years	15 years
Marriage Place	at the residence of George Sheppard saddler, Trafalgar St., Nelson
Folio	725
Consent
Date of Certificate	12 November 1864
Officiating Minister	Rev. William Kirk

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).